THE COMPANY
US, 2007, 90 minutes, Colour.
Chris O’ Donnell, Alfred Molina, Michael Keaton, Tom Hollander, Alessandro Nivola, Ulrich Thomsen, Alexandra Maria Lara, Rory Cochrane, Simon Callow, Anthony Sher.
Directed by Mikael Salomon.
The Company is an excellent miniseries from the United States about the CIA. However, it can be seen as three separate and self-contained movies.
The first film is set in the 1950s, in Berlin in 1954, mostly in the dingy east of Berlin. It focuses on the work of two CIA agents, the veteran played by Alfred Molina and the up-and-coming Jack Mc Auliffe, the central character of the series, played by Chris O’ Donnell in one of his best roles. The film shows espionage with contacts, moles in the CIA and the consequences, and the danger of an agent falling in love. Also central to this Berlin episode is the presence of Alexandra Maria Lara as a ballet dancer, caught up in communication of data.
The film is also set in Washington DC, focusing on Mother, the experienced investigator played by Michael Keaton. Keaton was a zany comedian when he was young, moved to being Batman with some more serious roles. This is certainly one of his best, over the three episodes. He is the meticulous investigator, his walls filled with notes, his painstaking cross-referencing before computers. Also in his office is Adrian Kim Philby, played well by Tom Hollander, who is ultimately exposed and flees to Russia.
Other characters whose work spans three films include Alessandro Nivola who works in the Washington branch, Rory Cochrane as a Russian, educated in the US, and sent back as a plant, and Ulrich Thomsen is the head of the KGB.
The second film is more action-oriented, a rather graphic presentation of the Bulgarian Apra uprising in 1956, with Jack Mc Auliffe present and picked up and tortured, with Natasha Mac Elhone as a British mother, wife of leader of the uprising.
The second half of the film is rather different, moving to 1960 – 1961, the rise of Fidel Castro, the reaction of the American administration, of the Kennedys, of the CIA under Alan dallies. Once again, the three main characters are present, Jack Mc Auliffe in action at the time of the Bay of Pigs. Alfred Molina is back again, this time in cahoots with the Mafia, preparing poison for the assassination of Castro. Of significance, it is Leo Kritzky, played by Alessandro Nivola, who determines that the Bay of Pigs is the place for the invasion of Cuba. At the end of this episode, the CIA has had its authority and reputation undermined.
The third film moves on almost 15 years, problems of the 1970s, the presence of a mole in Washington, with evidence seeming to incriminate Leo Kritzky. He is picked up, interrogated, tortured. Michael Keaton’s Angleton is brought in to do the interrogation and is once more painstaking, Jack Mc Auliffe believing Leo to be guilty. However, a would-be Russian defector appears at the time which leads to a different interpretation and Leo being released. Time passes to the mid-80s and the introduction of computers – with eager young women working in offices, doing the same kind of cross-referencing previously done personally by Angleton, and this leads to the fact that Leo was, in fact, the traitor.
He escapes to Russia, visits Kim Philby. In the meantime, the Russian who has lived in Washington is uncovered and works with Jack Mc Auliffe whom he knew a quarter of a century earlier. The former significance of the CIA, the Grand Game, is over with the collapse of communism. However, indications are given of the new role of the CIA with the election of President Yeltsin.
An interesting and absorbing serious films, very well acted, with the periods re-created effectively, and find work of directing by Mikael Solomon, whose career with film and television has led to work with a variety of genres.
1. Audience interest in the CIA, the KGB, espionage in the 1950s, the Cold War? The British moles? Espionage at the time?
2. The first of three films, this film and its stand-alone impact? Audience knowledge about Kim Philby, the moles in MI6, the damage to agents and loss of life? Defections to Russia?
3. The atmosphere of the period? Yale University and the rowing teams, the friendships, international, the discussions about ideology? The background for careers and ambitions? Berlin, East and West, the dingy East? Washington DC, the CIA offices? Russia, the KGB, life in Russia?
4. The focus on Berlin, Harvey as the head, Jack as his assistant, the other members of the staff, the dingy office, the issue of the defector, the interrogation, his being unmasked? Harry’s anger, the issue of the mole? Jack, his work, the contact with Lily, dancing, the story of the Professor and his saving her life? Giving the information, genuine? Jack tracking down, the leading his followers in the mirror maze? Jack and his attraction to Lily, the love? Harvey, the chase on the roof, not shooting the KGB and vice versa? The scheme of the barium meal, getting information, not sending the information to anyone in England? The visit to Israel and the discussions? The visit to London and pressure on MI6? Visits to Washington, explaining the situation to Jim, the arguments? The deaths in Berlin? Jack and his seeing his rowing rival, the offer to pay for information? The effect? Wanting to get Lily out of Berlin, the role of the Professor, his hanging himself, Lily shooting herself? Harvey being correct about them all?
5. Harvey and his character, Jack and his ambitions? The warning about falling in love? His going to his friend’s wedding?
6. Jim Angleton, being called Mother, tidy, the range of notes on his wall, friendship with Philby, the discussions, visits to the office? His suspicions of Leo Kritzky at the meetings? The explanation? Friendship with Harvey? Theire talking, the meeting, the facts and his saying there were various interpretations? Going to Philby’s house, the search? Seen alone at the end pondering what had happened?
7. Philby, British, the scenes with Jim, his house, his role with MI6? The discussions about them all? The revelation, Eugene and his visit, bringing the bottles, gadgets, the information? Arranging his departure to Russia? London being his home?
8. Rory, education in America, friends, Tolstoy and Communist discussions? His going home? The KGB, the friendship, Starik persuading him to take the job, his American education, his father as a spy? The training? Meeting the girl, Jewish, in love? Having to leave? The phone call from the US? His contact with Philby?
9. Starik? The KGB officer, his influence, skills, recruiting Yevgeny, warning him about emotions? Controlling him from the US?
10. The CIA, officers, personnel, the nature of espionage? The training lecture, the explanation of deceit danger which in mark counterespionage?
11. A glimpse of the 1950s and espionage for Americans, British, the Soviet Union?
