The Russia House 1990

     This film is based on a novel by John Le Carre.  During a Russian book conference, three notebooks supposedly containing Russian military secrets are given to a British publisher.  The British secret service is keen to learn if these notebooks are real.  They ask Barley Blair to investigate the notebooks.  Blair has a lot of experience with Russia and the Russian people.  He doesn’t respond well to authority and he may be in over his head with this project. 

      I just couldn’t see Michelle Pfeiffer in her role as a Russian??  There isn’t a LOT going on in this film despite the subject?  A spy continually sits in a room for hours waiting for something to happen with people not doing very much?  Maybe grass growing and paint drying in Russia takes a lot longer because of the cold temperatures.  Maybe more patience is required to watch??  I read a very interesting novel while viewing and I don’t think I missed anything??  2* (I didn’t like this movie)

123 min, Drama directed by Fred Schepisi with Sean Connery, Michelle Pfeiffer, Roy Scheider, James Fox, John Mahoney, Michael Kitchen, J.T. Walsh, Ken Russell, David Threlfall, Klaus Maria Brandauer, Mac McDonald.

Note:  Imdb 6.1 out of 10, 75% critic 50% audience on Rotten Tomatoes, Roger Ebert 2*, Empire Online 2* out of 5* review by Angie Errigo, Amazon 4.1* out of 5* with 153 reviews.

Special Note:  Filmed in Lisbon, Portugal, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada; Moscow, St. Petersburg and Sergiyev Posad, Russia; London, England, UK.  This film is the first major production from the West to be filmed in the Soviet Union with full permission from the Russian Government.  The meaning of the title The Russia House is a reference to the nickname given to the section of the British Secret Service involved with investigating the Soviet Union.