La Roulette russe

George Segal plays an officer with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, currently on suspension, who accepts "piece of cake" assignment keeping a nonconformist immigrant from Latvia under his surveillance during the Soviet Premier's visit to Vancouver...that is, until his subject is kidnapped. Assassination thriller adapted from Tom Ardies' novel "Kosygin Is Coming" was just a quick-stop for Segal during a busy decade for him as a leading man. Plainly-filmed, mostly forgettable, but with little eccentric bits of humor. Good cast includes Cristina Raines, Denholm Elliott, Richard Romanus and Louise Fletcher, plus Segal is always fun to watch. The first of only two films directed by Lou Lombardo, revered movie editor on many '70s and '80s classics including most of Robert Altman's releases of the era. ** from ****

Mountie George Segal is currently on suspension. He is ordered by Special Services to pick up a Russian national; it seems that Alexei Kosygin is coming to Vancouver, and they don't want this guy on the street. Before Segal can pick him up, he is kidnapped, and Segal must find out by whom and why.

I've seen Vancouver in person once, and hundreds of times in the movies, although it's usually masquerading as some other place. Because it arose as a place for Hollywood to shoot movies that satisfied the British Kinematograph Act, it developed as a cheap film center. In person, it's a very handsome city,and this is the first time I recall seeing it as itself. It's worth seeing for that.

It's also worth seeing for Segal's performance. He was a fine actor, adept at playing a schlub, but here's he's believable as a man of action. The movie is eked out with the usual assortment of Hollywood and British movie performers, like Denholm Elliott, Peter Jackson, Nigel Stock, and Louise Fletcher. My favorite role seems to be anonymous: a little old lady who can't remember Segal's sweetly spoken instructions to call the Mounties and tell them that Kosygin will be shot.

...than to invest ninety minutes of viewing on this apparently little-known political/espionage work. (I'd likely have gone 7.5 out of 10 if possible, if 8 might be a bit much.)

Anyway, I wouldn't fully disagree with the more unfavorable reviews already posted here, and I will further grant that there are a few, some not-so-minor, loose plot threads that remain unanswered before curtain, and that the whole finale would never have gone down that way.

Still, overall, I conclude differently. The acting doesn't go overboard, and the writing is about as tight as is reasonably possible, while avoiding over-exposition. So if the plot isn't spoon-fed and in fact takes some time to become clear ("clear"), let's consider that Segal's character is probably in a bit over his head; sure, he's RCMP, but one suspects his billet is not *quite* at the "KGB assassination plot" level. He's been blindsided by the twists and trying to work it all out as he goes along...just like the audience is. I found that pretty enjoyable, actually...

And I appreciated the use of unassuming VFW-class drinkeries, city streets-cum-roller hockey rinks, and interchangeable neighborhood Chinese restaurants as settings, not glittering casinos and ivory tower CEO lairs and the banks of the Riviera. A good RCMP officer would likely have honed his craft on the former, and caught the latter only on the silver screen.

Again, you can do far worse. Don't pay to watch it, but don't avoid it either.

If being a spy was really this boring, they'd all find other work. Horrible movie. Trite, over-cooked, predictable plot. Ridiculous screenplay. It must have been written by a 10-year old. Terrible acting. Really awful garbage. Segal must have really need a paycheck in 1975.

The failure of this stylish thriller, financed by Lew Grade's ITC, effectively ended the directorial career of former Altman editor Lou Lombardo. It's true that "Russian Roulette" takes a while to get going and has an unnecessarily complex plot. However, Lombardo has a nice eye for detail, uses locations well (it is set in wintry Vancouver) and gets the best out of an eclectic cast.

"Russian Roulette" may start slowly but it builds to a cracking climax that is a tour de force of slick editing and exciting music (from the underrated Michael J Lewis). George Segal is well-cast and looks genuinely scared in the vertiginous rooftop shootout. Worth seeing.