| No Way Out | | Cast : | Kevin Costner, Gene Hackman | | Director : | Roger Donaldson | | Studio : | Mgm/Ua Studios | | Format : | Color, Widescreen, Closed-captioned | | Released Date : | August 14, 1987 | | DVD Released Date : | June 05, 2001 | | Language : | Spanish (Dubbed), French (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled), English (Original Language), French (Original Language) | | Audience Rating : | R (Restricted) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | May 26, 2005 | | Summary | One of Costner's Few Achievements Worthy of Merit | Content
 | Roger Donaldson's 1987 film regarding the intrigues of the Department of Defense and the Pentagon starring Kevin Costner, Sean Young, and Gene Hackman.
Costner is a navy officer and C.I.A. operative who starts having a risky relationship with the mistress (Sean Young) of the Secretary of Defense (Gene Hackman.) When the Secretary of Defense accidentally kills her, Costner is made a scape goat to cover up the potential scandal: he's accused of being a KGB mole. The story then becomes a cat-and-mouse game between the U.S. Government and Costner on the run.
This is certainly one of Costner's better movies and the film carries the suspense quite well. Costner's limited acting talents are also complemented by those of Gene Hackman. This is a better movie to rent as it counts on mystery to carry the suspense which is resolved at the end of the film. |
| Rating | | | Date | April 20, 2005 | | Summary | A great Cold War spy thriller... | Content
| Prior to Kevin Costner's rise to movie stardom in 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...
The DVD Report |
| Rating | | | Date | April 09, 2005 | | Summary | Overlooked Gem of 1980s thrillers. | Content
| Much like 3 Days of the Condor (1976), No Way Out was a well done political thriller with some steamy sex scenes that were easily on par with some of the sex scenes around. It features everything you'd want from a good thriller, a good cast, incl. Kevin Costner & Gene Hackman, some good music, & some good acting moments that keep it an "on the edge of your seat" movie.
It starts out with Tom Farrell (Costner) explaining to some Russian moles what happened to him at the Pentagon. He says that he knew his mission was just to get some info, but the love affair with Susan Atwell (Young) was just a fling, roughly. Atwell & Farrell meet a military banquet honoring the top brass. They leave the party, get into a limo, & have some steamy sex that's beautifully done & expert camerawork as well.
David Brice (Hackman) & his right hand man Scott Pritchard (Patton) are discussing Farrell's feats in the Navy & decide to give him a cushy job in the Pentagon. After a late night get-together & a weekend trip Brice shows up, but Farrell leaves before Brice can see who it is, but Brice was standing in a streetlight. Brice suspects Susan of cheating & accidently kills her by slapping her so hard she falls through a coffee table.
Pritchard then after being told the details decides to come up with a mole called Yuri who killed her & knew about her. They send all of the available info on Susan's life prior to the murder down to a lab at the Pentagon to find out who it was. What they really find is a negative from a Polaroid that proves to be a vital clue for them. Slowly but assuredly Farrell finds out that all of the clues are pointing back to him so he has to wrap up his work there soon. He knows that the hotel's bellhop knows him, as well as the guy who lent him a boat, the picture she took of him, & phone calls she placed/received.
Farrell does a masterful job of evading the spotlight of suspicion all the time by doing things to avoid being in the same area as the search party. At the end, he suspects Pritchard of being the mole, he kills himself after an argument between Farrell & Brice. Brice doesn't know it but a jewel box could be what very well leads to his being nabbed as the killer of Susan Atwell. Farrell meets his Russian spies & decides to flee Washington, DC just as the movie winds up.
The story is really well done & shines in the movie. The camerawork is really good, as is the music, special effects, & the pacing, but the pacing is uneven at spots but generally well done. |
| Rating | | | Date | January 29, 2005 | | Summary | Murder in Washington | Content
| "No Way Out" stars Kevin Costner as Navy Commander Ferrel who is assigned as an aid to the Secretary of Defence Brice (Gene Hackman). Through a bizare coincidence, both end up dating a beautiful socialite (Sean Young). Then Brice accidently kills the girl, and immeadiatly covers it up by creating a Russian spy and say that he killed the girl. But by very wierd coincidence, all the evidence starts to implicate Ferrel. This is a very deep and thoughtful mystery, as well as one of the better, exiciting action thrillers. It has a lot to say about the curruption of power, and the blindness of love. I really do not want to give away too much, because it is a mystery and I don't want to give away the suprise ending that some people loved and some hated. I liked it, it was both out of left field and it seemed right. Just trust me on this, it is wonderful that really will leave you guessing right up until the end. |
| Rating | | | Date | August 29, 2004 | | Summary | Booby Prize | Content
| This movie gets my nomination for Worst Ending in Motion Picture History.
Too bad, because up to the end, this is a lively, well-paced suspense movie with even a few human elements. But not only are we cheated out of the good ending toward which the story was building, but we're hit with the most nauseating switch ending on record.
Either the filmmakers didn't show this movie to a real audience before releasing it or they didn't listen to their audience.
The high point is Sean Young whose lively, playful performance brightens the screen.
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