The Impossible Spy

The impossible spy 1987 (although roku has this as released 1986). Stars john shea, eli wallach. Cohen, an isreali, is sent to syria to gather information for mossad. He cozies up to all the syrian leaders, and learns their structure and habits. He even gets an apartment next to the headquarters. He learns the locations of troops and arms, and makes a trip back to israel to see his wife and pass the information to mossad, to help during the six day war. It runs like a documentary, all done pretty well. More details in the elie cohen entry in wikipedia dot com. The only other thing i had seen by jim goddard was shanghai surprise, and that didn't turn out well. He did win a bafta for the series "kennedy".

It's the same about all addictions in life, whether it is roulette, alcoholism, or, as in this case, the spying business. Our man here actually tries to quit and leave it behind, going to a normal life with wife and children, but Mossad just can't let such a natural gift with such a miraculous memory just lead a normal life, they try again and again to get him hooked for another job, and ultimately he can't resist it. He is so clever that he is successful, and he gets away with it and returns to his wife and children, everything seems to reach an established happy end, and yet he just wants to return to continue the job. Even Mossad tries to dissuade him, but he goes back one last time well aware of the risk he is taking.

The most interesting actor here is not Eli Wallach, who is always of extreme interest, nor John Shea as the lead, who is also absolutely credible in excellence, but Sason Gabay as the Syrian general whom he befriends and betrays. When his treason is beyond repair and nothing more can save him, the general still speaks with him, they still have a friendly conversation, the general has every reason to hate him and shoot him down without flinching, but he stays self-controlled and even grants the traitor his last wishes, giving the impression that he actually respects his former best friend who turned traitor more than hen can respect the general. Sason Gabay makes an almost unforgettable character of cool detachment in the most intolerable possible situation of a betrayed relationship.

The story is true and has the character of a genuine documentary.

One who is not interested in the history of the Arab-Israeli conflict, sympathetic to the Israeli cause, and inspired by Eli Cohen's sacrifice for that cause, will probably find this movie boring. One comes away from watching this movie, not thinking about what a great movie he just watched, but about the life of Eli Cohen. And perhaps that's what the filmmakers intended.

I can't think of anything particularly good to say about the movie. It is somewhat slow-paced, and no performances particularly stand out. But I find myself going back and watching it again and again, because the story it tells is so interesting to me. While the acting and production do not draw attention to themselves with their impressiveness, neither do they distract from the story due to poor quality; everything about the movie is unspectacular but competent.

The only complaint I can make is about the portrayal of Cohen's wife. She comes across so annoyingly that in the end, after her husband's death, when she encounters the Mossad official who lied to her repeatedly, took her husband away and sent him on the mission that resulted in his death, one finds oneself sympathizing with the spy-master because of the awkwardness of the situation, rather than with the aggrieved widow because of her loss.

It's strange that other foreign movies, much worst, are given the best marks

I found this movie very moving, and well documented. Indeed, it is a documentary.

Even on films, bias against Israel is obvious. I saw marks as high as 8.1 and 5 are given to horrible french movies, which are the worst in the film industry. French, besides naked and "object" women, have no imagination, and still they are given the best marks. Incredible.

The story of this Israeli spy is very informative of at which length would Israelis go to protect their citizens against vicious attacks from the neighboring Arabs. This movie renders with utmost reality the talent exercised by this Israeli spy to hiding his activities to his wife and whole family.

And his whole life as a spy is incredible because he didn't chose to be a spy and it was not his trade at all. That shows the love Israelis have for their tiny country due to the fact they endanger their own lives and the lives of their families, without a thought, to help their country. I believe this movie is very well directed and played, especially when we consider the size and the date of Israel's creation: 1948. There was nothing but sand and desert.

My marks for this movie is 8.5

It stands to reason that in the 1960s, leading up to the six-day war that pitted Israel against its Arab neighbors, technology was still rather basic, to the extent that communications were made by Morse, much as had been done in the Second World War, some 20 years before.

In light of that, it is not beyond reason to accept that an Israeli born in Syria could pass for a Syrian Arab, and so infiltrate El Fattah, among other splinter groups vying for power in Syria, thereby obtaining information to help Israeli defense. I found it tougher to swallow that this spy would promptly find a very senior military figure among the Syrian rebel forces vying to topple the government. Even tougher to believe that he would become his chum without attracting any suspicions.

Just as Eli Cohen was picked by Mossad because he did not look like a spy and had a low profile life, so he makes it as a smartly dressed businessman who somehow ingratiates his way to learning a great deal about the array and position of Syrian forces ready to attack Israeli kibbutzin.

Acting is strictly standard and less, only Eli Wallach catches your eye. Cohen's good looking wife, long suffering over hubby's lengthy absences, looks too amateurish.

Anyway, nothing much happens by way of action. 5/10.