1975 CIA Conspiracy Thriller
Added 9/13/2009
Joe Turner (Robert Redford) works in New York at the "Historical Society", which is the front for a CIA operation that reviews all literature, books, magazines, etc. from all over the world for possible plots and schemes. All ideas are fed into a computer that compares with CIA plots and international issues and threats. Joe is just a researcher, not a CIA Agent, but learns a lot about espionage, just reading books and other materials through his job.
Joe is late to work one rainy day in December and his boss corners him to let him know that a letter he sent the Langley CIA office was dismissed. Joe folds up the letter and puts it in his pants pocket to deal with later. His letter noted a realization that strong relationships were developing between Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and other oil producing countries and thought it was worth the CIA's effort to look into it.
We meet all of Joe's co-workers - 6 of them besides Joe. He starts his work and feeds pertinent information into the computer. Around 11:30 he is the designated person to do the lunch run to the Deli a block away. He ducks out a back entrance to avoid much of the rainy areas. While he is gone, the mailman is rung in the front door security. Other men come with him as they tear up the security tapes. Everyone in the office is killed within minutes and the killers leave. When Joe returns he finds the front door open and his co-workers shot. He soon realizes this is a hit and takes the receptionist's gun to protect himself as he runs to a phone booth to call the main CIA office.
His CIA code name is Condor - and he calls to give his section chief the information of the hit. He is told not to hang up the phone and to call again in two hours. The CIA "clean-up" team arrives within minutes to clear the carnage. They verify the killings to the main office. The New York section chief is stunned and wants to know why a research office would be gunned down. He calls his supervisor at CIA Headquarters.
Joe in the meantime is totally paranoid and dodges and hides until he is to be brought "in from the cold" - but realizes a set up in a back alley is meant to kill him. The agents he was to meet are an old friend (he trusts) and another CIA department head. He realizes his own department head is trying to kill him and shoots him with the gun he picked up. The Department head then shoots the other unknowing agent (a friend that Joe trusted). Now Joe feels he can trust no one. He is desperate and kidnaps a woman that he saw in a clothing store, Kathy (Faye Dunaway). They drive to her apartment and she lets him hide there, although he uses the gun to scare her. He just needs time to figure out what to do next.
The plot thickens and the action escalates. There are exciting twists and turns. Eventually Joe has his revenge. A very rewarding spy movie!
The other interesting notes on this movie is the technology 35 years ago. The computers and phone systems are archaic, but did not detract from the plot. Also the world issues on oil needs of the U.S. seem to always be in the news.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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The Thriller sure to hold you glued until the finale.
Added 8/31/2009
A wonderful crafted suspense tale which holds you until the last
frame. Redford at his best in a drama guaranteed not to bore for
a simgle moment. Also, a thinking person's flick. You watch the
first ten minutes and bet you can't tear yourself away.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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watch this film over and over again although getting slightly dated...just around the edges mind.
Cannot obtain a DVD of it in Europe yet for some unknown and bizarre reason, wish someone would explain this to me !.
The plot unfortunately is totally believable from my non-American perspective and the prophecy at the end will turn out to be very prescient in the not too distant future (hope I am not around for that!).
One of the best opening ten minutes or so in any film I can remember.
Totally recommended.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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Also a gift
Added 6/16/2009
Gramps wants another gift, but unlike the previous, this movie is a good one, including a performances from an all star cast. If you are paranoid, maybe you shouldn't watch this one, but if you like spy movies or thrillers, then ignore the age of it. This is a good movie and you will enjoy it.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
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Entertaining...Fun.....But Not Too Intelligent
Added 6/1/2009
*** This comment may contain spoilers ***
I really enjoy watching this film. It has first-rate suspense and is definitely entertaining. I have seen it multiple times and will continue to watch it.
Having said that, I have to admit I laugh when I read critics (elsewhere) writing about how "intelligent" this movie is. Intelligent? Yeah, right.
Let's see. A man goes out to lunch and comes back to discover (after walking into an open front door that previously shuts and locks automatically) that all his co-workers have been murdered. Shortly afterward, he is shot at by a professional killer, who, conveniently, misses! OK. Now on the run, our hero (Robert Redford) kidnaps a woman at random in broad daylight and forces her at gunpoint back to her apartment. (Nobody sees any of this.) About two hours later, the woman is making love to the man and is instantly in love with him!!
It gets better. The man - a professional reader, a bookworm, instantly turns into James Bond and the woman is instantly transformed from a lonely, shrinking violet into an international spy, boldly breaking into the CIA and talking tough to an agent. Wow, yes, that sure sounds plausible to me!
Well, I''ll repeat one thing, for the readers here who forgot my opening paragraph and think I am panning the film. I am not. I like the movie. it's entertaining. It's fun to watch, and that's the name of the game. It's nice to see it's out on Blu-Ray.
1 out of 2 people found this helpful.
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1975 CIA Conspiracy Thriller
Added 9/13/2009
Joe Turner (Robert Redford) works in New York at the "Historical Society", which is the front for a CIA operation that reviews all literature, books, magazines, etc. from all over the world for possible plots and schemes. All ideas are fed into a computer that compares with CIA plots and international issues and threats. Joe is just a researcher, not a CIA Agent, but learns a lot about espionage, just reading books and other materials through his job.
Joe is late to work one rainy day in December and his boss corners him to let him know that a letter he sent the Langley CIA office was dismissed. Joe folds up the letter and puts it in his pants pocket to deal with later. His letter noted a realization that strong relationships were developing between Saudi Arabia, Venezuela and other oil producing countries and thought it was worth the CIA's effort to look into it.
We meet all of Joe's co-workers - 6 of them besides Joe. He starts his work and feeds pertinent information into the computer. Around 11:30 he is the designated person to do the lunch run to the Deli a block away. He ducks out a back entrance to avoid much of the rainy areas. While he is gone, the mailman is rung in the front door security. Other men come with him as they tear up the security tapes. Everyone in the office is killed within minutes and the killers leave. When Joe returns he finds the front door open and his co-workers shot. He soon realizes this is a hit and takes the receptionist's gun to protect himself as he runs to a phone booth to call the main CIA office.
His CIA code name is Condor - and he calls to give his section chief the information of the hit. He is told not to hang up the phone and to call again in two hours. The CIA "clean-up" team arrives within minutes to clear the carnage. They verify the killings to the main office. The New York section chief is stunned and wants to know why a research office would be gunned down. He calls his supervisor at CIA Headquarters.
Joe in the meantime is totally paranoid and dodges and hides until he is to be brought "in from the cold" - but realizes a set up in a back alley is meant to kill him. The agents he was to meet are an old friend (he trusts) and another CIA department head. He realizes his own department head is trying to kill him and shoots him with the gun he picked up. The Department head then shoots the other unknowing agent (a friend that Joe trusted). Now Joe feels he can trust no one. He is desperate and kidnaps a woman that he saw in a clothing store, Kathy (Faye Dunaway). They drive to her apartment and she lets him hide there, although he uses the gun to scare her. He just needs time to figure out what to do next.
The plot thickens and the action escalates. There are exciting twists and turns. Eventually Joe has his revenge. A very rewarding spy movie!
The other interesting notes on this movie is the technology 35 years ago. The computers and phone systems are archaic, but did not detract from the plot. Also the world issues on oil needs of the U.S. seem to always be in the news.
1 out of 1 people found this helpful.
|
The Thriller sure to hold you glued until the finale.
Added 8/31/2009
A wonderful crafted suspense tale which holds you until the last
frame. Redford at his best in a drama guaranteed not to bore for
a simgle moment. Also, a thinking person's flick. You watch the
first ten minutes and bet you can't tear yourself away.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
|
watch this film over and over again although getting slightly dated...just around the edges mind.
Cannot obtain a DVD of it in Europe yet for some unknown and bizarre reason, wish someone would explain this to me !.
The plot unfortunately is totally believable from my non-American perspective and the prophecy at the end will turn out to be very prescient in the not too distant future (hope I am not around for that!).
One of the best opening ten minutes or so in any film I can remember.
Totally recommended.
0 out of 0 people found this helpful.
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