The Osterman Weekend (1983)

“The truth is just a lie that hasn’t been found out. ” – Bernard Osterman

Number of Times Seen – 1 (16 Mar 2020)

Brief Synopsis – A a weekend getaway for a group of friends in thrust into danger when one of them finds out that the others are Russian agents and it’s his job to get them to defect.

My Take on it – This is a film that I recall hearing about years ago yet never had the opportunity to see what it was all about.

I knew that it was based on a Robert Ludlum novel and was about spies.

The premise itself is a very interesting one that was quite relevant during The Cold War.

Unfortunately, the way things are presented just doesn’t work and things feel a bit too complicated and confusing along the way.

The film has a great cast withe John Hurt, Burt Lancaster and Rutger Hauer in prominent roles.

Hauer stands out in the lead and does a wonderful job with what he is given.

The problem here is that the story is a bit too convoluted and probably works much better on paper than it does in its transition to the screen due to lack of ex[position in this kind of medium.

They fail to develop any of the characters more than superficially and that is also part of the issue.

They do have some nice twist and turns along the way that help make this a little easier to digest, but the constant feeling that something big is missing drags things down too much because it doesn’t manage to stay entertaining enough.

Bottom Line – Interesting premise that gets a bit too confusing along the way. The cast is great and Hauer is perfect in the lead role. The film is a bit too complicated for its own good and it didn’t survive the transition from page to screen very well. The characters aren’t developed well enough and that also hurts things a bit too much. There are some nice twists and turns along the way that make it more palatable but overall something is missing that would help make it even more enjoyable to watch.

MovieRob’s Favorite Trivia – Director Sam Peckinpah was in ill-health throughout the shoot. The long-term toll of his drug and alcohol abuse suggested to many in the production that he was dying. Peckinpah would go off and take opportune naps, but still completed and delivered his initial cut of this movie on time, despite sickness and exhaustion. (From IMDB)

Rating – BAFTA Worthy (5/10)