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 ... Read review
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. At...
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When Katya (Pfeiffer), a beautiful Russian book editor, attempts to send British publisher ... more
Barley Blair (Connery) a manuscript written by a noted Soviet scientist, she unwittingly draws them both into a world of international espionage, The manuscript,...
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. At...
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An absorbing yarn of romance and political intrigue! -Variety. A filmmaking tour de force ... more
and the year's most sophisticated suspenseful and sexy entertainment (Cosmopolitan) The Russia House stars Oscar'‚ winner Sean Connery and Oscar'‚ nominee Mich...
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It is the third summer of perestroika. Barley Blair London publisher receives a ... more
smuggled document from Moscow. It contains technical information of overwhelming importance. But is it genuine? Is the author genuine? A plant? A madman? Blair jazz-loving drink-marinated dishevelled is hardly to the taste of the spymasters yet he has to be used - sent to the Soviet Union to make contact. Katya the Moscow intermediary is beautiful thoughtful equally sceptical of all state ideology. Together as the safe cliches of hostility disintegrate they may represent the future - an idea that is anathema to the entrenched espionage professionals on both sides. THE RUSSIA HOUSE: a spy story a love story and a fable for our time.
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Production Year: 2004 - Drama - Director: Nick Cassavetes - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over, 12 years and over - Starring: Rachel McAdams, Ryan Gosling, Gena Rowlands
Production Year: 1989 - Drama - Director: Ken Cameron - Original Language: English - Classification: 18 years and over - Starring: Nicole Kidman, Denholm Elliott, Hugo Weaving, Joy Smithers, Norman Kaye, Jerome Ehlers, Judy Morris
Production Year: 1993 - Drama - Director: Steven Spielberg - Original Language: English - Classification: 15 years and over - Starring: Liam Neeson, Ralph Fiennes, Caroline Goodall, Embeth Davidtz, Ben Kingsley, Jonathan Sagalle
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 ... ...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 ... more
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 of an extremely sensitive nature. British and American intelligence get wind of this potentially earth-shattering document and rope Blair in to work for them. When Blair eventually meets Katya, he realises that he wants to protect her more than anything else - or is he bluffing - or even double-bluffing?…
With an excellent cast including not only Connery and Pfeiffer but also Roy Scheider and James Fox , a plot based on a John le Carre novel, a screenplay by Tom Stoppard, and music by Jerry Goldsmith, this should have been 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 and the paranoid atmosphere of post cold war tensions between Britain/America was portrayed well, though the reserved British and gung-ho American mentality was a tad overplayed here. It could have been used to more effect if it hadn't been so blatant. Having never read the book, I can't say if this is a fault of the screenplay or the novel.
The cast do their jobs well, as you would expect of such a high calibre actors. Connery and Pfeiffer are generally excellent, while of the rest, Fox was very impressive. (Martin Clunes, in a bit part, plays a straight role for once but can't seem to work out what he's doing there…) Pfeiffer's accent is pretty good but then, with a surname like that, she shouldn't have much trouble with Eastern European accents! There's nothing particularly wrong with the film technically and the music score is effectively moody, though a little too minimalist for my taste (it takes truly amazing minimalist music to impress me as I don't generaly like that style). The direction (by Fred Schepsi) is fine as far as it goes, it's just that it goes on too long. Not enough really happens to create the needed suspense to carry the slower scenes in the film. The twist ending just took too long to happen, and when it did there wasn't much of an element of surprise.
Giving this 3 stars seems a little harsh but, considering how good a film this could (and perhaps should) have been, it is only "average". Overall, if you enjoy espionage films, and particularly if you Connery and Pfieffer (I'm a fan of both), you'll enjoy this film - to an extent, anyway. I'm going to recommend it since I don't regret watching it and I may even do so again if I'm in the mood for something a little more serious than usual - but I still think it could have been better!
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.
Original Theatrical Trailer, Interactive Menu, Chapter Selection
Aspect Ratio
2.35 Wide Screen, 16:9 Anamorphic Wide Screen
Sound
Dolby Digital 2.0
Dubbing Sound
Dolby Digital 2.0
Professional reviews
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)
DVD Description
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.
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