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"The Assignment'' is a canny, tricky thriller that could serve as an illustration of what this week's similar release, "The Peacemaker,'' is not. Both films involve an international hunt for a dangerous terrorist, but "The Peacemaker'' is a cartoon and "The Assignment'' is intelligent and gripping--and it has a third act! Instead of an action orgy, it has more than enough story to see it through to the end and keep us absorbed the whole way. Yes, it ends with a deadly struggle, but as the setting for another stage of the movie's web of deceit.

The film is centered on a CIA plot to discredit and kill Carlos, the feared terrorist who operated for years, despite the best efforts of the free world's security agencies to capture him. Donald Sutherland plays Fields, the CIA agent for whom Carlos has become an obsession, and when he finds a U.S. Navy officer named Ramirez ( Aidan Quinn ) who's a dead-ringer for the terrorist, he devises a risky scheme: He'll train Ramirez to impersonate Carlos, then use the double to convince the KGB that their attack dog is disloyal. As a result, Carlos will either be dead or, almost as good, discredited in the eyes of his sponsors.

Fields works with an Israeli named Amos ( Ben Kingsley ) in training Ramirez, after first using psychological tactics to persuade the reluctant Navy man to leave his wife and family and become a counter-terrorist. (The scene where Fields shows Ramirez a dying child in a hospital is a direct echo of " The Third Man ".) Then the false Carlos, is sent into the field to work the deception, which I will not describe.

"The Assignment'' is fascinating because its characters can be believed, because there is at least a tiny nugget of truth in the story, and because from the deceptive opening credits, this is a film that creates the right world for these characters to inhabit. Sutherland's CIA man is especially well drawn: "I don't have any family,'' he says, "and I don't have any friends. The only people I've ever cared about were the ones I've killed.'' Quinn plays a dual role, as Ramirez and Carlos, and has some tricky scenes, especially one in which a former lover of Carlos helps train him sexually so that he will be a convincing bedmate for another of the terrorist's lovers.

The screenplay, by Dan Gordon and Sabi H. Shabtai , has action scenes that grow from the story and are not simply set pieces for their own sake. It's impressive the way so many different story threads come together all at once near the end.

The director, Christian Duguay , is new to me. What he has is a tactile love of film, of images. He and the cinematographer, David Franco, don't use locations so much as occupy them; we visit Jerusalem, Paris, Vienna, Washington, Tripoli and Moscow (or sets and effects that look like them) and yet the movie's not a travelogue but a story hurtling ahead.

I have seen so many lazy thrillers. They share the same characteristics: Most of the scenes involve the overpriced star, the villain is underwritten, and the plot is merely a set-up for the special effects, the chases and the final action climax. "The Assignment'' gives us ensemble work by fine actors, it has a villain of great complexity (developed through the process of imitating him), and at the end there is a tantalizing situation for us to unravel as we leave the theater.

Roger Ebert

Roger Ebert was the film critic of the Chicago Sun-Times from 1967 until his death in 2013. In 1975, he won the Pulitzer Prize for distinguished criticism.

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Film credits.

The Assignment (1997)

Rated R For Strong Violence, Sexuality and Language

115 minutes

Aidan Quinn as Annibal Ramirez/Carlos

Ben Kingsley as Amos

Claudia Ferri as Maura Ramirez

Celine Bonnier as Carla

Directed by

Christian Duguay
Sabi H. Shabtai

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Christian Duguay

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Jack Shaw has experienced the terror first-hand. He's a top CIA agent who's tracked international killer-for-hire Carlos "The Jackal" Sanchez for over twenty years and barely survived Carlos' devastating bombing of a Parisian cafe. Now, he finally gets a break when he discovers Carlos' dead ringer: American naval officer and dedicated family man Annibal Ramirez.

Christian Duguay

Sabi H. Shabtai

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Aidan Quinn

Annibal Ramirez / Carlos

Donald Sutherland

Jack Shaw / Henry Fields

Ben Kingsley

Claudia Ferri

Maura Ramirez

Céline Bonnier

Vlasta Vrana

KGB Head Officer

Liliana Głąbczyńska

Gregory Hlady

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Original Language English

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The Assignment (1997)

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The Assignment is a 1997 spy thriller film directed by Christian Duguay and starring Aidan Quinn in two roles, Donald Sutherland, and Ben Kingsley. The film, written by Dan Gordon and Sabi H. Shabtai, is set mostly in the late 1980s and deals with a CIA plan to use Quinn's character to masquerade as the Venezuelan terrorist Carlos the Jackal.

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#109 Best Canadian Movies of all time
"A film of real finesse, style and intelligence, an espionage thriller of the old school" Mick LaSalle : San Francisco Chronicle
"If you believe that Elvis still lives or that a millennial invasion of flying saucers is imminent, you might buy the bogus premise." Stephen Holden : The New York Times
"Intelligent and gripping. (...) Rating: ★★★½ (out of 4)" Roger Ebert : Chicago Sun-Times
"If there's a small saving grace to this crude thriller, it is the work of Montreal-born director Christian Duguay, who shows flashes of real flare." Liam Lacey : The Globe and Mail

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Jack Shaw (Donald Sutherland) has experienced the terror first-hand. He's a top CIA agent who's tracked international killer-for-hire Carlos "The Jackal" Sanchez for over twenty years and barely survived Carlos' devastating bombing of a Parisian cafe. Now, he finally gets a break when he discovers Carlos' dead ringer: American naval officer and dedicated family man Annibal Ramirez (Aidan Quinn). With the aid of his Israeli Intelligence counterpart, Amos (Ben Kingsley), Jack trains Annibal to impersonate Carlos through a series of harrowing physical and psychological exercises and draw the real killer out of hiding and into an elaborate trap.

The Assignment (1997)

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Production Management

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Second Unit Director or Assistant Director

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Art Department

	...	carpenter
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Sound Department

	...	re-recording mixer
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Special Effects by

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Visual Effects by

	...	computer graphics producer: Buzz F/X
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Stunts

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Camera and Electrical Department

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Animation Department

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character concepts: "Carlos" and "Ramirez"

Costume and Wardrobe Department

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Editorial Department

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editing consultant

Location Management

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Music Department

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Script and Continuity Department

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continuity

Additional Crew

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	...	particle effects: Groupe Image Buzz
	...	weapons handler: Montreal
	...	assistant to executive producer (uncredited)

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Rotten Tomatoes® Score

In its low-rent way, it aims for every frisson, reversal and shock-tactic -- and mostly succeeds.

Like for most action pics, character development is the first casualty.

Stylish spy flick with a surprisingly good cast.

A non-formula spy thriller without the glitz and romanticism usually associated with this genre.

If there's a small saving grace to this crude thriller, it is the work of Montreal-born director Christian Duguay, who shows flashes of real flare.

The plot raises the keenly important question of whether professionals who fight evil may be corrupted by the ruthless means they employ; but the movie takes too much pleasure in sensationalistic digressions to explore this issue very thoroughly.

Quinn is excellent in the dual roles of Jackal and Ramirez.

Additional Info

Genre : Thriller, Action
Release Date : September 26, 1997
Languages : English
Captions : English, Spanish
Audio Format : 5.1

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The Assignment

With action set in the U.S., Canada, France, Libya and Israel, "The Assignment" has the makings of a vintage international spy thriller, but the story of American and Israeli agents trying to entrap notorious real-life terrorist Carlos (The Jackal) Sanchez comes off disappointingly flat. As usual, Montreal helmer Christian Duguay delivers all kinds of eye-catching visuals and crackerjack suspense sequences.

By Brendan Kelly

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With action set in the U.S., Canada, France, Libya and Israel, “The Assignment” has the makings of a vintage international spy thriller, but the story of American and Israeli agents trying to entrap notorious real-life terrorist Carlos (The Jackal) Sanchez comes off disappointingly flat. As usual, Montreal helmer Christian Duguay delivers all kinds of eye-catching visuals and crackerjack suspense sequences. But the less-than-inspired script takes way too long to get into high gear and simply doesn’t dispense the requisite amount of thrilling moments. The film remains a reasonably entertaining suspenser, but it will be a challenge for Triumph to attract a substantial audience given pic’s lack of marquee star power and the crowded action marketplace. B.O. will likely be better overseas and in the video market.

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The evil Jackal is first introduced in a flashback to early 1970s Paris, where the longhaired killer Carlos (Aidan Quinn) is shown tossing a grenade into a crowded cafe. CIA operative Jack Shaw (Donald Sutherland) just happens to be sitting outside the exploding coffee shop and, after seeing the effects of Carlos’ nasty handiwork, Shaw vows to hunt down and destroy the terrorist any way he can.

Globetrotting tale then jumps forward 15 years to mid-’80s Jerusalem, where squeaky-clean U.S. naval officer Annibal Ramirez (also Quinn) is on vacation. He is picked up and interrogated by Israeli intelligence agents after Mossad commander Amos (Ben Kingsley) becomes convinced that Ramirez is, in fact, the dreaded Carlos. It appears that the upstanding naval veteran and the murdering terrorist look remarkably similar.

The mix-up is eventually ironed out, and Ramirez heads back home to Norfolk, Va. In the meantime, Shaw has somehow heard about this guy who is practically the identical twin of his arch-nemesis, and he heads to Ramirez’s home to convince the naval officer to impersonate Carlos in an elaborate scheme to reel in the Jackal. Thanks to some heavy-duty strong-arming from Shaw, the initially reluctant Ramirez gives in and accepts the risky assignment.

Then it’s off to Montreal for some rigorous, downright strange training overseen by Shaw and Amos, with Ramirez learning to dodge oncoming snowmobiles, shooting blanks at people, eating dozens of bowls of porridge each day and ingesting hallucinatory drugs. The far-fetched plan is to make the KGB, which is sheltering Carlos in Libya, believe that Carlos is about to switch sides and go over to the CIA. Once they discover this, the Russians will presumably bump off Carlos themselves.

Ramirez meets an old g.f. of Carlos’, Carla (Celine Bonnier), and Shaw and Amos force him to have sex with the sultry woman just so he’ll pick up a few tips about Carlos’ macho style in the sack. After that, he is ready to hook up with another old Carlos g.f., Agnieska (Liliana Komorowska), in a crucial part of the sting.

A key problem here is the length of time it takes for story to reach optimum cruising speed. After nearly an hour, Ramirez is still in training at a dilapidated penitentiary and has not even hit the road to try to draw Carlos from his lair. Duguay, who showcased a sure hand with energetic thrills ‘n’ spills in his previous feature, “Screamers,” once again shows he is a fine action helmer, with various high-adrenaline chase and shootout sequences. But the tale is simply not strong enough to perk up interest, and scripters Dan Gordon and Sabi H. Shabtai have not provided enough character development to compensate for the lackluster pacing.

Quinn is the best of the leads, giving some much-needed depth to his portrayal of the goody-two-shoes career naval officer who discovers his own dark demons while impersonating Carlos. Sutherland hardly breathes any life into his role, and Kingsley is equally uninspired.

Duguay, a former cinematographer, and lenser David Franco give the pic a great look and know exactly how to shoot the fast-paced action scenes. All other tech credits are first-rate.

Production: A Triumph Films release of an Allegro Films production, with the participation of the Quebec and the Canadian governments. (International sales: Columbia TriStar, Culver City.) Produced by Tom Berry, Franco Battista. Executive producers, David Saunders, Joseph Newton Cohen. Co-producer, Stefan Wodoslawsky. Directed by Christian Duguay. Screenplay, Dan Gordon, Sabi H. Shabtai.
Crew: Camera (color), David Franco; editor, Yves Langlois; music, Normand Corbeil; production design, Michael Joy; art direction, James Fox; costumes, Ada Levin; digital effects, Richard Ostiguy; sound, Thierry Morlaas-Lurbe; assistant director, David McLeod; casting, Mary Margiotta, Karen Margiotta, Lucie Robitaille. Reviewed at Toronto Film Festival (Gala), Sept. 9, 1997. MPAA Rating: R. Running time: 115 MIN.
With: Annibal Ramirez/Carlos - Aidan Quinn Jack Shaw/Henry Fields - Donald Sutherland Amos - Ben Kingsley Maura Ramirez - Claudia Ferri Carla - Celine Bonnier KGB Head Officer - Vlasta Vrana Agnieska - Liliana Komorowska With: Von Flores, Al Waxman, Mitchell David Rothpan, Gregory Hlady, Gabriel Marian Oseciuc, Frederic Desager, Kliment Denchev, Yonathan Gordon, Ndiouga Sarr, Manuel Aranguiz, Leni Parker.

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Watch The Assignment

1 hr 59 min
6.8 (9,913)

The Assignment from 1997 is a thrilling crime movie directed by Christian Duguay. The movie stars Aidan Quinn, Donald Sutherland, and Ben Kingsley, who deliver strong performances throughout the film. The film opens with a scene of an international terrorist group led by a notorious criminal, Carlos "The Jackal" Sanchez. He is pursued by an American agent, Anna Lewis (Aidan Quinn), who has been assigned to catch him by any means necessary. However, things take an unexpected turn when Lewis is captured by Carlos and subjected to a controversial experiment that will change her life forever.

Carlos and his team of scientists have devised a plan to turn Lewis into a man. They surgically alter her body to make her more masculine and then give her hormones to alter her voice and body hair. They also give her a new identity as a man, Frank Kitchen. The idea is that Frank Kitchen will infiltrate the American government and spy on their activities.

However, things don't go according to plan. Once Frank Kitchen is created, he becomes the target of a group of people seeking revenge on him for past transgressions. These people take advantage of Frank's new identity to try and kill him, and he finds himself on the run from both his own government and those seeking his death.

The story becomes even more complex when both Carlos and Lewis's employer, Dr. Rachel Jane (Donald Sutherland), begin to question their own motives and the morality of their actions. As the film progresses, the audience is left to wonder who will succeed in the end and what the ultimate outcome will be for Frank Kitchen.

The Assignment explores themes of identity, gender, and morality in a way that was groundbreaking for the time of its release. The film is thought-provoking and full of intense, action-packed moments that keep the audience on the edge of their seats.

One of the film's strengths is its excellent cast. Aidan Quinn delivers a superb performance as both Anna Lewis and Frank Kitchen. He manages to convey the complexity of the character's journey and brings both authenticity and depth to the role. Ben Kingsley is also impressive as Carlos "The Jackal" Sanchez, bringing a sense of danger and intrigue to the character that is compelling to watch. Donald Sutherland delivers as always, bringing his acting chops to the table as the conflicted Dr. Rachel Jane.

Another aspect of the film that stands out is its cinematography. The film is shot in a way that emphasizes the grit and violence of the story, with dark and shadowy visuals that add to the film's overall tone of danger and intrigue.

Overall, The Assignment is an intense and thought-provoking film that is well worth watching. Its exploration of complex themes and the excellent performances by its talented cast make it a standout in the genre.

The Assignment is a 1997 thriller with a runtime of 1 hour and 59 minutes. It has received mostly positive reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 6.8.

Genres Thriller Action Crime
Cast Aidan Quinn Donald Sutherland Ben Kingsley
Director Christian Duguay
Release Date 1997
MPAA Rating R
Runtime 1 hr 59 min
Language English
IMDB Rating 6.8 (9,913)

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The Assignment (1997)
The Assignment
The Assignment (1997)
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COMMENTS

The Assignment (1997 film)
The Assignment is a 1997 spy action thriller film directed by Christian Duguay and starring Aidan Quinn (in two roles), with Donald Sutherland and Ben Kingsley.The film, written by Dan Gordon and Sabi H. Shabtai, is set mostly in the late 1980s and deals with a CIA plan to use Quinn's character to masquerade as the Venezuelan terrorist Carlos the Jackal.
The Assignment (1997)
The Assignment: Directed by Christian Duguay. With Aidan Quinn, Donald Sutherland, Ben Kingsley, Claudia Ferri. An American naval officer is recruited for an operation to eliminate his lookalike, the infamous terrorist Carlos The Jackal.
The Assignment movie review & film summary (1997)
The Assignment. "The Assignment'' is a canny, tricky thriller that could serve as an illustration of what this week's similar release, "The Peacemaker,'' is not. Both films involve an international hunt for a dangerous terrorist, but "The Peacemaker'' is a cartoon and "The Assignment'' is intelligent and gripping--and it has a third act!
The Assignment
The Assignment (1997) The Assignment (1997) The Assignment (1997) The Assignment (1997) View more photos Movie Info. Synopsis Annibal Ramirez (Aidan Quinn) is an American naval officer who looks ...
The Assignment (1997)
An American naval officer is recruited for an operation to eliminate his lookalike, the infamous terrorist Carlos The Jackal. 1986. In his civilian clothes while on shore leave in Jerusalem, Lieutenant Commander Annibal Ramirez of the US Navy is captured and interrogated by who he eventually learns is Mossad in a case of mistaken identity.
The Assignment (1997)
Visit the movie page for 'The Assignment' on Moviefone. Discover the movie's synopsis, cast details and release date. ... Theatrical Release: September 28th, 1997. On DVD & Blu-ray: March 17th ...
The Assignment (1997)
The Assignment (1997) R 09/28/1997 (US) Thriller, Action, Crime 1h 59m User Score. What's your Vibe? Login to use TMDB's new rating system. ... Can't find a movie or TV show? Login to create it. Login. Sign Up. Global. s focus the search bar. p open profile menu. esc close an open window? open keyboard shortcut window.
The Assignment (1997)
The Assignment is a 1997 spy thriller film directed by Christian Duguay and starring Aidan Quinn in two roles, Donald Sutherland, and Ben Kingsley. The film, written by Dan Gordon and Sabi H. Shabtai, is set mostly in the late 1980s and deals with a CIA plan to use Quinn's character to masquerade as the Venezuelan terrorist Carlos the Jackal.
The Assignment (1997)
The Assignment is a film directed by Christian Duguay with Aidan Quinn, Ben Kingsley, Donald Sutherland, Claudia Ferri .... Year: 1997. Original title: The Assignment. Synopsis: An American naval officer is recruited by the government to impersonate the most vicious and cold-blooded terrorist there is in order to catch him. But are things really what they seem to be?You can watch The ...
The Assignment (1997)
One of the best movies I've ever seen. They got the terrorist and the one that didn't kill the spider was the navy guy. THIS IS A TRUE STORY.
The Assignment (1997 film)
The Assignment is a 1997 spy action thriller film directed by Christian Duguay and starring Aidan Quinn, with Donald Sutherland and Ben Kingsley. The film, written by Dan Gordon and Sabi H. Shabtai, is set mostly in the late 1980s and deals with a CIA plan to use Quinn's character to masquerade as the Venezuelan terrorist Carlos the Jackal.
THE ASSIGNMENT
Jack Shaw (Donald Sutherland) has experienced the terror first-hand. He's a top CIA agent who's tracked international killer-for-hire Carlos "The Jackal" Sanchez for ...
The Assignment (1997)
The Assignment (1997) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. Menu. Movies. Release Calendar Top 250 Movies Most Popular Movies Browse Movies by Genre Top Box Office Showtimes & Tickets Movie News India Movie Spotlight. TV Shows. What's on TV & Streaming Top 250 TV Shows Most Popular TV Shows Browse TV ...
The Assignment
The plot raises the keenly important question of whether professionals who fight evil may be corrupted by the ruthless means they employ; but the movie takes too much pleasure in sensationalistic digressions to explore this issue very thoroughly.
Watch The Assignment
The Assignment. An American naval officer is recruited for an operation to eliminate his lookalike, the infamous terrorist Carlos The Jackal. 267 IMDb 6.8 1 h 58 min 1997. X-Ray R ... Find Movie Box Office Data: Goodreads Book reviews & recommendations : IMDb Movies, TV & Celebrities: IMDbPro
The Assignment
The Assignment With action set in the U.S., Canada, France, Libya and Israel, "The Assignment" has the makings of a vintage international spy thriller, but the story of American and Israeli agents ...
The Assignment (1997)
Jack Shaw (Donald Sutherland) has experienced the terror first-hand. He's a top CIA agent who's tracked international killer-for-hire Carlos "The Jackal" San...
The Assignment (1997)
1h 55m. Synopsis. Cuban-American navel officer Annibal Ramirez is a dead ringer for Carlos "The Jackal" Sanchez. His features are so close to those of Sanchez that he is brutally interrogated as a terrorist while on vacation in Israel. American counter-intellegence agent Jack Shaw and his Israeli counterpart Amos realize they can use Ramirez as ...
The Assignment Trailer 1997
The Assignment Trailer 1997Director: Christian DuguayStarring: Aidan Quinn, Ben Kingsley, Donald Sutherland, Claudia Ferri, Celine Bonnier, Liliana Komorowsk...
Watch The Assignment Online
Watch The Assignment. R. 1997. 1 hr 59 min. 6.8 (9,913) The Assignment from 1997 is a thrilling crime movie directed by Christian Duguay. The movie stars Aidan Quinn, Donald Sutherland, and Ben Kingsley, who deliver strong performances throughout the film. The film opens with a scene of an international terrorist group led by a notorious ...
The Assignment
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