Terrific espionage flick

Rating: 8/10 (27 July 2006)

A team of secret agents working for an equally secret bureau are ambushed as they carry out an operation which would have exposed a double agent. Agent Ethan Hunt, who is blamed for the failure of the mission, learns soon that there is more at play than he initially thought and sets out to clear his name and uncover the truth.
Directed by Brian DePalma, who has many great thrillers on his resume, this is yet another good thriller. DePalma hasn't really ventured into espionage territory before, but here manages just that with dynamic efficiency. As most of his previous films it is all about atmosphere and suspense as a winding plot takes you down many surprising twists and turns. Tom Cruise, in the main role, is great and he manages to make the movie slick and cool with his ever likable on screen presence.
There are terrific set pieces including a break-in to an "impenetrable" vault of CIA information and, of course, the spectacular climatic sequence on top of a high-speed train.
The film cares much more about being cool (it stars Tom Cruise after all) rather than a truly convincing espionage story, like a John le Carre novel, but in this case that is just fine. 8/10
Rated PG-13 for violence