Roleta Russa

Thrills from Lou Lombardo. From the golden age, the vintage year of 1975, back when people didn't work so much from home. Somewhat lengthy and baroque perhaps but loose enough to feel the street level action. Made for a big screen. No shortage of explosions, stunts, bad guys, collisions, jams, helicopter action, in Vancouver, strung together by an unpredictable and fun George Segal who correlates to the disparate points of the conspiracy. Location scenes predominate throughout including from extreme heights. Of course excellent acting. Good color, editing and cinematography. With Christina Raines.

Another Well restored 70s film on Tubi: The 2023 answer to the sorely missed VHS rental store.

I've began to like the recently departed George Segal. Appreciate his work in comedy/drama and in this little gem of a thriller. As a 80s kid, I just missed his earlier work, or he didn't leave an impression that he does as an adult. He was in EVERYTHING!

Any film buff will find this worth seeking out. Yes, It's another "Russia Bad" thriller. What got me was not the plot, but it has a number of well crafted scenes that go in a different direction than you would expect. And they made it look easy. The light humor does not come off forced either. If this were a modern movie (and it can easily be remade) it would be a heavy handed, digitally shot, by the numbers stream & forget factory piece with D. Rock Johnson saving the world again.

As much as I enjoyed it, the location, and excellent cast, it seemed longer than the 90 minutes. Nonetheless, a must for 70s thriller seekers.

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.

...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.

I'd be lying if I claimed I fully understood every tiny little detail of the conspiracy plot in "Russian Roulette", let alone being able to properly write an accurate summary. But the plot isn't the most important element in a conspiracy thriller, at least not according to me. What I like most in flicks about complex conspiracies is high-adrenalin action sequences at regular intervals, a few unexpected twists, a cool cast, and maybe an interesting setting and/or political background.

"Russian Roulette" has all those things. George Segal is surprisingly good as a suspended Canadian Mountie agent who nevertheless receives a special assignment. Soviet prime minister Kosygin is visiting Vancouver, and Shaver (Segal) is instructed to take a man into custody who's named Henke and who's believed to disrupt the official ceremony. But Henke - who only needs one sequence to demonstrate he's a real jerk - gets kidnapped by someone else before Shaver can get to him, and our skeptical Mountie is sucked into a dangerous cat-and-mouse game with the KGB.

Well-directed by Lou Lombardo, usually an editor for eminent directors like Robert Altman and Sam Peckinpah, and featuring several impressive action sequences during the middle as well as a nail-biting finale. Segal and Cristina Raines are excellent together, and there are lovely supportive roles for Denholm Elliott and Louise Fletcher (the latter in a modest role despite the same release year as "One Flew over the Cuckoo's Nest")