New at BOP: Review: Matrix Resurrections Movie Review: Moonfall Movie Reviews: Scream The #1 Movie in America November Forecast The Many Saints of Newark October Forecast New Trivia Question All site updates Share & Save   Tweet Print this column

4. Munich (2006)

Speaking of Spielberg movies, this one is definitely deserving of the fourth spot. Yeah, the Olympics revenge movie is not exactly about espionage per se, in the sense that the plants aren’t looking for a secret code or to stop an evil plan. They’re looking for payback. Eric Bana is beefier and bulkier than Damon, so clearly he’s scarier. And he means business.

And also speaking of scary spy movies, how about Spielberg’s mastery of suspense, action, tension, and darkness? Unlike your typical Bourne car chase scene, or the normal Bond close escape, you really don’t know where or when the explosion or the gunshot is coming here.

But the motivations of the actors here are really what make this movie so memorable - sure, saving the hypothetical world is cool, and Nazism is bad, no doubt. But terrorist attacks in the Olympics - yikes. If that doesn’t speak to the anxieties of today, well…then just ask the mayor of Rio de Janeiro, I guess.

3. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)

And now for a completely different program. From beefy face-punchers to scrawny braniacs. From heart-pounding chase scenes to analytical puzzles.

Yeah, but, come on, don’t you just love the endless cat and mouse that John Le Carre plays with you? The ceaseless hunt for the mole?

Gary Oldman finally received a much overdue Oscar nomination for his portrayal of George Smiley, a British intelligence agency caught in the middle of an espionage ring during the heart of the Cold War. The classic type of spy novel is perhaps the best because of the pointlessness of it all. Two nations, two ideologies, caught in the middle of a fight that tore people asunder for no real reason.

But these men who had caught themselves in the webs of lies, deceit, and betrayal did soldier on. And this one even has clandestine gay sex. Not to mention a crazy good cast - Tom Hardy? John Hurt? Toby Jones? Benedict Cumberbatch (in one of his earliest roles)? Director Tomas Alfredson puts a bow on top of the thrilling, chilling story by the master himself with subtle and beautiful '70s cinematography (Hoyte van Hoytema, Inception), specious art direction, and boney music (Albert Iglesias).

Can we have another, please?

Continued:       1       2       3       4