"Oh joy, another paranoid Cold War espionage thriller...". That is probably also what Sam Peckinpah must have thought, even though he likes the genre, and thus for his last film he sought a story with a twist and found it in Robert Ludlum's novel. Ludlum is mostly known for his Jason Bourne books, but he also wrote the few lesser famous conspiracy thrillers "The Holcroft Covenant" and "The Osterman Weekend". On paper, this sounds like an intriguingly convoluted and action-packed action/thriller, but - honestly - it's a mess, and not a good movie at all.
The influential political TV talk show host John Tanner gets approached by the CIA to help expose three of his lifelong friends as KGB informants during their annual get-together weekend. Tanner receives guidance from the trained but sly and mysterious agent Fassett and a house full of hi-tech espionage material, like cameras and microphones everywhere, but the weekend is full of twists and surprises.
The ensemble cast is impressive, with primarily non-regular Peckinpah actors that nevertheless perfectly fit into the director's brute & macho universe, like the awesome Rutger Hauer and the even more awesome Dennis Hopper. And the film also features a true milestone in the repertoire of Sam Peckinpah, namely a strong female character! Meg Foster is finally a heroine with balls, instead of a weak and docile wife. She and crossbow are the highlight of "The Osterman Weekend". Those are the good elements but, unfortunately, they cannot compensate for the far-fetched and implausible plot and the shortage of thrills and suspense.
The influential political TV talk show host John Tanner gets approached by the CIA to help expose three of his lifelong friends as KGB informants during their annual get-together weekend. Tanner receives guidance from the trained but sly and mysterious agent Fassett and a house full of hi-tech espionage material, like cameras and microphones everywhere, but the weekend is full of twists and surprises.
The ensemble cast is impressive, with primarily non-regular Peckinpah actors that nevertheless perfectly fit into the director's brute & macho universe, like the awesome Rutger Hauer and the even more awesome Dennis Hopper. And the film also features a true milestone in the repertoire of Sam Peckinpah, namely a strong female character! Meg Foster is finally a heroine with balls, instead of a weak and docile wife. She and crossbow are the highlight of "The Osterman Weekend". Those are the good elements but, unfortunately, they cannot compensate for the far-fetched and implausible plot and the shortage of thrills and suspense.