Review of Spy

One of the most convoluted spy thrillers I've seen outside the plethora of hideously ridiculous dozens of 60's Bond/Matt Helm thrillers, this is a frustratingly messy cable movie that takes a ton of patience to get into. Bruce Greenwood wants out of the spying game, and that's not very easy. In fact, it seems that getting out of the mob is easier, and several people end up dead because of his desires. Along the way he befriends a rather pesky neighbor (Tim Choate) and is reunited with wife Catherine Hicks after he has plastic surgery. Choate is far too friendly so he becomes suspect immediately, trying to get Greenwood involved in teaching poor children about art, his new line of work. The twists and turns are curvier than Lombard Street in San Francisco, and it becomes very frustrating to try and remain involved. Action wise, it never stops, but the frustrating twists makes for a frustrating experience. Ned Beatty comes in out of nowhere, seemingly as a variation of the sinister character he played in "Network" as the new head of the CIA. I don't necessarily expect a by the numbers plot in a film like this, but I also don't expect to keep rewinding it or start over from the beginning to figure out what I missed.