An expatriate British publisher unexpectedly finds himself working for British intelligence to investigate people in Russia.
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Title: The Russia House (1990)
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Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Sean Connery | ... | ||
| Michelle Pfeiffer | ... | ||
| Roy Scheider | ... | ||
| James Fox | ... |
Ned
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| John Mahoney | ... |
Brady
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| Michael Kitchen | ... |
Clive
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| J.T. Walsh | ... |
Quinn
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| Ken Russell | ... |
Walter
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| David Threlfall | ... |
Wicklow
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| Klaus Maria Brandauer | ... |
Dante
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Mac McDonald | ... |
Bob
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| Nicholas Woodeson | ... |
Niki Landau
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| Martin Clunes | ... |
Brock
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| Ian McNeice | ... |
Merrydew
(as Ian McNiece)
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| Colin Stinton | ... |
Henziger
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Edit
Plot Summary
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Add Synopsis
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Storyline
Three notebooks supposedly containing Russian military secrets are handed to a British publisher during a Russian book conference. The British secret service are naturally keen to learn if these notebooks are the genuine article. To this end, they enlist the help of the scruffy British publisher Barley Blair, who has plenty of experience with Russia and Russians. Barley, an unconventional character who doesn't respond well to authority, finds himself in a game more complex than he first thought when he digs into the origin of the notebooks. Written by Murray Chapman <[email protected]>
Plot Keywords:
notebook | russian | russia | british intelligence | political thriller |Taglines:
He took a chance because he had nothing to lose, she took a chance because she had everything to gain. See more »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
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Details
Country:
USARelease Date:
21 December 1990 (USA) See more »Also Known As:
Beit Russia See more »Box Office
Gross:
$22,998,000 (USA)Company Credits
Show detailed
company contact information
on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Dolby StereoColor:
Color (Technicolor)Aspect Ratio:
2.35 : 1
Edit
Dante: I am a moral outcast.
Barley: Well it's always nice to meet a writer.
See more »
Written by Fats Waller (as Thomas "Fats" Waller), Harry Brooks & Andy Razaf
Published by Bienstock Publishing Co. & Filmtrax
See more »
Did You Know?
Trivia
The film cast includes one Oscar winner: Sean Connery; and four Oscar nominees: Michelle Pfeiffer, Roy Scheider, Klaus Maria Brandauer, and Ken Russell. See more »Goofs
When Barley first meets Katya, they're in the big square and he tells her that 3 years ago he was nearly arrested in the same place for suspicion of being a spy. Katya asks "were you?", and Barley replies "of course not" .. He then goes on to explain "a soldier and his girl friend..." followed by a short pause during which Katya smiled satisfactorily, but then Barley continues to explain "..asked me to take a photo of them."! Katya should have waited until Barley finished the whole sentence before smiling (laughing) with satisfaction. See more »Quotes
Barley: Who are you, Dante? What do you do for a living?Dante: I am a moral outcast.
Barley: Well it's always nice to meet a writer.
See more »
Soundtracks
Ain't Misbehavin'Written by Fats Waller (as Thomas "Fats" Waller), Harry Brooks & Andy Razaf
Published by Bienstock Publishing Co. & Filmtrax
See more »
Admittedly, The Russia House may not be for all tastes, but I saw this when I was 15 when it came out in the theaters and I loved it then and I love it now.
If you go in expecting this to be a James Bond/Simon Templar/North By Northwest type movie, you'll be GRAVELY disappointed. Needless to say, the movie is dialogue driven and the performances are great. Sean Connery (my all-time favorite) gives a nice performance in a role that isn't typical Connery. Michelle Pfeiffer (my favorite actress) is equally excellent. I kept looking for her to flub her Russian accent, but she's on target from start to finish.
The supporting players: Roy Scheider, who I also love, is awesome. There's a lot of witty dialogue in this film, but Scheider has some of the film's most memorable ones. Ken Russell, the controversial director, has an equally memorable, witty role as "Walter". I own this movie, but between the time I saw it in the theaters and the time I bought it a year and half ago, Russell was one of the things about the movie that really stood out in my memory of the film. And of course, James Fox who's always great.
Not really a supporting player but it might as well be is the LOCATIONS. Wow, really breathtaking stuff. Fred Schepsi did a wondrous job with the locations, and the CAMERA. The cinematography and locations were first-rate. And if that wasn't enough, I was equally enthralled with the jazzy musical score. If it isn't already apparent, I love this movie, and I absolutely recommend it.
It has a nice blend of dialogue, plot, romance and humor. I reiterate: Not for all tastes given that many may find it slow, but definitely worth a look. Hope you all enjoy it as much as I did.