The Secret Agent [Region 2] | ![The Secret Agent [Region 2]](http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51FC409C4HL._SL500_.jpg)
| Director: Christopher Hampton
Actors: Bob Hoskins, Patricia Arquette, Gerard Depardieu, Robin Williams, Jim Broadbent
Category: DVD
Buy Used: $22.21
Rating:  14 reviews
Sales Rank: 235801
Format: Pal
Languages: German (Subtitled), English (Subtitled), German (Original Language), English (Original Language)
Rating: R (Restricted)
Region: 2
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
EAN: 4038713006145
ASIN: B000053GY6
Theatrical Release Date: November 8, 1996
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews: Read 9 more reviews...
 not true to the heart of novel April 20, 2009
grumpy teacher (West Chicago, Illinois)
I purchased this video because I am teaching the novel and hoped to show the movie to my students. The reviews I read stated that the movie was true to the book. AAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGHH! The plot action was nearly identical and some dialogue was right out of the book, but the movie greatly distorted relationships among the characters, distorting the major focus of the book. The way the movie was filmed makes it impossible to fully understand the themes of the novel. I have warned my students against viewing the film.
 Alright September 22, 2008
ND Marchbank (Johannesburg,South Africa)
A nostalgic sleepy and literate period piece spy drama that periodically captures your attention when least expected. Not as stimulating as one could imagine but nevertheless credible.
Amazing Cast-Weak Movie April 1, 2006
L Gontzes (Athens, Greece)
11 out of 13 found this review helpful
Secret Agent was quite a disappointment, considering the makeup of the cast: Gerard Depardieu, Robin Williams, Bob Hoskins, Christian Bale, and Patricia Arquette among others.
The movie brings to the screen the story of an Englishman, living with his young wife and her retarded brother in the city of London. Things, however, are not as they seem in 19th Century London, with spies, double agents, anarchists and revolutionaries having a field day...
In short, the acting is surprisingly average (!), the setting is pretty good, while the dialogues and the plot are below average.
The movie has that Sherlock Holmes feel about it, but without the "magic," meaning that in the end you are left... numb, and wondering: "Was that it?"
As for the rating, it could have been PG-13.
Though the potential for a great movie was definitely there it fails to take off. A shame really...
An Underrated Film July 28, 2005
Robert H. Knox (Brentwood, NH United States)
5 out of 7 found this review helpful
Although this film has gotten some terrible reviews, it is well executed overall, and as faithful an adaptation of Conrad's story as you're likely to see. It is let down a bit by slow pacing and a very wooden performance by Patricia Arquette, but the rest of the cast is fine, especially an unbilled Robin Williams, who normally bothers me. I recommend THE SECRET AGENT mainly to those who are familiar with the original story, and those who enjoy British period melodrama. The DVD is of fine quality and played with no problems on my machine.
Good story, bad performances, terrible movie - UGH! June 30, 2005
Ryuukei (Edinburgh, Scotland, UK)
6 out of 8 found this review helpful
I love Joseph Conrad's novels, but the films are another thing. They virtually never work, and this is just about the worst ever. It's extremely rare and I don't know if it was ever even released in the UK. I know it never got as far as Scotland, for which we can thank Hadrian's Wall. The truth is, the Romans didn't build it, we did to keep films this bad out!
This was obviously a pet project for Bob Hoskins who produced it, but you'd not know it to look at him. He's terrible in the lead. No character, no soul, nothing. Well, he is funny a couple of times, eating his dinner with his hat on or his death scene, but I don't think it was intentional. But compared to the rest of the cast, Eddie Izzard hopeless as the Russian ambassador, Jim Broadbent doing his Only Fools and Horses bit as Inspector Heat, Chris Bale's baleful idiot brother, he almost looks good. But then with the lead going to Patricia Arquette, who wouldn't? She's been worse, but that still doesn't make her any good in this. Her Winnie Verloc is pitiful in all the wrong ways. Why do they hire her? The only consolations are the scenes with Gerard Depardieu and Robin Williams in the restaurant. They work and sum up some of the spirit of the novel even though the two are pretty dire in their scenes in the rest of the film.
The adaptation is faithful but dead. It tells the story but not the characters or the themes and the direction by scripter Christopher Hampton isn't very good either. Honestly, even if you like Conrad you couldn't care less about this one. Badly disappointing and then some.
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