The Assignment Movie Review 1997

Workmanlike thriller is a case of deadly impersonation. Infamous terrorist Carlos the Jackal (Quinn) is shown plying his trade in Europe under the nose of CIA counterterrorism expert Jack Shaw (Sutherland). Later, in Israel, Mossad agent Amos (Kinglsey) captures a man whom he thinks is Carlos, only it's his double--U.S. Navy officer Annibal Ramirez (Quinn again). So Shaw and Amos decide to turn the seaman into the terrorist, in an elaborate plot to have Carlos' Russian handlers think the terrorist has betrayed them. There's a very long setup for a somewhat lame payoff.

Distribution

Sony Pictures Home Video, Sony Pictures Plz., 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232, Phone: (310)244-7306, Fax: (310)280-2485, URL: http://www.spe.sony.com, Remarks: Formerly Columbia Tristar Home Entertainment

Available on VHS, DVD
Running time 115 minutes.
Originally from Canadian.

Cast and Crew

Genres

Mistaken Identity, Terrorism, Paris, Berlin, Middle East, Period Piece: 1980s, CIA/NSA

Screenplay

Don Gordon, Sabi H. Shabtai

Cast

Aidan Quinn, Donald Sutherland, Ben Kingsley, Liliana Komorowska, Claudia Ferri, Celine Bonnier, Vlasta Vrana, Von Flores, Al Waxman

Cinematography

David Franco

Director

Christian Duguay

Music

Normand Corbeil

Producer

Tom Berry, Franco Battista, David Saunders, Allegro Films, Triumph Films