Comically serious End-of-the-Cold-War industrial thriller on buying Western Intellectual Property Rights to TETRIS, an early (and still addictive) ‘80s Game Boy component (now it’s an APP), the film as exceptional as it is unexpected. Invented on primitive Soviet Era computers by Alexey Pajinov (Nikita Efremov, charming & sympathetic), unaware he’s wading into treacherous (possibly traitorous) territory with each Western contact wowed by the commercial possibilities. Main bidders include ambitious cash-strapped tech entrepreneur Henk Rogers (Taron Egerton, crucified under an ‘80s mustache) and increasingly desperate media baron ‘billionaire’ Robert Maxwell (Roger Allam, sublime), similarly cash-strapped. Offer and counter-offers, Soviet delays, bribes, overnight flights, secret surveillance, ‘Kompromat’ videos, expiring deals, worthless checks & empty promises, and a Looney Tunes cast of characters to tighten suspense. There’s nothing in the C.V.s of director Jon S. Baird or writer Noah Pink to explain just how good this is. (Crisscross machinations & caper tropes this confidently handled not seen since ARGO/’12.) So a seemingly dry subject matter becomes a constant whirligig (there’s even a touch of family sentiment), wonderfully aided with period computer graphics linking scenes and morphing in and out just for visual delight. The whole ‘80s gestalt feels as if Sydney Pollack or Alan Pakula had served as mentors from conception thru studio politics and theatrical release.
DOUBLE-BILL/LINK: Toughest of all major Orson Welles films, MR. ARKADIN/’55 (aka CONFIDENTIAL REPORT) suddenly makes perfect sense when you connect Arkadin with a man like Robert Maxwell. https://maksquibs.blogspot.com/2008/05/mr-arkadin-1955.html
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