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| Naomie Harris & Ewan McGregor (r) star in Our Kind of Traitor |
Blood Money
Rotten Tomatoes Plot: While on holiday in Marrakech, an ordinary English couple, Perry (Ewan McGregor) and Gail (Naomie Harris) befriend a flamboyant and charismatic Russian, Dima (Stellan Skarsgård) who unbeknownst to them is a kingpin money launderer for the Russian mafia. When Dima asks for their help to deliver classified information to the British Secret Services, Perry and Gail get caught in a dangerous world of international espionage and dirty politics. The couple is propelled on a perilous journey through Paris and Bern, a safe house in the French Alps, to the murky corners of the City of London and an alliance with the British Government via a ruthless and determined MI6 agent. Directed by Susanna White.
John le Carré's novels rarely disappoint; but previous film adaptations (A Most Wanted Man, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) have been conspicuously light on thrills. Not so with Our Kind of Traitor, a spy thriller of the first order, aided by exotic locales and one of the most charismatic performances of the year (Skarsgård.) McGregor and Harris are good too, just not half as entertaining as the 65-year-old Swede. White sets a brisk pace; and Hossein Amini's screenplay wisely stays close to the original. Semi-plausible, stylish and well-acted, it's not quite on par with 007... but downright enjoyable as is.
Grade: B
