The Russia House

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The Russia House

R,

1990,

2h 3m,

Drama

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70%

20 Reviews

Tomatometer

49%

5,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

70%

Tomatometer

20 Reviews

49%

Popcornmeter

5,000+ Ratings

While visiting Moscow, British publisher Barley Blair learns of a manuscript detailing the Soviet Union's nuclear missile capabilities. British intelligence and the CIA consider the book to contain crucial information and recruit Blair to investigate its editor, Katya Orlova. As Blair learns the origin of the manuscript and discovers Russian military secrets, he falls in love with Katya and fights to protect her family.

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Roger Ebert

Chicago Sun-Times

Jan 1, 2000

2/4

To judge by this film, the life of a Cold War spy consists of sitting for endless hours in soundproof rooms with people you do not particularly like, waiting for something to happen. Sort of like being a movie critic.

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Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Feb 8, 2023

3/4

Connery and Pfeiffer are both excellent, but much of the film’s pleasure comes from watching the consummate pros filling out the roles of various bureaucrats

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Rene Jordan

El Nuevo Herald (Miami)

Nov 11, 2022

Visually spectacular, and very well acted. [Full review in Spanish]

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Alistair Lawrence

Common Sense Media

Jan 5, 2022

2/5

An unconvincing love story wrapped inside a spying drama that's as gray as a Moscow winter skyline, this John le Carré adaptation is slow, tedious, and instantly forgettable.

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Nicholas Bell

IONCINEMA.com

Sep 30, 2020

2/5

Compelling more so for capturing elements of a certain time and place rather than as a significant treatment of espionage or romantic intrigue, The Russia House fails to stir any real emotional development or excitement.

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Ellie Lucas

From the Front Row

Jun 5, 2019

3.5/4

Eschews the chase scenes and shoot-outs usually associated with espionage thrillers for dazzling wordplay, character-driven intrigue, and a strong emotional core,

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Hagrid G

Mar 17, 2019

There are some nice things about this movie--the scenery/location in Russia, the Jerry Goldsmith score, the deliberate, thoughtful pace of this "spy thriller", but the one thing that really stuck out like a sore thumb for me was how old Sean Connery was and how young Michelle Pfeiffer was. I don't know how old the characters are supposed to be in the novel, but I think Barley is supposed to be middle aged. To me, that would be around 50. And I could buy the female lead being 35. Or, if Barley is supposed to be 60, then I could buy the female lead being around 45. But seeing Connery and Pfeiffer together is just too jarring. It looks like a young girl and her grandpa.

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Hagrid W

Oct 12, 2017

Maintains a steady pace, but the fairly scattered plot details, the story not completely resolving or concluding, and personally needing to watch it 1 and a quarter times in order to understand the film, makes it overall weak but the main protagonists did a good job.

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Draco W

Feb 12, 2016

Intelligent story about intelligence. Heart warming. Pfeiffer is shy, determined and glowing, Connery affable but shrewd. Loved it. It's in my list of top ten movies--lifetime.

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Fred Schepisi

Director

Sean Connery

Barley

Michelle Pfeiffer

Katya

Roy Scheider

Russell

James Fox

Ned

John Mahoney

Brady

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Synopsis

While visiting Moscow, British publisher Barley Blair learns of a manuscript detailing the Soviet Union's nuclear missile capabilities. British intelligence and the CIA consider the book to contain crucial information and recruit Blair to investigate its editor, Katya Orlova. As Blair learns the origin of the manuscript and discovers Russian military secrets, he falls in love with Katya and fights to protect her family.

Director: Fred Schepisi
Producer: Paul Maslansky, Fred Schepisi
Screenwriter: Tom Stoppard
Production Co: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Pathé Entertainment
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 19, 1990, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 16, 2008
Box Office (Gross USA): $22.6M
Runtime: 2h 3m
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo

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