espionage/spy movies

RossTerry · 07-22-2002, 11:13 PM

i saw The Bourne Identity and enjoyed it.

im looking for suggestions of movies like it (espionage/spy type stuff).

not like James Bond or True Lies or Mission Impossible, not big action movies, just something with lots of spy games/mystery

i hope im getting my point across

Matt Pasant · 07-22-2002, 11:51 PM

I stumbled onto a great spy series last month at the video store, the Harry Palmer series with The Ipcress File and Funeral in Berlin. Both are on dvd and are just gems of a spy movie.

Others I have really enjoyed (off the top of my tired head)that fit into good spy movies that are not over the top:

The Assignment
Talior of Panama
No Way Out?

-- Matt

Peter Kim · 07-23-2002, 12:34 AM

The Falcon and the Snowman
Kiss of the Spider Woman
Midnight Express

Ross, while the last two are not explicity spy movies, I think they tap into the spirit of what you're searching for.

Matt Pasant · 07-23-2002, 09:29 AM

Midnight Express?

How does a movie about a guy caught smuggling hash relate to spy movies?

-- Matt

Michael*K · 07-23-2002, 09:54 AM

I'll second The Ipcress File and Funeral in Berlin, as well as No Way Out. Also would recommend (though not all could be classified as "espionage films"):

•The 39 Steps
•The Manchurian Candidate
•Seven Days in May
•Three Days of the Condor
•The Parallax View
•Marathon Man
•The Eiger Sanction
•The Day of the Jackal
•Sneakers
•Ronin

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07-23-2002, 10:05 AM

Everyone has covered the videos part. Ecks vs. Sever with Antonio Banderas/Lucy Liu is another espionage/spy film that's coming out in theaters late September that I'm looking forward to. I'm hoping they let Ray Park show some of his martial arts skill also. He hasn't done much fighting since Darth Maul in TPM and he was wasted in X-Men.

Peter Kim · 07-23-2002, 12:18 PM

Quote:

How does a movie about a guy caught smuggling hash relate to spy movies?

Do you even take time to read the entirety of a one-sentence post? Or are you too busy with your pedantry?

As I said, the last 2 suggestions were not explicity spy movies. However, I felt that they are evocative of the same spirit - tension, secretiveness, and subversion.

Care to be constructive in your response and stick with providing a list of your own?

John Gates · 07-23-2002, 03:56 PM

How about Spy Game? I thought that one was fairly interesting and dealt with the not-so-glamorous side of life in the CIA. Interesting political thriller.

John G

Michael*K · 07-23-2002, 04:42 PM

Thinking back upon all the great spy thrillers I've seen, I notice that there has been a definite lack of quality titles since the 70's. That sucks. These stories are so much more intersting than the standard shoot 'em up action fare of today.

Jeff Gross · 07-23-2002, 04:49 PM

How about:

North by Northwest
Notorious

Lew Crippen · 07-23-2002, 06:43 PM

You might try “The Spy Who Came In From the Cold”, based on the novel by John Le Carré. Richard Burton is very good as is Claire Bloom and others.

Matt Pasant · 07-23-2002, 08:08 PM

Peter,
I wasn't intending to be rude. I guess it looked that way, but it was not my intention. But actually one of curiosity. I'll agree through that Midnight Express is a very tense and suspenseful film.

And I did provide a list already.

I notice that there has been a definite lack of quality titles since the 70's.

I agree 100%. That was why after I rented the Ipcress File and Funeral in Berlin. I was just on cloud nine. Its so hard to find a good spy movie anymore.

-- Matt