Before The Winter Soldier, there was…The Snowman.

You have to wonder how many times this has been rented or streamed by mistake recently. Way, way back, in the bad old days of local video stores – even before the like of Blockbuster chain stores – THE FALCON & THE SNOWMAN is exactly what your mum would bring back after you asked her to rent you THE FALCON AND THE WINTER SOLDIER. And so, instead of bombastic Marvel badassery, you’d have ended up sitting through this introspective and quietly absorbing real-life cold war spy thriller. Based on a true story, it nevertheless feels like an Americanised version of the mundane matter-of-fact spycraft with which John le Carré occupied the life of George Smiley.

Christopher Boyce (Timothy Hutton), the son of a former FBI Special Agent, is working as a civilian defence contractor in the US Government’s ‘Black Vault’, a secure communications hub through which information on classified US activity around the world flows. As he grows increasingly disillusioned with America’s international duplicity, he receives a misrouted communiqué detailing a CIA plan to topple the Australian government and decides to punish the US Government by passing classified material to the Soviets. TO make the connection, he recruits his long-time friend Andrew Daulton Lee (Sean Penn), a small-time drug dealer and a bigger time drug user, nicknamed ‘The Snowman’, to contact and deal with the KGB.

THE FALCON & THE SNOWMAN is a fascinating story of conflicting motivations, differing ambitions and, ultimately, two foolish and naive young men getting themselves in way over their heads. Boyce – whose Falcon alias comes from his love of falconry – is, at heart, a political idealist, dismayed at what he’s sees as his own country’s dishonesty. By leaking the classified material, he’s seeking to redress an imbalance and, at least, thwart some of America’s shadier designs. Lee, on the other hand, has no pretensions of idealism. He’s in it for the thrill of sticking it to the man and, especially, the money which he sees as his ticket to a new life in Costa Rica, out of the extraditionary reach of the United States Of America.

Unfortunately, Lee’s greed, ambition and increasing drug use ensure the situation spirals out of control and while Boyce realises his mistake, it’s far too late and before long the US security services are on their tail and their increasingly frustrated KGB handlers are looking to ‘burn’ them.

It’s not a spy thriller in the conventional sense. There are no big action sequences, world-threatening stakes or glamourous globetrotting. Instead, director John Schlesinger focusses on the human drama inherent in one of the most curious cases of treason in US history. His focus is rewarded by two fine performances from Timothy Hutton and Sean Penn who manage to bring authenticity to their roles which neither downplays nor lionises the individuals involved. With a supporting cast that boasts the likes of David Suchet, Lori Singer and Richard Dysart, THE FALCON & THE SNOWMAN is a sober and serious look at a sober and serious subject.

the falcon & the snowman review
Score 7/10


Hi there! If you enjoyed this post, why not sign up to get new posts sent straight to your inbox?

Sign up to receive a weekly digest of The Craggus' latest posts.

We don’t spam! Read our privacy policy for more info.

logo

Related posts

WandaVision Episode 6

WandaVision Episode 6

"All-New Halloween Spooktacular!" Review The dizzying pace of WANDAVISION continues as we effectively skip the 1990s and crash into the 21st-century sitcom stylings of MALCOLM IN THE MIDDLE. ALL-NEW HALLOWEEN SPOOKTACULAR!’s credits boast a couple of surprises themselves, with a...

Skyfire (2020) Review

Skyfire (2020) Review

Skyfire blows its load disappointingly early SKYFIRE, the latest Chinese big-budget blockbuster to attempt to break out to mainstream Western success seems, initially, to have a lot going for it: a hybrid of JURASSIC WORLD and DANTE’S PEAK (with an opening scene lifted almost frame...

Loki Episode 1

Loki Episode 1

Glorious Purpose Review There’s a lot to take in, in the first episode of LOKI, Disney+’s latest Marvel Cinematic Universe offering. While leaning fully into the multiverse shenanigans of AVENGERS: ENDGAME, GLORIOUS PURPOSE nevertheless reaches all the way back to 2012’s AVENGERS...

Ocean’s 8 (2018) Review

Ocean’s 8 (2018) Review

Diamonds are a girl’s best friends’ best friend. Sisters are doing it for themselves, specifically Danny Ocean’s sister Debbie (Sandra Bullock), in "Ocean's 8", the affably slick but lightweight heist thriller, the fourth in the modern ‘Ocean’ series and the first not to be directed by...

Red Sparrow (2018) Review

Red Sparrow (2018) Review

Red Sparrow turns out to be little more than a lukewarm Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Psyche! Disney and Marvel can at least rest easy: “Red Sparrow” certainly isn’t the “Black Widow” solo movie by another name its marketing might have initially suggested. Instead, it’s something of a...

Aladdin (2019) Review

Aladdin (2019) Review

A fool off his guard could fall and fall hard for Disney’s surprisingly beguiling Aladdin. In terms of what you might be expecting, Disney’s live-action adaptation of their own animated take on Aladdin is much more than a diamond in the rough. Against the odds, and certainly...

Doctor Who: The Battle Of Ranskoor Av Kolos Review

Doctor Who: The Battle Of Ranskoor Av Kolos Review

The Battle Of Ranskoor Av Kolos proves that even newer villains can feel a bit long in the tooth Shirt watch: blue. Well, here we are: "The Battle Of Ranskoor Av Kolos", the season finale, the capstone to the 13th Doctor’s first set of adventures. Time to...

Atomic Shark (2016) Review

Atomic Shark (2016) Review

Atomic Shark is a real bomb There’s no denying the ambition of "Atomic Shark", a frankly barmy entry in the sharksploitation oeuvre, opening as it does with an ominous montage of underwater scenes intercut with Cold War newsreel footage and Robert Oppenheimer quotes. Yes, it's a...