Farewell

Directed by Christian Carion

Seen at: Cambridge Arts Picturehouse

[rating: 3.5/5]

James Bond this ain’t. Those wanting a spectacular fight-laden (topical!) spy thriller should kiss those hopes goodbye. This film keeps well clear of any violence, choosing instead to focus on the relationships that espionage can destroy.

The year is 1981, and Pierre (Guillaume Canet) is our reluctant spy-hero, asked by his shady boss to contact Sergei (Emir Kusturica), a top KGB man grown disillusioned with the crumbling Communist regime he serves, and willing to spill secrets to the enemy. Pierre is forced to pass this highly sensitive information outside of the Iron Curtain, risking the lives of his family in the process. Sergei, meanwhile, has more than just KGB torturers on his mind, as his loved-ones turn against him.

This synopsis should be enough to tell you that this isn’t really about spies and politics; it’s about people. The characters are involved in world-changing intelligence operations, and yet marriage politics are the main concern here. In a way this is quite refreshing; not only are there no guns, but both sides are given equal weight – the Russian (and he is VERY Russian) is not a 2 Dimensional vodka-swilling, bear-wrestling brute, but a vulnerable soul like the rest of us. This is not to say there aren’t classic thriller elements – the border control scene is particularly stomach clenching – but rather that the real climax of the film is in the marital face-offs.

The risk is that the film drags, and it certainly seems to sag slightly in the middle, as the minute focus on the protagonists’ families is slightly undermined by the fact that Pierre’s wife Jessica (Alexandra Maria Lara) is not given enough screen time for you to really care about her. Of the family members, only Sergei’s son Igor (it’s based on a true story – they didn’t make the names up) inspires sympathy, with his faux-Queen solo a particular highlight.

Ultimately, a film so centred around two characters – bromance would be a step too far, but not by much – lives and dies by its main performances. And they are worth the entrance ticket alone. Canet doesn’t overplay the reluctant hero role, never straying into whining, so that you sympathise with him throughout. The highest plaudits, however, are reserved for Emir Kusturica, who belies his massive, stony, KGB face to reveal an amazing emotional range, perfectly showing a proud man backed into a corner.

Though mainly set in Moscow, the action shifts frequently to the White House and France. In order not to waste any time setting the scene, Canet uses stereotypes to quickly establish where we are. Thus, the Parisian scenes are set in a trendy bistro, Ronald Reagan (Fred Ward) is an arrogant moron, and Russians get married in front of tanks. Flower-covered tanks, admittedly, but still.  This technique is effective, however, as it means the constant location hopping is not disorientating.

The main trouble with the film is that is has ‘taut thriller’ plastered across its poster… and it’s just not. If you want a superbly acted, funny, touching and (for the most part) pretty tense drama, however, then a ticket to this is a good buy.

httpvh://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3vgVaBkwyzY