City of Spies

There is more going on in this film than at first glance. It has the potential to be a cult classic and has layers which reveal themselves upon careful viewing.

I came across this director years ago when I saw his short, 11 Missed Calls, which had a similar vibe and a powerful twist. That film stayed with me a long time and I kept thinking about the story - three people trapped in an elevator - strange performances and dialogue - quotes from the Koran and dialogue like "a second resolution won't help". Eventually I worked it out; it was a story about diplomacy during the build-up to the Iraq war in 2003. That realization blew me away!

The same is true of City of Spies. It seems out of place and time. Who are these people. Why do they behave the way they do? There are subtle clues that this is not a conventional story about spies. You are led down the garden path and then the twist takes you down a rabbit hole. Occasionally you'll get a glimpse that something bigger is going on. There is a single shot close to the end where the main character talks about who they are working for, but the camera work is telling the audience that it's all a lie. I'm certain the sequel is going to turn everything on its head, and I am looking forward to seeing it.

This film is not for everyone, but it's definitely worth watching. You may laugh, cry or even get angry. Don't expect a traditional Hollywood spy thriller. Watch closely for the underlying meaning. It's worth the effort.

I was pleasantly surprised in the cinema - city of spies is an odd gem, an indie film that somehow manages to be funny and realistic at the same time. I found my self asking if the unhinged, quirky, egotistical and out of touch portrayal of spies was humorous or realistic.

The obvious answer is, well why wouldn't the be: which seems to be perspective of Phil Moran, and understandably so. What's more, the Film takes place in vienna, a city known for bing home to an abundance of spies, and is packed with amazing shots of the city. It's worth a view for that alone. I'd definitely recommend watching it if you're into quirky espionage films.

Full disclosure, I was involved with the music of the film. The director has told me there have been a few trolls posting bad reviews, but when you read them it's clear they haven't seen the film all the way through. So I thought I would share my thoughts.

This is a rather unusual film, but that is really the point of it. I don't want to give anything away, but I know what the over arching story is about and it involves Fake News and conspiracy theories in the world of diplomacy and international politics.

This first part of the film is just the set up and you have to watch till the end AND you have to concentrate to see that there is something very amiss in this world of espionage.

It took a massive amount of effort over a long period of time and even if you don't like it, you have to admire the determination of the whole team, and also the quality of what has been produced.

This isn't Bond, nor Bourne, nor The Third Man - although it there are elements of all of these there. The director describes it as Fargo meets The Americans ... also fitting comparisons, but at the end of the day, I think it is a unique film and worth a watch.

There are a lot of quirky elements to this film, some of which perhaps require a second viewing to start to notice. There is a lot of subtle humour to some of the characters which can easily be missed. The end is quite a shock and overall I expect this film will develop something of a cult audience over time. A lot of the themes in the film explore the idea of the intelligence community as a bunch of self serving charlatans. The story feels like it is not fully complete at the end. I suspect there will be plans to make a follow up as the main characters clearly need more closure. This probably not everyone's cup of tea but it has plenty of moments.

A quirky, dark-humoured movie about the world of international espionage filmed in my adopted home city of Vienna - what's not to love?!! But don't come to this movie expecting your usual Hollywood spy drama. It's unique and you have to step back and watch carefully to see what is really going on. Some simply won't get it - you can't please everyone and, let's be honest, why would you want to. For me, City of Spies is that kind of intriguing film you can keep rewatching because each time you do, you pick up on little twists and turns in the plot that you somehow failed to observe first (or even second) time around. It's been said that it's a movie that can't make up its mind if it's serious or comic. But I think that's deliberate - City of Spies is both. This is very much a film of contrasts and contradictions - it's a fast-paced story for much of the time and the cinematography conveys that, until suddenly it's not and the footage becomes contemplative and languid. It's amusing and humorous (albeit a deliciously dark kind of humour) until it becomes deadly serious and challenging. And then there's that slap in the face of a twist towards the end. I don't want to give anything away, but I imagine for many viewers, this film will be all about that twist! Other viewers may dislike the absence of a neat ending and the fact that so many things are left open, but from what I understand that is deliberate too. It's not the end of the story, but rather just the beginning. The director's idea is that City of Spies is just the first instalment and subsequent movies will follow to continue telling this intriguing story - I very much hope so!