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(US) Directed by Christopher Hampton (Mary Reilly, Dangerous Liaisons) and based on the novel by Joseph Conrad.
Cast: Bob Hoskins, Patricia Arquette, Gérard Depardieu, Christian Bale, Robin Williams
Plot: (from VHS jacket) From the creators of Dangerous Liaisons comes this chilling tale of political intrigue and personal betrayal. A quiet English shopkeeper (Hoskins), who's actually a spy for the Russian embassy, faces an unexpected test of allegiance when he's ordered to plant a bomb that will wreak havoc on the British public.
(from imdb) London of the late 19th century is a haven for political exiles of all sorts - refugees, partisans, anarchists. Verloc (Hoskins) has made his living spying for the Russian government, an agent provocateur of sorts, while simultaneously providing information to the London police, specifically Chief Inspector Heat. When the new Russian ambassador demands he prove his worth or lose his salary, Verloc sets off a tragic chain of events that involves his pretty young wife Winnie (Arquette), her retarded brother Stevie (Bale), and a figure called the Professor (Williams), whose fascination with explosives and destruction makes him the person to call on when Verloc needs a bomb.
Depardieu Review: Depardieu plays Ossipon, a foreign anarchist. Despite the misleading prominence of his name and face on the box and in the trailer, he is wasted in this film. He appears briefly at the beginning and again at the end and his role is fairly vile and thankless. As for the film itself, it's historical backdrop of political anarchists in London is of little interest to us today, but this Conrad novel continues to have value almost solely for its story of Winnie (Arquette). It's one of those poignant classic tales that is worth remembering. She has married an older man, Verloc, in order to provide a safe home for her retarded brother, Stevie. Stevie is played quite nicely by Christian Bale and the love between brother and sister is palpable. Their tale is a tragic one and suffice to say here that all three characters are well written as neither complete villains or heroes. Oh, and the film is also worth catching for the cameo by Robin Williams who, unlike Depardieu, has quite a fascinating character to play in the film.
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