Secrets d'état

Watching this movie was a very disappointing experience. The premise was good (like with most movies out there), but the execution was just atrocious, and the story was unrealistic at best. For example, the movie shows us that a westerner was allowed to go in and out of Soviet Union, as well as go though streets of Moscow without any surveillance in the midst of cold war!!

Moreover, the actors seemed like they were made out of wood in terms of expressiveness. The story was painfully slow and was heading nowhere, really: nothing changed nor happened though the entire movie...

Funny how our protagonists had a view at the Basilica of Christ the Saviour in early 70s (Destroyed in early 20th century, restored in late 90s by the mayor of Moscow)... This and many other anachronisms give out the fact that the production team didn't even research the subject of their work before filming...

2/10

In 1951, two British diplomats who are actually Soviet spies escape to Moscow indicating British intelligence has been infiltrated at the highest level. Then it's 1961 Beriut. Leo Cauffield (Rupert Everett) and Sally (Sharon Stone) fall in love, and she would leave her husband for him. Four years later, Leo disappears and he's accused of being a Soviet spy. Then she is told that he has gone to Moscow freely.

It's a small thing but the movie opening and subsequent text has this computer font. It indicates a 70s motif which clashes with the era of the movie. Then the movie takes too long to get going. This is based on a true story, and the story moves at a pedestrian pace. The dialog is uninspired. As for Sharon Stone, she is miscast in this role. Even thought she has dyed her hair dark, she can't hide her flashy Hollywood persona. The material is there for the taking, but this is not movie for it. The lack of style, ill-fitting acting, and weak dialog all add up to a weak production.

Weak movie. I would venture to say it reminded me of a low budget B movie. I was bored. The characters were almost lifeless, all except Sharon Stone's character. Even though it was made in 2004/2005, it resembles the production abilities of much earlier decades. Locations don't seem realistic. For example, Beirut was the Paris of the Middle East in the 1960's yet was cast as a backward location in a more backward town (not even a city). The clothes seem like they were of a decade or two earlier. I gave the movie a 5/10 and that may have been generous.

This movie has very good acting. The core story line is a good one. The primary reason I gave it only 5 stars like many other people is because the story moves very slowly and is totally repetitious, again and again.

The whole story could have been told in 45 minutes and it could have been a little exciting which the plot calls for but fails to achieve. If you want a nice quiet story to fall asleep to this one fits the bill.

Sharon Stone is the product of the Hollywood marketing machine but sadly again displays the fact that she just can't act. As always she's always too intense and comes across with first year drama school responses. This movie is a bore and it's understandable that it never got a theatre release. Messy and boring. Supposedly based on Kim Philby, so why the silly name changes? Rupert Everett must have needed the money or been obliged to take part through contractual obligations. He's a fine actor and tried hard in this dog but simply couldn't make any headway with his co-"star" and a lousy shallow script. At least they could have done some basic research and got some of the planes, buildings and cars right!