The Low Budget Spy
Russian scientist Boris Turganev (Stephen Murray) has defected from Russia and is now residing in Britain working at a Government lab. But his bosses are wary of Boris who is unable to convince them that he isn't a Russian spy. But things become complicated due to an office relationship which puts things in jeopardy.
The opening scenes of "Master Spy" focus on Boris's defection to Britain, a scene which takes place at an airport which could have been action packed, dramatic and tense but it is none of those things, just very dull. And that is the thing about "Master Spy" as it isn't an exciting movie but a dull one with dull characters, dull dialogue, dull sets and dull acting. Dull doesn't actually mean bad but it does mean devoid of excitement and that means that "Master Spy isn't going to be for everyone.
Now in fairness "Master Spy" gets one thing very right and that is that it doesn't make the storyline obvious. Yes you can guess that Boris is not the defector he initially makes himself out to be but you are not entirely sure what his purpose is. And at the same time you are not entirely sure where this is going to go and as such despite the dull look and dialogue you are still a little intrigued by this slowly unfolding drama.
The trouble is that "Master Spy" looks a low budget British movie made on the quick with actors who lack a certain marquee status. It means that the look does little to draw you in with a series of static camera shots involving people talking but not a lot else.
What this all boils down to is that "Master Spy" is certainly not a master movie and is in fact a dull movie due to its low budget feel. But for those who are interested in bygone British cinema it might hold some interest.
