Good, intelligent filmmaking for folk who know their history: Trevor Nunn/Lindsay Shapero's RED JOAN

Oh, yes: And it also has Dame Judi Dench in the leading role (senior version; up-and-comer Sophie Cookson plays her younger self). If Dame Dench isn't enough to garner the mainstream/ arthouse crowd to RED JOAN, nothing will.

A set of very mixed reviews (only 30% positive on the notoriously unreliable Rotten Tomatoes site) oughtn't keep at least senior moviegoers away, for the film's very structure and execution is so by-the-book that few viewers should find it difficult to follow.

In this case, however, the "book" the film is "by" proves perfectly acceptable in its own right. The screenplay (from Lindsay Shapero) may be very dialog-heavy, but since the dialog is quite good, so what? Unfortunately, many in our younger critical establishment are more special-effects happy than dialog-prone, and I fear their understanding of world history is also somewhat lacking. This movie demands that, and many of our senior viewers are fairly fluent in it.

The film's director, legit theater's Trevor Nunn (above) also has the needed appreciation of dialog, and his filmmaking skills are good enough to adequately take us crisply and energetically along.

Though the film is said to be based upon a real-life case, it seems to TrustMovies that almost everything we see and hear has been so very added, changed or re-arranged that one might as well approach the movie as fiction, and simply sit back and go with the flow.

Red Joan begins with arrest of said red, now a very elderly woman (Dench, above), then immediately flashes back to those younger days (via Cookson, below), and continues this back-and-forth throughout, as we see how the young Joan is slowly and quite understandably sucked into the brand of mid-to-late 1930s European Communism that proved so popular with the younger generation of that day, when economic times were grave around the world and the Spanish Civil War was simultaneously erupting.

Two love stories figure into the plot, one with a hot young student, Leo (Tom Hughes, shown at bottom, left) who doubles as spy, the other with our heroine's older-but still-attractive boss, played by that fine actor Stephen Campbell Moore (below, right), who here -- despite the good work of Dench and Cookson (shown above), manages to provide both the film's emotional and moral compass.

The moral question is one of having to choose between betraying one's country (but not, as in Auden's example, one's friend) and betraying the world at large. While the choice will seem right or wrong, depending on your view of things, how and why that choice is made is presented quite well, I think. And Red Joan ends up an intelligent and pretty classy example of not really a thriller (as unfortunately the film is being marketed) but a thoughtful piece of history that doubles as moral dilemma.

From IFC Films, the movie opened last week on our cultural coasts and now expands to other cities across the country. Here in South Florida it will open tomorrow, Friday, May 3, in the Miami area at AMC's Aventura Mall 24 and Sunset Place 24, Landmark at Merrick Park and CMX Brickell City Centr; in Fort Lauderdale at the Classic Gateway 4; at the Movies of Delray and Movies of Lake Worth; in Palm Beach Gardens at the Cobb's Downtown at the Gardens 16; and at the AMC's City Place 20 in West Palm Beach. Wherever you are around the country, click here to find the theater nearest you.

Photography, spying and the joy of Communism in Peter Stephan Jungk's documentary, TRACKING EDITH

A documentary in which the content and tale told are much more interesting that the actual execution of the material itself, TRACKING EDITH is the story of Edith Tudor-Hart (née Edith Suschitzky), born in Vienna in 1908, who emigrated to London, acted as a spy for Russia's KGB, and was simultaneously an even better -- first-rate, really -- photographer who beautifully captured many of the social issues of her time, from England's industrial decline and the plight of refugees of the Spanish Civil war to Britain's housing policy and the needs of its children.

Edith was also the great aunt of the filmmaker here, Peter Stephan Jungk (shown left), who is to be commended for bringing to our attention this very interesting woman and her work, even if the result, as a movie, is somewhat mediocre. If nothing else, Edith's photography that we see here should make many viewers ready to line up at any exhibition of her work that might find its way to their locale. It's that good.

Her spying was something else. As a Jew who had to leave Austria due to the Nazis rise to power, she -- as did so many others of the day -- embraced Communism as, at very least, an antidote to the fascism that was growing ever stronger during this time. While many eventually understood Russia's Stalin to be as crazy and murderous as was Adolf Hitler, Edith evidently clung to her belief that Communism would make the world a much better place.

The lovely Edith (shown in self-portrait on poster, top) is said to have recruited for the KGB a number of very important spies -- often from the cream of the Britain's crop. She was responsible for the recruitment of both Kim Philby and Anthony Blunt, two of the infamous (or famous, depending on your viewpoint) Cambridge Spy Ring, that, in Russia, was known as the Magnificent Five.

Filmmaker Jungk uses everything from archival photos and interviews with family members, historians, photo historian (above, right) even an ex-KGB member (below) to somehow give us a fuller portrait of our photographer/spy. Individually, the interviews make some sense, yet our Edith never really coalesces as she might, and the constant jumping from one subject and/or person to another becomes annoying over time.

Further, the use of animation (below) that tries to goose up the proceedings to would-be thriller status seems almost silly and certainly pointless. This may stand in for the often "acted-out" segments of certain documentaries, or perhaps take the place of archival footage that might have been difficult to obtain (though I rather doubt this: Britain's Blitz by the Nazi's was undocumented?), but as seen here,  the animation seems both unnecessary and rather clunky.

The family members interviewed, including brother Wolf Suschitzky (below, center) and nephew Peter Suschitzky (below, left, who became a noted cinematographer and credits Edith for steering him away from science and toward art), provide the most interesting dialog and may make you want to learn even more about this unusual woman who gave birth to a lovely son who, in his younger years, turned schizophrenic and never recovered.

Finally, it's Edith photography (above and below), seen heavily over the end credits, that seems most special. This woman clearly had a gift -- and used it. I hope I'll get to see an exhibition of her work before I depart this world.

From First Run Features and running 92 minutes, Tracking Edith arrives on DVD this coming Tuesday, February 26 -- for purchase and/or rental.

Ben Lewin's THE CATCHER WAS A SPY proves classy, old-fashioned, WWII espionage fun

Based on a real-life baseball player named Moe Berg (of whom TrustMovies had never heard but is very happy to have now made his acquaintance), THE CATCHER WAS A SPY proves a surprising and welcome throwback to the days of World War II and those exciting, old-fashioned, well-plotted espionage thrillers that we rarely see any longer.

As directed by Ben Lewin and written by Robert Rodat (from the book by Nicholas Dawidoff), the movie proves a classy, intelligent, gorgeously-mounted treat.

With a spot-on production design by Oscar-winner Luciana Arrighi in which every scene appears real and right -- from the gorgeous period interiors to the bombed-out ruins in which some exciting and suspenseful combat takes place -- the look of this film seems just about perfect without ever calling undue attention to itself: every production designer's dream, I should think.

For his part, Mr. Lewin (shown at right, who a few years back gave us that wonderful movie The Sessions) also gets it all correct. He is able to direct with a firm, fine hand everything from an exciting action sequence to a philosophical discussion of murder and patriotism; from a hot 'n heavy hetero sex scene to a quiet but deeply felt suggestion of homosexual love; from a baseball game to a blunt-force beating.

While I suppose there is nothing "award-winning" here, still, what a pleasure it is to see first-class craftsmanship in writing, directing, acting, editing, cinematography and production design come together so very well. In the starring role of Moe Berg, we have that fine actor Paul Rudd (shown above and below), at last given a role that allows him to shine in ways we've seldom seen. Rudd makes a particularly believable-looking 1930s-40s character, with a face and body that's near-perfectly "period."

From what we see and learn here, Moe Berg was a very private man: a non-religious Jew who didn't even feel particularly "Jewish," evidently bi-sexual (in a time when this was anything but accepted), and a fellow who felt at home almost nowhere except in a library or on the baseball field. Mr. Rudd brings all of this to exceedingly quiet-but-felt life. He is on screen in (I think) literally every scene, which forces the rest of the excellent ensemble cast to take a decided back seat in the proceedings.

Yet, because that ensemble consists of terrific actors such as Jeff Daniels, Mark Strong, Paul Giamatti, Sienna Miller (above, left), Tom Wilkinson, Sanada Hiroyuki, Giancarlo Giannini and Pierfrancesco Favino (below, right), each of their roles comes strongly, if briefly, to life. (One does wish that Ms Miller might be given roles a little more important and demanding, but then this is definitely the kind of male-centric movie, in which women, if they appear at all, are simply "helpmeets" to the men.)

Yet the story is indeed a crackerjack one: a ball-playing civilian recruited into the OSS and asked to possibly kill one of Germany's finest and most heralded scientists. Lewin and Rodat begin at the climax then circle back to an earlier time, as we learn Moe Berg's history in both baseball and spying. It makes for a very good yarn; how true it is to the facts I can't say, but as we move along, events and characters tumble over each over with proper pacing and believability.

In the end, the question of the need to murder for your country is given a more-than-decent workout. In this age of drone murders (even of American citizens by the American government) and their endless collateral damage, this single important incident provides a very good point at which to look back and take stock.

From IFC Films and running a just-right 98 minutes, The Catcher Was a Spy, opens this Friday, June 22, in New York City (at the IFC Center) and Los Angeles (at Laemmle's Monica Film Center, Playhouse 7 and Town Center 5).  Here in South Florida, the film is playing now at the Movies of Delray and Lake Worth. Simultaneously, the movie will also be available via VOD.

RED SPARROW: The Lawrences' (Francis and Jennifer) silly-but-fun, professional nonsense

It'll pass the time and, though the first half proves rather slow, it's at least never uninteresting -- filled as it is with sex, sin, ballet, bloodshed and double-agent spies run amok.

RED SPARROW, which casts Jennifer Lawrence in one of her better (certainly one of her showier) roles, is one of those glossy Hollywood entertainments that, except for its R rating, might have starred Lana Turner or Liz Taylor back in the old days, when this sort of silliness was at its cold-war peak.

Francis Lawrence (shown at right) -- who directed from a screenplay adapted by Justin Haythe from a book by Jason Matthews -- has done a better job of it than I would have imagined, given much of his earlier work. Despite the staid pacing, broken by violence every now and then, Lawrence keeps us alert and enjoying the gloss and giddiness of this oh-those-nasty-Russkies tale, as our heroine, Ms Lawrence (below with famous dancer Sergei Polunin), goes from being a "busted" ballerina to first-class sex-worker/spy for her glorious country, all the while caring for her poor, sickly, sainted mother. Oy.

But most of this does prove foolish fun, especially when actors the likes of Jeremy Irons (below, as spy-master-in-chief),

Charlotte Rampling (at right below, as the iron matron who trains these youthful and quite hunky and/or gorgeous spies),

and Matthias Schoenaerts (below) as our heroine's awfully naughty uncle. All three actors are better than their roles deserve, and they help quite handily in bringing the movie home.

The film's romantic interest is played by Joel Edgerton, shown below, who is always a pleasure to see, and here at least gets to use less of the faux-Russian accent employed by the rest of the cast. They do it pretty well and pretty consistently, however, which rather adds to the old-fashioned fun of the film.

I guess it's time -- what with all of Russia's U.S. election meddling and the recent murdering (in Britain) of its own ex-spies -- for the Soviets to become the world's villains once again. So, yes, we can certainly count on Hollywood to go for it full-throttle and deliver the usual goods.

Red Sparrow, from 20th Century Fox and running a lengthy two hours and 20 minutes, opened wide all over the place a couple of weeks ago. Click here to find a theater near you.

THE BUREAU: Smart 'n classy French TV series from Eric Rochant gets exclusive U.S. run via the SundanceNow Doc Club

For those may have found the French TV series Spiral a little too over-the-top regarding sex, violence and very dark doings, here comes a new French television show that has already won awards and popularity: THE BUREAU (Le Bureau des Légendes), which will have its American premiere this coming Monday, October 3, streaming via the SundanceNow Doc Club, that purveyor of first-class documentaries and -- very occasionally -- some interesting narrative ventures, as well.

Created by Eric Rochant, shown at right, who wrote three of the (20 thus far, though only the first ten are being shown now) episodes and directed eleven of them, the series details the workings of a supposed top-level French intelligence agency and several of its employees (or shall we call them "spies"), both high level and low. Featured most prominently is Guillaume, aka Malotru (Mathieu Kassovitz, below, who bears a rather obvious resemblance to M. Rochant), who is just now returning to France after a very long posting in the Middle East.

As usual in the spy game, all old ties must be severed thoroughly and completely. This proves a bit more difficult regarding the affair our boy has with his mistress, Nadia (Zineb Triki, below). We also quickly learn some things regarding Guillaume's "professional" life, and about his French family, especially his adolescent daughter of whom he is quite fond.

There is always some glamour attached to things mysterious, and so it is here. Yet what we observe in The Bureau seems less glamorous and much more prosaic and detailed than what we see in so many of our American versions of the same genre.

Those details -- what is stored in the lockers at "work," for instance -- even if they are not true (and how would I know?), prove fascinating and in any case seem real enough to pass muster. Style-wise and visually, the series appears almost documentary direct. It moves along quickly enough, always keeping us on our toes, but it is never super slick and/or Greengrass showy.

Trust and betrayal are generic/epidemic to/in spy stories, and so it is here. Yet The Bureau has been able to add a few new wrinkles to the meaning of betrayal. As it moves along, the series grows ever mores dense, with subplots involving the training of a new recruit (Sara Giraudeau, above), as well as whether an old one may have sold out his employers, as well as his co-workers. The latter involves the use of a most interesting behavioral psychologist (played by the excellent Léa Drucker, below)

The theme of trust broken keeps raising its head, making certain we understand how difficult it is to ever really know anyone. Only three episodes were provided us critics to preview. But these were enough to quickly corral TrustMovies. If all ten had been provided, he'd have probably binge-watched the lot.

Look for the debut of The Bureau this coming Monday, October 3. via the SundanceNow Doc Club, which you can learn all about -- and maybe join -- by clicking the previous link. (Above is that splendid actor Jean-Pierre Darroussin, as special here -- playing the head of the bureau -- as he always is.)

Sunday Corner with Lee Liberman highlights JACK STRONG: a Cold War hero from Poland

The history of Polish army hero Colonel Ryszard (Richard) Kuklinski is a separate endeavor from the tension-filled thriller JACK STRONG now streaming on Netflix and starring Marcin Dorocinski. Polish writer/director Wladyslaw Paikowski (Aftermath) chose to deliver on suspense rather than biography or history. 

That's not bad, as the suspense is as entertaining as Hitchcock and there's plenty back story elsewhere to fill in the blanks. While Polish audiences know the history and context of Jack Strong, for us the film does not impress upon us enough how much this man mattered to American and world stability. However, a vivid thriller may be just the right medium to help along the process of righting Kuklinski's still-abused reputation in his home country by plunging Polish viewers into the drama of what he did for them and the price he paid. (The Kuklinski family, as seen in the film, is shown below.)

Reading subtitles in English while watching a taut plot unfold somewhat degrades comprehension -- hence some background. Post WWII, the Soviets have their thumb on Poland and other members of the Cold War bloc; an arms race is beginning with the West.

Turn up the ominous music. The tale opens with the execution of Polish spy Oleg Penskovsky who fed information to the U.S in the 1960's and met an unceremonious end heaved by thugs into the furnace of a steel mill.

Change scene to a darkened interrogation room where a now older Kuklinski is telling his story, we know not to whom or to what end. From here his life as a spy unfolds in flashbacks. Like his father, Kuklinski was a proud Polish military lifer. His prodigious output led to his swift rise in the ranks, praise from Soviet and Polish superiors, and involvement in top secret military planning. It is safe to assume Kuklinski resented Poland's subjugation by the Soviets. But the escalation of Soviet Cold War activity that could put Poland at the center of a future conflict, began to worry him. One spectacular project he was assigned in 1968 was to develop a set of complex military exercises to be staged in East Germany to distract attention from Soviet skirmishes with China.

His output (above, his presentation to Soviet generals) coincidentally replicated secret Soviet plans already formulated for war against NATO. The Soviets thought he was a genius, but Kuklinski now knew that Poland was the intended battering ram against the West. Poland was to be the Soviet invasion route, and Soviet aggression could turn his nation into a nuclear wasteland when the West hit back.

Kuklinski's tipping point coincided with world-wide student and worker protests against the Vietnam war and in favor of civil and worker rights. In 1970 Gdansk, 3000 Solidarity shipyard workers were fired upon by virtually the entire Polish army. Kuklinski's comrade admitted he cried but he fired -- they all fired on their own Polish workers. "We aren't Poles now, our souls have ugly Soviet faces." Around then, Kuklinski contacted the American Embassy in Bonn, offering to pass Soviet planning documents to the West.

Taking no money, he left messages for a US embassy diplomat hidden in a rock wall and progressed to texting on a CIA prototype of a cell device, reducing the danger of cruder contact methods. Still, from 1972 to 1981 his daily life was furtive and fraught until the KGB finally closed in on him after knowing for years they had a leak in their top ranks.

Many Russian and Polish players in Kuklinski's world are reminiscent of the jowly, Trumpish, table-pounding blowhards from the Soviet era, although for relief, American CIA handler, David Forden, is played by the always competent and attractive Patrick Wilson (below, left). For those of us who were alive during the Cold War, this film is a sharp memory jolt.

Kulkinski's home life was as stressful as work -- family conflict resulted from his silence and his mental and physical absence. His wife (played by Maja Ostaszewska (see her in second picture from top and below) suspected him of having an affair and one rebellious son was furious with his father's presumed Communist loyalties.

The years post-1981 are only touched on. For the whole story, a more traditional bio-pic is warranted for this hero. We know from the record that even now some Poles think Kuklinski was a traitor not a patriot. He was sentenced to death in absentia by old regime carry-overs -- understandable -- but even freely-elected labor leader Lech Walesa refused a full pardon. It took President Bill Clinton to make Kuklinski's pardon a condition of Poland's admission to NATO. The bio-pic maker of Kuklinski's life-in-full will have plenty of subject matter on the thankless plight of a moral man who becomes a spy (the ID card of the real Kuklinski, below).

Many accounts of Rhszard Kuklinski's life exist on line. Some describe advocacy for him by several presidents including President Jimmy Carter and his National Security Advisor, Zbignew Brzezinski (shown below, right, together with the man who plays him, Krzysztof Pieczynski). It was Brzezinski who coined the phrase 'the first Polish officer in NATO' which became a rallying cry for Kuklinski's exoneration at home. We owe Klukinski as much admiration here as any of our own war heroes, yet he's virtually unknown.

Note One: Zbigniew Brzezinski, in his late 80's today, is one figure still active in foreign policy today who factored greatly in the Jack Strong case. He is a professor at John's Hopkins, a scholar at the Center for Strategy and International Studies, on various boards and councils, and a regular commentator on news programs, including 'Morning Joe' on MSNBC anchored by his daughter Mika Brzezinski.

Note Two: Click here for article from a Wesleyan University magazine about CIA Agent David Forden (Wesleyan '52) and his adventure with Kuklinski. It amplifies the movie plot and answers questions on a number of points.

The above post was written by our 

monthly correspondent, Lee Liberman.