Story: When a member of a CIA office for reading and analyzing published material for hidden codes returns from a lunch run to find the whole building has been wiped out by a hit squad, he is forced to go on the run and track down the responsible parties.
Review: Different from the usual spy thriller in several key ways. Firstly, the hero relies primarily upon a vast store of random knowledge gained from reading random things and cheesy mystery novels, and he’s always suspicious of everyone. Basically, he’s brighter than the average protagonist. Secondly, the hit man isn’t the slightest bit malicious or sociopathic. He’s just a professional practicing his craft. This seems both more realistic, and somehow creepier. Overall, it’s a pretty god movie. That said, I would recommend fast-forwarding past all the parts with Faye Dunaway. It’s not really her fault, but those scenes are some of the worst, clunkiest, least believable dialogue in all of moviedom.
Recommended for: Fans of thrillers, Robert Redford’s less dreary flicks, political movies.
Content notes: (PG, VV, 10+) – Some explicit things are said once or twice, people get blasted with guns but it’s less graphic than TV is nowadays, there isn’t really porn but there is a gratuitous sex scene with hands squeezing bare limbs and such which takes up way too much runtime.