This is a throwback in many ways, some good, some not so good. The period is evoked very nicely with lots of detail. The acting is very effective. But the writing, both the plot and the dialog, seem to be stuck in an earlier period as well. Although the actors do their best to sell them, the characters aren't even remotely believable. Neither are the Soviet plots. It wants to be very cynical, but even in the 1960s, Len Deighton adaptations did that a whole lot better. At times, especially with the character Wendy, I thought it couldn't decide if it was a spoof or not. It did not help that I watched it immediately after finishing binging seasons 3 and 4 of the exceptional French spy series The Bureau.
Review of The Game
