Tony Scott Retrospective: “Spy Game” (2001)

“Spy Game” is Tony Scott's first grown-up movie. That's not to say his previous flicks can only be appreciated by the young or the immature, but those films are mostly entertainment for its own sake. “Spy Game” has its share of car chases and shoot outs, but it stands apart from Scott's other work for the reason Robert Redford was drawn to the project in the first place: “It's a thinking man's action picture.”

Like any good spy story, it's a puzzle the audience slowly puts together, but not so convoluted that it's a challenge to follow. There's a lot going on here that has to be organized and disseminated without being dull or tedious. Tony Scott shines in how he makes scenes where people are talking on the phone or looking through files feel like action set pieces. It's also his first demonstration of using suspense and tension with subtleties because the characters have to play it cool as they simultaneously try to find things out while keeping their own secrets. Tony Scott said he tried to make the scenes in the CIA conference room feel like a high-stakes poker game.

Also, because the film is so dialogue-heavy, Scott really flexes his muscles in directing actors to act. The performances in his other films are all sound, so he clearly knows how to extract great acting. In a film like “Spy Game,” though, it's a bit more delicate because the characters have to be, not just convincing, but intriguing. The complexity of the players has to really show through particularly because, as I said before, they're trying to reveal as little as possible.

Scott also plays around a lot with cameras and cinematography in this one. In probably the most pivotal scene in the movie, Robert Redford and Brad Pitt have a tense exchange on a circular rooftop. They verbally spar, not knowing if they can rely on each other as the camera rotates the perimeter of their arena. The scene was so expensive to shoot, Scott paid for the helicopter rental out of his own pocket to do it right. Totally worth it.

With the exception of “The Hunger” (and possibly “The Fan”), every one of Tony Scott's films could predominantly be labeled as an action flick. “Spy Game” fits into that category as well, but it exhibits a real adept filmmaker executing a mature, thoughtful, and nuanced movie that would be lost on the frivolous and the mundane. It's ambitious for Scott to pick material that doesn't necessarily appeal to the masses. Don't get me wrong, I love his more mindless, over-the-top, rollercoaster pictures, but “Spy Game” makes me wish he would've tried his hand at a few more this smart.

Tony Scott Retrospective: “Enemy of the State” (1998)

With the exception of “Unstoppable,” Tony Scott's remaining films all have a bit of a “spy” slant to them, starting with this one. I like to think it's because Scott really found his calling with “Enemy of the State.” By that I mean this is the type of film his style and atmosphere (and possibly personal tastes) really suit best. This is a near perfect film in the sense of achieving the goals it sets for itself. It's exciting, it's funny, it's clever, it's unpredictable, it's well-acted (which is no surprise with its extensive top-level cast all at their best), and feels original (which is especially impressive given it pays homage to many other films that inspired it).

“Enemy of the State” also shows that, despite being pigeon-holed as an action director (especially due to his frequent collaborating with Producer Jerry Bruckheimer), he will not settle for recycling the same old stuff. For instance, this film has some of the most superlative food chases I've ever seen. Foot chases are hard to do well and, I lost count, but there have to be about five of them here and they're heart-pounding as hell. Also, with that much running around, you'd think the audience would get as tired of it as the characters, but that's not the case. They're running down alleyways, up staircases, upon rooftops, in the middle of the street, and even across the sides of balconies and through tunnels under the city. Whew! Yet each one feels, not only fresh, but essential to the story.

Even with all that, Tony Scott still fits in a couple car chases that are unique in their own right. One takes place between two moving trains and another contains a pivotal interrogation scene at high speeds. Wow! The latter of those actually serves as one of the greatest red herrings in motion picture history. If you haven't seen “Enemy of the State,” skip the next paragraph, because I don't want to ruin it for you.

Early on, the audience is informed of a mysterious private investigator by the name of Brill. It's obvious we will eventually meet this character and that he will probably be Dean, the lead character's, savior. When the time comes for Brill to make an entrance, in walks Gabriel Byrne. Awesome! I love Gabriel Byrne and he's perfect as this character we've heard so much about. In literally less than three minutes, we find out Gabriel Byrne is not Brill, but in fact somebody sent to pose as Brill in order to entrap Dean. We find this out from the real Brill, played by Gene Hackman, who is an even better choice to play the character. I was blown away by this misdirection because when an actor of Byrne's caliber shows up, you expect them to play a major role. Whatever disappointment I felt that Byrne was not actually Brill was completely eradicated by how impressed I was by that trick on the audience. Well done, Mr. Scott. That could very well be your finest moment.

There's almost too much to unpack here as to how satisfying this movie is and on how many levels. The mark of any good movie is how well it holds up after multiple viewings and that's especially true of comedy and horror because the effectiveness of those genres often rely upon the element of surprise. That's also true for thrillers, particularly ones like this with twists and turns and tricks and double-crosses. But, I can never watch this movie enough. Even though it's quite familiar to me, it never loses its edge because I'm always in awe of its craftsmanship and presentation. Can't say that this is Tony Scott's best movie, but I can say it's my own personal favorite.