Yuri Nosenko: Double Agent DVD Review:

Originally released as a british television movie on BBC in 1986, Yuri Nosenko, KGB (or Double Agent, as it has been renamed) is an intelligent
political thriller starring Tommy Lee Jones.

The movie is based on the book, which
was based on true events. The opening of the film informs the viewer of this fact as well as the fact that some details may have been added. If anything
was added it would be hard to tell with the way the story is told.

Yuri Nosenko is said to be a riviting thriller, but don't expect it to get much more heated than the occasional yelling. That known, this film may be
much more enjoyable. Yuri Nosenko was an ex-KGB agent who was held and interrogated by the CIA about the possibility that the KGB may have been involved in the assassination of John F. Kennedy. Steve Daley (Tommy Lee Jones) is the CIA agent who has been assigned to obtain the information from Yuri.

The only problem is that even when Yuri is caught in a lie, he still refuses to break. We see the damaging affect that the case has on Daley, first when he gets too close to Yuri, and then when he fails to obtain any consistent information from him. There is a also a slight glimpse of Daley's
relationship with his family, and how the case eventually even creeps into it.

Double Agent is not an incredibly exciting film, and it definetely isn't filled with action, but there is a certain amount of intelligent entertainment in it, especially for history buffs. Tommy Lee Jones shows us why he is a movie star, even in a T.V. movie, with a screen presence which makes even the slower scenes slightly more exciting. It may not be very exciting, but there are definately worse films on DVD. At least with Yuri Nosenko there is something to be learned.


There really are two stories in the film. One is the struggle of Daley as he tries desperately to complete the job which is ruining his career. The other story is of Yuri's struggle under confinement and emotional torture for many years. Don't expect to have a great surprise ending that makes the film worthwhile. If you aren't interested halfway through, chances are you will be dissapointed if you stick it out until the end. It may be too slow or too
inteligent for some tastes, but if the viewer goes into it knowing that, they might end up very glad they watched it.

Since Double Agent was aired on television nearly twenty years ago, it is surprising how well the DVD actaully looks. If one didn't know any better,
they might think that it is intentional since the film has almost a newsreel look to it. In fact, many scenes in the film are actual news clips, and they
blend well with the slightly worn look of the film. The one area that the film does seem to be lacking in though, is extras. It would have been nice
if they had included a documentary about Yuri Nosenko, to fill us in on what really did happen. Although it must be difficult to accumulate extras for a T.V. movie that came out long before the invention of digital entertainment, a film like this would go well with more than just the film, especially considering the main audience will be watching it because of the historical
aspects. Unfortunately though, the DVD is basically bare, aside from the actual film. The only positive aspect of the release onto DVD is the sustained life, and good quality of the picture and sound.

Ryan Izay

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