The Russia House

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Blu B Objectively speaking it's a 3.5 but personally a 3. This is defintely an acquired taste sort of flick. The acting is the best thing and is solid all around. Hats off to Michelle Pfeiffer for a good consistent accent the entire time. Her & Connery aren't bad together and got some decent chemistry. Everyone else does a pretty good job too with a loaded supporting cast. If there is one fault it's that this has A LOT of dialouge in it and just gets very wordy. The music isn't bad with the saxaphone tracks but it does get repetitive, somewhat boring, but also relaxing oddly eonugh too. The cineamtography isn't bad either. The camerawork and direction is solid. The setting honestly is the best thing about this. It's Soviet Era setting is memorable and also very beautiful despite being cold and cloudy all the time. Not an easy feat at all, it's a nice movie to look at pretty much all the time. It's just the actual scenes themselves aren't the most exciting thing. Which leads to the okay editing and pacing. This is half a romance and half a unique Cold War thriller. Problem is there is A LOT here it tries to fit in with the agencies, the actual plot, the complicated characters, the commentary and more. For what it's worth it never feels bloated because it goes pretty slow and steady but it just doesn't build to anything. It's just boring lots of times despite being nice to look at and well acted. It's weird for me, it's like an interesting sort of boring. It feels like despite fitting in so much it doesn't flesh things out enough in a lstreamlines manner. It's two seperate films in a sense despite working into the plot both. The other major issue is, this is defintely one of those movies where you need to know about the subject matter beforehand going into it. If you know nothing about the Cold War or Eastern Europe conflicts than you'll have a hard time following this. This is also a novel adaptation so reading that may help too. I really struggle though to see anyone who isn't a die hard fan of any actor in this, AND a fan of the source material or knows a lot about the Cold War getting into this. Most could skip it but if you do fit that niche this may be worth checking out. 100% an acquired taste. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/16/25 Full Review Virgo V The Russia House is a 1990 American spy film directed by Fred Schepisi and starring Sean Connery, Michelle Pfeiffer, Roy Scheider, James Fox, John Mahoney, Klaus Maria Brandauer and director Ken Russell. Tom Stoppard wrote the screenplay based on John le Carré's 1989 novel of the same name. It was the first US motion picture to be shot substantially on location in the Soviet Union. Here are some positive reviews for the 1990 film The Russia House: Cast Some say the cast is excellent, with Sean Connery and Michelle Pfeiffer standing out. Others praise the performances of Klaus Maria Brandauer and James Fox. Setting Reviewers appreciate the Moscow scenery and the feel of the end of the Cold War. Writing Some say the screenplay by Tom Stoppard is witty and that the dialogue is full of evidence of his wit. Direction Some say Fred Schepisi's direction is excellent and that the film is mostly a matter of good editing. Plausibility Some say the post-glasnost realities in the film seem plausible and up to date. Soundtrack Some say the film has a fresh score. However, some reviewers also note some negative aspects of the film, including: The non-linear plot and espionage jargon can make it difficult to follow. The ending is over-optimistic and sets personal against political loyalty. The dialogue is not easily spoken. The Russia House was nominated for two National Society of Film Critics Awards in 1991 for Best Screenplay and Best Cinematography. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/09/25 Full Review Jelisije J A slow paced realistic espionage cold war love drama that kept me engaged throughout its run time. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/11/23 Full Review Mr P Astonishing cast, from the sublime to the ridiculous,( take a bow Ken Russell ). Connery is on his very best form. Beautifully shot, great dialogue, very little action. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 06/16/23 Full Review Audience Member Crap direction, Crap script, Crap location work, crap casting, crap acting. Boring! Nothing like le Caré! Rated 1/5 Stars •  Rated 1 out of 5 stars 02/12/23 Full Review Audience Member Never Say Never Say Never Again Again: From The Russia House With Love Stripped of the superheroism, the masculine fantasy, and the geopolitical absurdism (kinda), Sean Connery here dons the mantle of the anti-007, not in the sense that he has become the villain (as he will later in THE AVENGERS) but insofar as the world of le Carré is so different from that of Fleming, eschewing the gadgetry and gallantry and hot-blooded action of the latter with the icy bureaucracy and tedium of actual espionage while replacing one sort of romantic chauvinism for another. Leading an incredible cast—that includes, of all people, Ken Russell, who himself directed one of the great Sixties spy films—Connery turns in one of his finest performances, less the ever-deft Bond, a figure only found in fiction, than he is a bumbling book publisher, not an Übermensch but (just as rare) a merely decent human being who cares not a whit for the ideological machines that, in turn, couldn't care less about him. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/30/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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