Prior to Kevin Costner's rise to movie stardom in the films Bull Durham and Field Of Dreams, he played the lead role in the Pentagon suspense thriller No Way Out. With an all-star cast that includes Gene Hackman, Sean Young, and Will Patton, this is an often overlooked film that's 114 minutes of pure entertainment. Following in the footsteps of countless Cold War thrillers, No Way Out is similar to James Bond meets Jack Ryan. If you enjoy throwback films to the days of capitalism versus communism, you'll definitely enjoy this film. Wrought with suspense, No Way Out is one movie that keeps the viewing audience on its toes and never lets up When Lt. Cmdr. Tom Farrell (Kevin Costner) is assigned to a post in the Pentagon working directly for Secretary of Defense David Brice (Gene Hackman), he strikes up a relationship at a Washington social gathering with Susan Atwell (Sean Young). Leaving the party together, the two begin a secret love affair that encompasses weekend sailing trips and regular contact. But Farrell is aware that another man is in Atwell's life. What he doesn't know is that the other man is his boss, Secretary Brice. When Brice and Atwell get into an argument at her Georgetown apartment, it results in her falling from the top of the staircase to her death. Distraught and unable to think, Brice calls his top aide Scott Pritchard (Will Patton). Pritchard clears the crime scene of evidence linking the death to Brice, and convinces the Secretary to deny any involvement in the woman's death. As a scapegoat, Pritchard blames the woman's death on a KGB mole who he claims was trying to sleep with Atwell in order to get information about Secretary Brice's day-to-day affairs. Placing Farrell in charge of the investigation, a Polaroid negative is found underneath Atwell's bed - a photograph that, once developed, will reveal his relationship with Atwell. Pentagon computer imaging experts are placed in charge of recovering the picture, which bit-by-bit is restored to its original image with each passing minute. Fearful that he will be fingered as the KGB mole and pinned with a murder he did not commit, Farrell must race against the clock to find Atwell's true killer before the newly developed picture exposes him to the world Enlisting the aid of his friends, Farrell buys some extra time to investigate the case. But time runs out when Pritchard fingers him as the mole and the Pentagon security detail hems him in Can Farrell escape with his life? or will the true killer go free? Fast-paced, suspenseful, and exhibiting all the aspects of a classic Soviet-era spy game drama, No Way Out will have you poised on the edge of your seat. Featuring a surprise conclusion that will bring a smile to your face, this is a well-written screenplay performed flawlessly on screen. A war-era thriller that keeps the audience guessing until the end, No Way Out is a definite must-see film |
