One of the delightful sides of Company Business is that it shows some of the seedy side of the espionage game, especially when things are being run as games within games and by people with whom you not only could never identify, but you are unsure as to what they really are representing. The theme is simple: People are born on one side or another and become part of the turmoil, long after the ideals have been laid to rest. This was certainly done better in various Jon Le Carre' books, but the result is the same. This was a movie about how time was bypassing the Cold War. I was surprised to read that Mikhail Baryshnikov hated this movie and would do no publicity for it. While he didn't do such a great acting job in it, he did remind one of the characters he was playing, jailed, nervous, and unsure of where he was going. Hackman's acting was much lower key than normal, his ability to deliver short bursts of power and that machine gun forced laughter notwithstanding. He gave you the image of an over-the-hill agent who couldn't resist another shot at the action. I especially liked the idea of them escaping from both sides, back to the universal idealistic dream. My only great criticism is how silly it is to portray being shot in such an insouciant manner. The fact that a country might not have extradition, also, isn't really an issue for the CIA, KGB or even the Columbian drug czar. The scenery is beautiful in Berlin and I howled at them being in one of the clubs which made Berlin famous. Paris was also beautiful and the Eiffel Tower scenes were majestic, especially the Eiffel Tower elevators. Geraldine Danon was hauntingly beautiful, especially when she shows up at the café to meet Hackman. I am disappointed that she did not show up in any other Hollywood movies.
Review of Company Business
