No Way Out

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Plot

No Way Out is told in flashback as Naval officer Tom Farrell (Kevin Costner) is grilled by his superiors regarding a recent "unpleasantness." While at a Washington party, Tom meets Susan Atwel (Sean Young), and they're soon sharing a steamy love scene in the back of a limo (marvelously parodied in 1993's Hot Shots! Part Deux). Several months pass before Tom meets Susan again; he discovers she's the mistress of the US Secretary of Defense David Brice (Gene Hackman). When Susan is murdered by Brice, his loyal aide (Will Patton) dutifully destroys the evidence and invents the fallacious theory that a KGB mole was responsible. Tom is assigned to locate that mole -- a perilous situation, since Tom knows that no such mole exists, but must go along with the charade since he was the last person who was seen with Susan. ~ Hal Erickson, Rovi

Review

This suspense thriller lulls the viewer into a deceptive slumber for its first half but when the plot thickens it jumps to life and plays reasoanbly well. Despite mid-80s cut-rate production values, the plot is tightly woven and makes for pretty good suspense. Set in Washington, D.C., the world's conspiracy capital, this Kevin Costner vehicle relies heavily on political intrigue and a phony spy hunt, but its import is compromised by a contrived and '80s time-locked plot, a suspect cast, and dialogue that is just plain laughable in places. Costner's performance is characteristically bland and Sean Young is typically flighty, but Gene Hackman pulls off a solid supporting role. The film is almost completely devoid of subtext save a few Big Brother references. However, it benefits from a stellar build-up in suspense that nicely shatters any sense of pristine complacency, as well as the use of classic tilted framing technique just prior to the climactic scene. Additionally, Roger Donaldson's understated direction does make for a couple of very memorable scenes. Certainly, there are better films within the suspense genre but this one quite possibly paved the way for the John Grisham screen adaptations of the early-to-mid-90s and helped propel Kevin Costner into super-stardom. ~ Mike DiBella, Rovi

Cast

George Dzundza - Dr. Sam Hesselman, Computer Dept. H; Iman - Nina Beka; Fred Dalton Thompson - Marshall, CIA Director; Leon Russom - Kevin O'Brien, CIA Official; Dennis Burkley - Mate; Marshall Bell - Contra; Michaél Shillo - Schiller; Nicholas Worth - Cup Breaker; Leo Geter - Ensign Fox; Matthew Barry - Bellboy; Jason Bernard - Maj. Donovan; Terence Cooper - N.Z. Ambassador; Chris D - Contra; Secretary of Defense; Edith Fields - Lorraine, Secretary to the Secretary of Defe; Scott Freeman - M.P.; Eugene Robert Glazer - C.I.D. Man; Darryl Henriques - C.I.D. Man; John Hostetter - C.I.D. Man; Austin Kelly - Cab Driver; Robert Kerman - C.I.D. Man; Joan McMurtrey - Programmer; David Paymer - Technician; Charles Walker - Technician; Peter Bell - Seaman Dufor; Jay Arlen Jones - Marine Guard; Rob Sullivan - Marine Guard; Jill Clark - Maori Dancer; Frederick Allen - Enlisted Man; Stephen R. Asinas - Filipino Urchin; June Chandler - Margaret Brice; Michael Hungerford - C.I.D. Man; LeNoel - Gregory/Quartermaster; Noel Manchan - Computer Clerk; Gordon Needham - Limo Driver; Dorothy Parke - TV Reporter; Lee Shael - Band Singer; Jeffrey Sudzin - Man with Lighter; Tony Webster - Helmsman; John D'Aquino - Lt. John Chadway; Mathew Evans - J.O.D.; Charles Middleton - Airport Cop

Credit

Anthony Brockliss - Art Director, Glenn Neufeld - Associate Producer, Ilene Starger - Casting, Dallas Dornan - Costume Designer, Kathy O'Rear - Costume Designer, Roger Donaldson - Director, William Hoy - Editor, Neil Travis - Editor, Mace Neufeld - Executive Producer, Maurice Jarre - Composer (Music Score), Michael McDonald - Songwriter, Michael Hancock - Makeup, Kal Hawkins - Production Designer, Dennis Washington - Production Designer, John Alcott - Cinematographer, Alun Bollinger - Cinematographer, Mel Dellar - Production Manager, Robert Garland - Producer, Laura Ziskin - Producer, Julia Migenes - Singer, Henry Alberti - Set Designer, Bruce Gibeson - Set Designer, Richard McKenzie - Set Designer, Ken Durey - Special Effects, Terry Frazee - Special Effects, Jack Monroe - Special Effects, Jack D. Moore - Special Effects, Jack Solomon - Sound/Sound Designer, Michael Adams - Stunts, Peter Bell - Stunts, Steve Kelso - Stunts, Donna Evans - Stunts, Richard Diamond Farnsworth - Stunts, Peter Bell - Stunts Coordinator, Richard Diamond Farnsworth - Stunts Coordinator, Robert Garland - Screen Story, Robert Garland - Screenwriter, Gregory Goodell - Screenwriter, Kenneth Fearing - Book Author

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No Way Out (1987 film)

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No Way Out

Theatrical release poster
Directed by Roger Donaldson
Produced by Robert Garland
Laura Ziskin
Screenplay by Robert Garland
Based on The Big Clock by
Kenneth Fearing
Starring Kevin Costner
Gene Hackman
Sean Young
Music by Maurice Jarre
Cinematography John Alcott
Editing by William Hoy
Neil Travis
Distributed by Orion Pictures
Release date(s)
  • August 14, 1987 (1987-08-14)
Running time 114 minutes
Country United States
Language English
Russian
Budget $15 million
Box office $35,509,515

No Way Out is a 1987 thriller film about a U.S. Naval officer investigating a Washington, D.C. murder. It stars Kevin Costner, Gene Hackman and Sean Young. It is a remake of The Big Clock; both films are based on the novel by Kenneth Fearing.

Contents

Plot

At a ball, U.S. Navy Lieutenant Commander Tom Farrell meets a young woman, Susan Atwell, and the two immediately begin an affair, although Atwell is involved with someone else. During his next Naval deployment, Farrell rescues a fellow sailor during a storm and becomes a hero. He is brought back to Washington to work at The Pentagon for Secretary of Defense David Brice on the recommendation of his General Counsel Scott Pritchard, an old friend of Farrell's. Brice, determined to cancel a boondoggle Navy project that has powerful political backing, decides that Farrell should act as his direct liaison to the CIA to gather information about whether the Soviets really are working on a similar project.

Soon after, Farrell finds out that the other man in Susan's life is Secretary Brice, who in turn learns of Susan's infidelity. While demanding the name of her new lover, Brice slaps Susan in a jealous rage, knocking her off an indoor balcony to her death. Ready to turn himself in, Brice is persuaded by Pritchard to cover up everything and blame it on someone else. They concoct a story that Susan's other lover was in fact a long-suspected but never confirmed KGB sleeper agent code-named "Yuri." In the aftermath, they focus all attention on an attempt to capture him.

Confident that "Yuri" doesn't exist, CIA director Marshall dismisses the possibility of Pritchard having an affair with Susan, saying that Pritchard is homosexual. Brice appoints Farrell to lead the investigation to find Susan's other lover, placing him in the position of attempting to find evidence that could implicate himself. The only forensic evidence in the case is a discarded Polaroid negative recovered from Susan's house, which requires lengthy computer processing to become visible. Farrell pleads with systems analyst and old friend Sam Hesselman to slow down the processing, and tells him about Susan and Brice. Meanwhile, Farrell sets about proving Brice was involved with Susan by searching computer files for evidence that Brice gave Susan a government-registered gift he had previously received from Morocco.

Pritchard harasses Nina Beka, a close friend of Susan's, by threatening deportation back to South Africa, then sends covert assassins to kill her, but Farrell rescues her just in time. A suspicious Sam goes to Pritchard with concerns about what Farrell told him. Realizing that Sam can implicate Brice, Pritchard shoots and kills him. Farrell obtains the printout before the picture implicating him becomes visible and presents it to Brice, who then shifts the blame to Pritchard, arguing that Pritchard was jealous of his relationship with Susan. A devastated Pritchard commits suicide and is falsely exposed as "Yuri" to the police by Brice, hoping to escape blame for Susan's death, and Farrell, who is finally able to leave the Pentagon free of suspicion.

As Farrell sits beside Susan's grave, two plainclothes men arrive and take him away for questioning. One of the interrogators is Farrell's landlord, who addresses Farrell in Russian. Farrell, who responds in kind, is in fact the real "Yuri", and his landlord is his KGB supervisor. Yuri/Farrell was planted in the U.S. as a teenager and became the KGB's "mole" in the Department of Defense. Aware of Brice's affair, the Russians assigned Farrell to seduce the Secretary of Defense's mistress and gather intelligence from her.

Although his handlers demand that he return to the Soviet Union, Farrell refuses and leaves as his handler quips, "He'll be back. Where else does he have to go?"

Cast

Production

In addition to the Orion Pictures Corporation studio, filming locations were Annapolis, Maryland; Arlington, Virginia; Baltimore, Maryland and Washington, D.C., as well as Auckland, New Zealand.

Music

The film features original music by Academy Award-winning composer Maurice Jarre.

Release

Box office

The film debuted at #2 at the box office after Stakeout. Other films in wide release at the time were The Fourth Protocol, Dirty Dancing, and Hamburger Hill.[1] The film's budget was an estimated $15 million dollars US; its total US gross was over $35 million US[2].

Critical reception

The film was very well received by critics and currently holds a 96% "Fresh" rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 28 reviews, albeit with an audience rating of only 66% (the proportion of RT users who rate the film 3.5 stars or higher). The consensus states: "Roger Donaldson's modern spin on the dense, stylish suspense films of the 1940s features fine work from Gene Hackman and Sean Young, as well as the career-making performance that made Kevin Costner a star".[3]

Roger Ebert called the film "truly labyrinthine and ingenious" and awarded the film 4 out of 4 stars.[4] Nevertheless, Richard Schickel of Time Magazine wrote, "Viewers who arrive at the movie five minutes late and leave five minutes early will avoid the setup and payoff for the preposterous twist that spoils this lively, intelligent remake of 1948's The Big Clock."[5] And Desson Thomson of the Washington Post wrote, "The film makes such good use of Washington and builds suspense so well that it transcends a plot bordering on ridiculous."[6] Gene Siskel, however, hated the movie, criticizing the performances as uninteresting.

References

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