VividSimon Simply Perfect

Odelecol Pretty good movie overall. First half was nothing special but it got better as it went along.

Nayan Gough A great movie, one of the best of this year. There was a bit of confusion at one point in the plot, but nothing serious.

Roxie The thing I enjoyed most about the film is the fact that it doesn't shy away from being a super-sized-cliche;

atlasmb Sean Connery, in a wonderfully nuanced performance, plays "Barley", a tousled book publisher who looks like a retired English professor. He is relaxing in Portugal when British and American intelligence officers invade his quiet life, seeking to recruit him for a dangerous mission. They have chosen him because a manuscript by an unknown author has been intercepted, and it is addressed to him. He is a Russophile who visits Russia, now under glasnost, regularly.The script for "The Russia House" is by Tom Stoppard, adapted from the novel by John le Carre. Shot on location, the film is aided by spectacular scenes of Russia and its beautiful architecture: the Kremlin, Red Square, the subway stations. We come to understand Barley's love of the people, if not the government. Connery--coming from "The Hunt for Red October"--gives us a protagonist easy to relate to.Michelle Pfeiffer plays Katya, an unassuming single mother who becomes the nexus for the drama. Hot on the heels of "Married to the Mob", "Tequila Sunrise", "Dangerous Liaisons", and "The Fabulous Baker Boys", she gives a Golden Globe nominated performance. Katya becomes the embodiment of Russia's soul for Barley, someone he is compelled to love. Besides, she is luminously beautiful.The rest of the cast is solid. Deserving special attention are Roy Scheider and Klaus Maria Brandauer, whose performances are exceptionally strong.Like the cinematography, the music really helps create a mood. This is a story about nations, about peoples, about individuals, and about how conflicting allegiances force us to make choices that define our view of the world and ourselves.

Tweekums A Soviet author known only as 'Dante' wants his book to be published in the west; to this end he has asked his friend Katya to deliver his manuscript to publisher Bartholomew 'Barley' Blair. Barley in meant to be attending a book fair in Moscow but he isn't there and Katya passes the manuscript on to his 'friend' Niki Landau. She tells him how important it is that this book is published but rather than passing it to Barley he reads it and hands it to MI6. They contact Barley to discover what he knows about Katya and Dante; he has no knowledge of Katya but had met Dante at a party some time earlier. The manuscript suggests that the Soviet military poses far less of a threat than was previously thought… of course until they learn more about Dante they have no idea whether he is real or not.Barley is sent back to Russia to learn more about him. Once there he meets Katya and as he learns more details about Dante he develops feelings for Katya. As the operation progresses control is passed over to the CIA and it soon becomes apparent that they are not too pleased with the contents of the manuscript… one would think a less dangerous Soviet Union would be a good thing but if that danger is suddenly seen to be rather low the vast amounts of money being spent on intelligence and military equipment is harder to justify… something those in that world do not want to see.If you are expecting 'James Bond' style thrills you will be disappointed; there are no exciting stunts, chases or explosions to be seen. In fact there is little real tension as we never really think Barley or Tanya is about to be grabbed by the KGB. That doesn't make the film boring though; the story unfolds in an interesting way. We gradually learn more about Dante while also watching the growing closeness between Barley and Katya. Sean Connery and Michelle Pfeiffer put in fine performances in the lead roles and are supported by an able cast of well-known actors including Roy Scheider, James Fox, Michael Kitchen and J.T. Walsh… as well as a young Martin Clunes in a small but amusing role. It is clear that the makes wanted to take full advantage of being one of the first western films to be made in the Soviet Union; many of the scenes in Moscow and Leningrad looked as though they were picked to showcase some of the most impressive parts of those cities. The ending has a nice little twist that doesn't seem overly forced… we are also treated to a happy ending that is far from guaranteed with films based on the works of John le Carré. Overall a solid, gently told espionage story that will disappoint anybody expecting a thrill-ride.

smatysia I have read a few John Le Carre books (although not The Russia House) and was not as impressed as most other people seemed to be. People say that the movie is slow and cerebral (and it is) but really that is how Le Carre's books read. Sean Connery never puts in a bad performance, and neither does Michelle Pfeiffer. And it never hurts that she is sooooo beautiful. Klaus Maria Brandauer is also always good and still is here. The problem is the script, which relates back to the source material. It is a little bit of a bore. Not badly, just a bit. It looks like the filmmakers were so proud to be filming in the USSR, that they went a little overboard. Not every place in Russia is St. Basil's and the Winter Palace. Overall the film is OK.

disdressed12 for me,this adaptation of A John le Carr'e novel is nothing spectacular.in fact,i found it boring and hard to follow.plus,i didn't find any of the character compelling.and there were many predictable moments as well.i will say though that Michele Pfeiffer was convincing as a Russian woman.she had the accent down pat,as far as i could tell.and there were some nice shots of Russian buildings.some of the old buildings are quite magnificent to behold.unfortunately,none of the above is the reason i wanted to watch the movie.i just wanted it end,but i went on and on.and on.anyway,my vote for the Russia House is a 5/10