The French intelligence service alerts the U.S. about a Soviet spy operation during the height of the Cold War, which sets off an unfortunate chain of events.
Intelligent, funny and mildly nostalgic.
Slightly underpowered as an espionage thriller, this is nonetheless a fascinating story told with real panache.
A tight, tense and tragic package of the personal and political entwined.
This is a satisfyingly sober thriller, almost melancholy in tone – and as morally complex as a John Le Carré novel.
The tale of a truly fascinating but little-known espionage operation is told with panache and a dynamic central pairing.
Witty and intriguing French insight into spying is let down by American scenes.
The acting is excellent all round, but the film would be a lesser animal without Kusturica. Showing as much bravura in front of the camera as he does as a director, the Serbian gives a warm, complex portrayal of a man who observes that "I live in lies, and solitude", yet who deserves so much more.
The film quietly builds tension as the increasing seriousness of their situation becomes ever more apparent, yet it's the mundanity of their respective lives that, ironically, gives Christian Carion's film its kick as it evokes the drabness of the era and shows how their occasionally bumbling actions, which often play like bad spy movie clichés (minus the super-agent skills), facilitated a major government operation.
It is a richly intriguing tale about high intrigue, though at times a trifle uncertain.
Christian Carion interview
Edinburgh Filmhouse, Edinburgh from Friday April 29, 2011, until Thursday May 5, 2011. More info: www.filmhousecinema.com
General release. Check local listings for show times.
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