Nail-biting and exciting movie about terrorism , spies and geopolitical issues . The film deals with a spy chief called Nathan Muir (Robert Redford) who's on the verge of retirement from the Central Intelligence Agency. Then the veteran spy learns that his one-time protege Tom Bishop (Brad Pitt) , a CIA operative serving in various countries , has been incarcerated. Tom has gone rogue and been taken prisoner after attempting to smuggle a prisoner out of China . Although Muir and Bishop had once been close friends , sharing long periods of thrilling adventures from Vietnam , Berlin , to Beirut where Muir schemed a plot to chase a mastermind terrorist . As in Lebanon , both of whom formed a solid and shaky alliance to break the terrorist ring which previous bombed US military targets with a lot of casualties . Things go wrong when Bishop falls in love with an aid-worker (Catherine McCormack) . As his memories of their friendship come flooding back , Muir sets about managing the rescue of his old friend from a Communist prison . Meanwhile , the super-powerful CIA uses technological-gizmo-surveillance satellites and modern surveillance systems for people spying and hound terrorists relentlessly . It's not how you play the game ... It's how the Game Plays you. It's not how you play the game. It's how the game plays you. "Poor is the pupil who does not surpass his teacher" . In the end, only friendship matters!
Story's core is interesting and script is dense with information and drama . The ultra-brisk editing and rapid scenes movement leaves little time to consider some inadequacies . Regarding a peculiar relationship between two top-of-the-range spies whose long knowledge has developed bad blood and resentment between them , in spite of the two men haven't seen each other in years . Here Brad Pitt is reunited as a co-star with his A River Runs Through It (1992) director Robert Redford for this espionage thriller from Tony Scott , and both of them giving awesome interpretations . Engaging and twisted thriller concerning the spy-world on Middle East , China and other countries . Robert Redford and Brad Pitt sustain interest enough in this tale of friendship , betrayal , sacrifice and terrorism . Brad Pitt is good as tough super-spy as well as sniper operative and Robert Redford 's cool displaying an enjoyable performance as the elderly and regretted CIA agent . The use of geopolitical messages to add weight to a romantic subplot between the spy and the beautiful nurse , well played by Catherine McCormack , though feels a little forced , at times. They are well accompanied by a good cast , such as : Stephen Dillane , Larry Bryggman , Marianne Jean-Baptiste , Shane Rimmer, David Hemmings, Benedict Wong , Ken Leung , Matthew Marsh , Michael Paul Chan , among others .
The film packs adequate , evocative cinematography by Dan Mindel and rousing musical score by Harry Gregson-Williams . The motion picture was well realized by Tony Scott . He was a good filmmaker whose works received some great reviews , his first big hit happened when was asked by producers Don Simpson and Jerry Bruckheimer to direct Top Gun (1986) starring Tom Cruise . He would work again with Cruise on another high adrenaline film Days of thunder (1990) , which proved less successful . He followed the success of Top Gun with the sequel Beverly Hill cop II (1987) with Eddie Murphy , which was well received . In 1993, he directed the cult movie True Romance (1993) , which was written by emerging director Quentin Tarantino but Scott had a lot of control over the film . While Unstoppable (2010) was Tony Scott and Denzel Washington's fifth and final film collaboration. The others were Red tide (1995) , Man on fire (2004) , Déjà vu (2006) , and Pelham 123 (2009) all of them got big successes . Spy Game(2001) rating : 7/10 . Well worth watching . Above average . The picture will appeal to Robert Redford and Brad Pitt fans .
