"The Spy Who Came In From the Cold" with Richard Burton and Claire Bloom (1962)

I am a big fan of the Cold War. It had all the necessary elements for a good spy story on a daily basis. And they were true.

Growing up during the some of the hottest times in the Cold War was kind of exciting. The Bay of Pigs, Cuban Missile Crisis, the Berlin Wall. All of these real life dramas made interesting fodder for the writers of spy novels and the stories they spun. "The Spy Who Came In From The Cold" is one of my all time favorites.

John LeCarre takes a man, a broken and tired man, Alec Leamus, and turns him into a political anti-hero. Here is a man who has been engaged in espionage against the Russians for a decade or more, who knows all the ropes, and yet finds himself caught in a web he inadvertently helps to create.

The book and the movie are almost identical. It is helpful to have read the book first, but not necessary. Alec Leamus is asked by MI5 to leave the agency on the pretext of not having gained promotion due to his drinking. Richard Burton plays the part in the movie and his own public struggles with alcoholism make this role very believable.

As he skids down the path of his affliction he takes a job as a research librarian, filing books in a private collection. There he meets a woman named Liz, played in the movie by Claire Bloom, with whom he forms an instant connection. Two lonely people trapped in their own gray and dreary lives. The film is in black and white. It is an accurate depiction of England at that time, still reeling from the ravages of World War Two. Rationing didn't formally end until 1965. Both the novel and the movie capture this aspect with perfection.

When Alec defects to the Russian side for a price, at the direction of his superiors, a chain of events ensues that brings sharply into focus both the differences and the similarities of what we call Freedom and the other side calls Communism. Both sides have agendas. Both sides resort to unthinkable means in order to obtain their respective goals.

Caught in a struggle between a principled Communist Party member who tries Leamus for espionage, and a ruthless ex-Nazi who may be a British double agent, Leamus finds himself in the grips of a plot that will either reinforce his beliefs or tear them apart, revealing them as the other side of the same coin.

The book is riveting, as is the movie. Richard Burton gives one of his finest performances as the troubled spy. And Claire Bloom is exceptional as a woman torn between her beliefs and the reality with which she finds herself confronted.

Stark and intense writing give the book the feel of the gray and colorless world of Communism in Eastern Europe at the time. Stark and intense direction by Martin Pitt transfer these elements to the screen with perfection.

"Man on Fire" with Denzel Washington and Dakota Fanning (2004)

The fireworks from the 4^th have hardly settled, so get ready for some more explosive action in this unique thriller starring Denzel Washington as a burnt out government operative named John Creasy, who has had his fill of killing in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He questions the morality of the things he did.

His former partner; Rayburn; played by Christopher Walken; has no such qualms. He has found a wife and a life living in Mexico. When John approaches him he is unsure of the direction his life is taking. Rayburn gets him a job as a body guard for a rich Mexican family. In the wake of all the kidnappings they are concerned for their 9 year old daughter’s safety.

Her name is Pita Ramos; played with great charm by Dakota Fanning. She soon develops a crush on the stoic and reserved Creasy, who insists it is not his job to be her friend, but to protect her. This is really a façade for the shell he has been forced to erect around his true feelings during his years working for the CIA. Little Pita is about to pierce that veil.

As Pita gets ready for a swimming contest the two become very good friends, and he encourages her to be her best. The little girl falls in love with him and even names her Teddy bear for him. Slowly Vreasy emerges from his shell and is learning to live again. And he likes it.

But when things take the ultimate tragic turn and Pita is kidnapped, the old Creasy comes back to life and he vows revenge on anyone who had anything to do with Pita’s disappearance. The surprise ending will have you wondering about the value we all place on material things. It will also leave you marveling at one man’s sense of self-sacrifice in order to assuage his own sense of guilt.

"Cold Comes the Night" with Alice Eve and Bryan Cranston (2013)

Riveting is the one word which bests describes this film. Chloe, played by Alice Eve, is a single mother living in a run-down road side motel. Her daughter lives with her. The local DSS wants her to move from the transient hotel or lose custody of her child. She plans on leaving but is trying to save enough money.

The motel doubles as a brothel run by local police officer Billy, played by Logan-Marshall Green. He is corrupt and ruthless. And though he doesn’t know it, he is about to meet his match in TOPO, played by Bryan Cranston. TOPO is a mysterious figure who is passing through town with a driver and a whole lot of cash. When the driver gets involved with one of the local girls at the motel and is killed, TOPO has no one to finish driving him on his mysterious journey.

As TOPO uses Chloe to try and finish the job he was paid to do, she realizes that his eyesight is failing; which is why he had a driver in the first place. Essentially trapped in the motel with no transportation he is forced to use both Chloe and her daughter as his eyes; as well as shields.

When the car TOPO was being driven in is impounded he must use her connections with Officer Billy in an attempt to retrieve the cash hidden in the car. But Billy has gotten to it first. This begins a deadly game of cat and mouse as TOPO looks to get back the cash, along with a bit of revenge.

Tautly directed and tersely written, this film will have you stuck in your seat for the full 90 minutes. Outstanding performances by all make this one a sure fire winner.

"Columbus Circle" with Beau Bridges and Selma Blair (2012)

Abigail Clayton, played by Selma Blair, is a recluse. The daughter of a millionaire industrialist, she has not left the apartment in almost 20 years. She suffers from agoraphobia, a fear of going out. She lives alone, insulated against the world. Her only communication with the outside world comes via notes slipped under her door to the building’s concierge, who keeps her supplied with groceries and other necessities. When her elderly neighbor is killed, Ms. Clayton immediately decides to buy the apartment in order to heighten her sense of security, or isolation.

Her plans are foiled when the building’s owner decides to rent the apartment to a young couple. When the new tenants move in, she listens to every sound which emanates from their apartment. Her new neighbors seem to be locked in a dysfunctional relationship, fueled by the man’s alcohol abuse and domestic violence. Her only other source of communication is with Dr. Raymond Fontaine, played by Beau Bridges. His intentions are never clear, lending a further layer of mystery to this very well paced and directed film.

A series of circumstances ensue, which bring the reclusive Ms. Clayton to a face to face meeting with the couple, rocking her world of solitude in a major way. Coupled with the police investigation into the old ladies death; which appears to be accidental; there are some secrets from Ms. Clayton’s past which keep the viewer a bit mystified, and in the dark.

Reminiscent, in many ways, of Roman Polanski’s 1965 film “Repulsion”, this is a film which explores the human psyche.

"Out of Time" with Denzel Washington

Excellent acting and fast paced direction of a taut script make this a film not to be missed. Apparently, though, I have missed it! It came out in 2003. I'm always the last to see a first run film, and among the first to read the latest non-fiction. That's just me. Back to the film...

A small town sheriff in Banyon Keys, Florida, Chief of Police Matt Whitlock,(played by Denzel Washington) is having an affair with one of his men's wife. Ann, the wife, is in an abusive marriage with her husband Chris, while Matt is going through a divorce. When Matt finds out that his Ann has terminal cancer, a beehive of activity, involving insurance fraud and theft of witness drug money, seems like the logical path to take in order to get some very expensive medical procedures done, which have no guarantee of success.

When Matt decides to confront Chris, late at night, a neighbor sees him and he runs away. When he returns, awakened by a phone call about an arson, the house that Ann and Chris lived in has been destroyed and two corpses are in the bed. A crude ignition device is found next to the propane tank. Now it's a double homicide.

As the investigation surges forward, the Chief of Police becomes a man obsessed with covering up his relatinship to the deceased woman, almost as if he were the one responsible for her death. But if not him, then who is responsible? And who are the two people found in the bed? And what's the motive? You'll just have to watch the movie to find out.

A pulse ponding story at times, this one had me hanging on the entire film, which, as you may know, is a rarity for me. And check out the coroner, played by John Billingsley. He's living roof that good character acting is not dead.

"Traitor" with Don Cheadle and Guy Pearce

This film is a real insight into the world of terrorism and counter intelligence in todays “War on Terrorism.” When is killing justified? And by whom? For God? For Country? For Honor? These are the central questions at the heart of this pulse pounding film.

The film, wide in its scope, covers the terrorist cells that operate with seeming impunity while also offering a realistic look behind the scenes of law enforcement as they try, under great restraint, to contain a growing threat to us all.

Samir (played with intensity by Don Cheadle) is an African-American of Yemen birth. When we first encounter him he is selling explosives to Radical Islamics. When he is captured and imprisoned in Yemen he meets Ahmed, who is a terrorist. When the two become friends they are broken out of jail by fellow Jihadists and embark upon a series of terrorist attacks.

Hard on their trail is a team of FBI agents(lead by Guy Pearce) who, without jurisdiction in the respective countries they visit, manage to successfully identify Samir and even come close to catching him just before another successful bombing. The film also explores the nature of counter espionage within the various agencies, who are all pursuing the same goal, but are all reluctant to share their information with one another.

With a minimum of special effects, this film manages to capture the real essence of the War on Terrorism. It also explores the chasm between Radical Islam and Islam as a Religion. At times it serves as an education about all of the different ideologies and beliefs that battle for control of the worlds politics. In addition, it explores the question of why someone looks to Radical Islam in the first place. And ultimately it asks the viewer how many killings are justified in any cause?

This film is a thriller from beginning to end. It draws no conclusions, it only reinforces the questions we all have concerning the role of religion and terrorism in todays world.