Hidden Agenda

This movie is called Secret Agenda at our cable rental store. Although Chris Plummer does a good job as the inscrutable German detective, the movie is like a standard TV flick. It's a pretty good story, but the acting is rather flat, and it doesn't really draw the viewer in. It's really not worth rental money, and it should be on regular TV sometime soon anyway. It's better than Act of War with Jack Scalia, but not much.

Brawny Kevin Dillon (as David McLean) takes a plane to Germany, where he plans to meet his estranged brother. Upon arrival, he is told what we've seen open the film, that brother Rod Wilson (as Michael McLean) blew up in a car. Mr. Dillon identifies his brother's burned-beyond-recognition body by observing his tattooed arm. You'd be suspicious, and Dillon is too. He discovers his brother was (is?) tied up in a web of espionage. The Berlin morgue makes room for more bodies, as unsavory types search for a missing computer disk, thought to be in one of the McLean brothers' possession.

Dillon befriends pretty blonde motorcycling Andrea Roth (as Monika Engelmann) who, of course, is also interested in finding the disk. Supporting actors Christopher Plummer (as Ulrich Steiner), J.T. Walsh (as Jonathan Zanuck), and Michael Wincott (as Larry Gleason) give the picture some weight. Mr. Plummer works out of the Berlin police department; in a sex shop, he suggests a nuns in bondage video. Mr. Walsh and Mr. Wincott are situated at the American Embassy. Wincott is soft-spoken, but powerful. This was dependable character actor Walsh's last filmed appearance. So, Iain Paterson's "Hidden Agenda" is, appropriately, "Dedicated to the memory of J.T. Walsh."

**** Hidden Agenda (1998) Iain Paterson ~ Kevin Dillon, Andrea Roth, J.T. Walsh

I had never heard of "Hidden Agenda" and probably never would've if it hadn't been on 4-movie compilation DVD I recently bought called "SCI-FI COLLECTOR'S SET." After watching the film I wonder why it's included on a "Sci-Fi" DVD, because "Hidden Agenda" has absolutely no science-fiction elements whatsoever, it's a fairly standard spy/espionage caper. I didn't mind, as I also happen to like these types of films when they're done well. UN-fortunately, "Hidden Agenda" is not one of those films.

David McLean (Kevin Dillon) travels to Berlin, Germany, to meet his estranged brother, whom he hasn't seen in several years. Unfortunately when he arrives at the airport he's met by some folks from the American embassy, who sadly report to him that his brother was killed in an "auto accident" the night before. We the viewers know that it was no accident, as we saw his brother Michael get in a shoot out and then blown up in a car before the opening credits even rolled. As Dillon goes through his brother's possessions, it becomes clear to him that his bro was in the middle of some shady business. Eventually it becomes clear that his brother was working for the CIA and was in possession of a computer disc that could be embarrassing to people on both sides of the former Iron Curtain, and therefore a lot of bad guys want the disc. David and his new friend Monika (Andrea Roth) spend the rest of the movie running from one place to another, getting shot at and being chased by a variety of bad guys. For a movie with so much going on you'd expect it to be action packed but it's not. It's very slow and talky and even though the film is only about 100 minutes long it seems to run about twice that.

There's nothing wrong with any of the performances; Dillon and Roth make a good team and there's able support from such dependable character actors as the late J.T. Walsh as an American Embassy employee who may or may not be on Dillon's side and the great Christopher Plummer as a crusty old German detective. However, the pieces of "Hidden Agenda" never really come together.

This could've been a tight, compact thriller but "Hidden Agenda" rambles on way too long and in too many directions for its own good. Pass on this one.

Simply put, The movie asks a lot of the viewer. If you play along there are moments to be appreciated. It's easy to follow, but...you need to participate fully.

Matt Dillon, Christopher Plummer, Paul Soles, J.T. Walsh are some great actors. They held up their parts I believe....so that leaves the writer, editor and director to account for the lack of ??? Flow maybe. Pace? There are some scenes which seem out of place or maybe they're uneeded. I'm clearly not an insider or movie production buff...but it feels like the Special Features "Making of..." might have been more entertaining.

There clearly is potential given the basic storyline....but for whatever reason...it didn't make it to the final product. In my mind, a post war thriller is a fairly easy story.

A average, but not bad thriller in a kind of Hitchcock-mood. Dillon think his brother is killed, but off course we know better... and soon he is hunted for the McGuffin: A disk of spy names from the Torn Curtain-time. There are many failures in this movie, but if you can accept them, you get a good Dillon, a lovely Roth and first of all a fine story. 5½/10