Sean Connery and Michelle Pfieffer ignite the screen in this enchanting adaptation of John Le Carre's suspenseful espionage drama. Connery portrays Barley Blair -- a lonely, middle... more
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The Russia House [1990]
Intelligent casting, strong performances and the persuasive chemistry between Sean Connery
... more
and Michelle Pfeiffer prove the virtues in director Fred Schepisi's well-intended but problematic screen realization of this John Le Carré espionage thriller. A...
The Russia House [1990]
Intelligent casting, strong performances and the persuasive chemistry between Sean Connery
... more
and Michelle Pfeiffer prove the virtues in director Fred Schepisi's well-intended but problematic screen realization of this John Le Carré espionage thriller. A...
Advantages: Cast, premise... Disadvantages: ... just too long for its own good.
The Russia House is an international espionage thriller which, according to the blurb, is "A filmmaking tour de force and incredibly sophisticated, suspenseful and sexy entertainment". Don't believe the blurb - but don't necessarily be put off watching this film, either. Sean Connery stars as British publisher Barley Blair, who is sent a manuscript by Katya (Michelle Pfeiffer). This manuscript was written by a Soviet scientist and contains details ... ...a belter of a film. The plot is intriguing enough to give plenty of material for a normal film, but unwisely The Russia House pushes at the two hour mark, and there just isn't quite enough depth in the storyline to sustain it. It could have worked better if the characters had been explored, but really few of them are more than caricatures, with only Connery and perhaps Fox delving into their deeper selves. There's quite a lot of suspense in the film ...
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Actor(s): Sean Connery, Michelle Pfeiffer, Klaus Maria Brandauer, Roy Scheider, James Fox, John Mahoney, J.T. Walsh, Michael Kitchen, David Threlfall, Blu Mankuma, Michael Kitchen
Director(s): Fred Schepisi
Genre: Drama
Classification: 15 years and over
Production Year: 1990
Running Time: 1 hour 58 minutes
Video Category: Feature Film
Plot: A British publisher becomes drawn into the world of a Soviet book editor who is trying to smuggle a scientific manuscript out of Russia. Based on the novel by John Le Carre.
Sean Connery and Michelle Pfieffer ignite the screen in this enchanting adaptation of John Le Carre's suspenseful espionage drama. Connery portrays Barley Blair -- a lonely, middle aged, hard-drinking, London publisher -- who has a love for all things Russian. While in Russia, Barley captures the attention of a daring Russian scientist (Klaus Maria Brandauer), who attempts to send him a top secret manuscript disclosing the secrets of Russian military defense, which, if published in the West could alter the global balance of power. However, the manuscript falls into the hands of the British C.I.A., and they coerce Blair into traveling to the Soviet Union to find out the identity of the manuscript's author and the validity behind the secret military codes. Reluctantly, Blair arrives in the cold landscape, hoping to complete his mission and leave as soon as possible. But his contact turns out to be Katya (Michelle Pfieffer), a sensitive and beautiful Russian editor, and Blair soon falls deeply in love with her. Realizing she is an unwitting pawn in a deadly game, he does everything he can to protect her, and his empty life is once again filled with meaning. Set against the vivid backdrop of Russia's most beautiful cities, this thriller explores the tension filled years during and after Glasnost as Russia struggled to gain power and shed their previous political reputation. Featuring a fine ensemble cast including: director Ken Russell, Roy Scheider, and James Fox.
Technical information
Special Features: Original Theatrical Trailer, Interactive Menu, Chapter Selection
Review: "...It's entrancing....Schepisi may have made the first truly and intelligently uplifting spy movie. His style here is magisterial yet playful..." (Los Angeles Times, p.F1, 19/12/1990)
"...A rare and enthralling spectacle..." (Rolling Stone, p.58, 10/01/1991)
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