The Catcher Was a Spy

Name: The Catcher Was a Spy
Genre: Biography, Drama, War
Released: June 22, 2018
Duration: 98 min
Rating: 49
Cast: Connie Nielsen, Giancarlo Giannini, Guy Pearce, Hélène Cardona, Hiroyuki Sanada

2018

METASCORE

Mixed or average reviews based on 27 Critic Reviews

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USER SCORE

Generally favorable reviews based on 20 Ratings

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6.4

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6.4	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 20 Ratings

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Movie Details & Credits

IFC Films | Release Date: June 22, 2018 | R

Starring: Connie Nielsen, Giancarlo Giannini, Guy Pearce, Hélène Cardona, Hiroyuki Sanada, Jeff Daniels, Mark Strong, Paul Giamatti, Paul Rudd, Shea Whigham, Sienna Miller, Tom Wilkinson

Summary: This gripping, stranger-than-fiction espionage thriller brings to life the incredible true story of Moe Berg, the professional baseball player who became a World War II spy. A Jewish, Princeton-educated, multilingual catcher for the Boston Red Sox with a closely-guarded private life, the enigmatic Berg (Paul Rudd) was already a man ofThis gripping, stranger-than-fiction espionage thriller brings to life the incredible true story of Moe Berg, the professional baseball player who became a World War II spy. A Jewish, Princeton-educated, multilingual catcher for the Boston Red Sox with a closely-guarded private life, the enigmatic Berg (Paul Rudd) was already a man of mystery when, in 1944, the US government’s wartime intelligence agency enlisted his services. His mission: go behind enemy lines in Europe to assassinate the Nazi’s chief nuclear scientist before the Germans develop an atomic bomb. Trading in his catcher’s mitt for a trench coat, Berg must rely on his formidable, steel-trap intellect in a high-stakes game of cat and mouse—with the fate of the world hanging in the balance. [IFC Films]… Expand

Director: Ben Lewin

Genre(s): Biography, Drama, War

Rating: R

Runtime: 98 min

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Metascore

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Critic Reviews

Soren Andersen

Jul 25, 2018

It’s an absorbing character study of a most intriguing man. Read full review

Glenn Kenny

Jun 21, 2018

Paul Rudd plays Berg with the droll, boyish charm he’s brought to dozens of other roles, but he adds a protective coating. This movie, directed by Ben Lewin from a Robert Rodat script (one adapted from Nicholas Dawidoff’s fascinating 1994 biography of Berg), relishes Berg’s compulsion to remain an enigma even to those closest to him Read full review

Movie Nation Roger Moore

Jun 17, 2018

The movie is imminently watchable, and the surface sheen is fine, but the real Berg remains more mystery than man with a mission. Read full review

Dennis Harvey

There’s a curious lack of credibility and urgency in this big-screen adaptation, the kind of respectable near-miss that can happen when worthy talent apply themselves to a project they’re just not ideally suited for. Read full review

Michael Rechtshaffen

Jun 20, 2018

While the always affable Rudd is up to the more serious task at hand, the overly studied direction by Australian Ben Lewin frustratingly keeps the audience at arm’s length from both its lead and that surprising chain of events, which feel as palpably pieced together as the stitching on Berg’s baseballs. Read full review

David Fear

Jun 20, 2018

Boring is the last word you should use for a sports-hero-turned-spy story like this; it's the only one that comes to mind after you've seen the film. Read full review

The Playlist Jordan Ruimy

The spy genre is a tricky business, because the tempo and flow of the film must adapt to numerous different scenarios and narrative changes. In Lewin’s movie, however, the ever-changing intricacies of Dawidoff’s book are rendered flat, unappealing and messy. Read full review

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User Reviews

3ebfan511

Apr 25, 2019

I wasn't expecting much from mediocre reviews, so I was pleasantly surprised. There is nothing wrong with the movie besides being somewhat "slow". I actually found it really interesting, as its a strangely true story so I wanted to see what would happen next. It also has a really niceI wasn't expecting much from mediocre reviews, so I was pleasantly surprised. There is nothing wrong with the movie besides being somewhat "slow". I actually found it really interesting, as its a strangely true story so I wanted to see what would happen next. It also has a really nice performance by Rudd in the lead, and a slew of excellent supporting actors who are all fine in their roles as well. Its not a pulse pounding action movie, or a total thrilling spy movie for the majority of it either, but an interesting journey about an interesting man. If you like the ww2 genre, you will most likely enjoy the film to some degree. I have seen worse films, and way more boring films, get better reviews than this film. It was decent.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

Dufreshest

Jul 20, 2018

The Catcher Was A Spy Review

Cinematography: 6.932/10 The film has moments that really look good and mesh well though inconsistently with the effects the story gives. I feel as though there are enough scenes though not enough scenes; there seems to be enough scenes to tell the full storyThe Catcher Was A Spy Review

Cinematography: 6.932/10 The film has moments that really look good and mesh well though inconsistently with the effects the story gives. I feel as though there are enough scenes though not enough scenes; there seems to be enough scenes to tell the full story though not enough scenes telling the story.

Costume Design: 8.392/10 Everything looks in order and the attire does make the times presented more resonant.

Film Editing: 7.994/10 The scenes are put together well.

Make-up and Hair-styling: 8.121/10 As with the attire, the presentations of the characters makes the times presented in the film more resonant.

Sound Editing: 8.001/10 Decent for the film.

Visual Effects: - /10

Story: 7.121/10 The actual story is interesting. The depiction of the story in the film is sketchy. There seems to be a lack of telling all that makes the protagonist that person. He was a good ball player with the potential to be a better coach and then the story devolves then attempts to re-latch to his public persona which makes his private persona that much more pertinent.

Acting: 6.219/10 How do the acting partners meant to have a natural accent all throughout have less of a natural accent than the acting partners meant to have a slightly unnatural accent? I don't feel as though the acting in all of the scenarios is consistent in a way that brings the full effect of the actual story to life.

Personal: I feel like The Catcher Was A Spy makes the attempt in storytelling The Imitation Game successfully completes. I don't think there was enough emphasis on Moe's ability to assess situations more so than on his sexuality. There's even a scene which throws away any care of Moe's sexual partners and the film seems to try grasping everything else that makes Moe valuable in a bit of a jumble though careless fashion. Also, the last story I've come across to effectively use Chess in an intricate-interesting manner is The Westing Game (this story is really good, at least, I like it).

Overall: 6.549/10

-K.D.

If you're into Poetry and other bits of creativity, check out my Instagram: @Dufreshest.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

TVJerry

Jul 28, 2018

Paul Rudd gets serious in this biopic about a pro baseball player with incredible intellectual skills (7 languages and 3 degrees). He's sent to Zurich during WWII, where he's supposed to assassinate the man responsible for Germany's atom bomb efforts. Rudd keeps his enigmatic misfitPaul Rudd gets serious in this biopic about a pro baseball player with incredible intellectual skills (7 languages and 3 degrees). He's sent to Zurich during WWII, where he's supposed to assassinate the man responsible for Germany's atom bomb efforts. Rudd keeps his enigmatic misfit character in a low-key mode, which is similar to the mellow mood of the movie. It's not suspenseful or complex enuff for a good spy story, but still manages to be an interesting portrait of this unique man. Even with a list of strong supporting actors (Jeff Daniels, Guy Pearce, Sienna Miller and Giancarlo Giannini), director Ben Lewin couldn't muster much dramatic intensity out of this potentially compelling story.… Expand

1 of 2 users found this helpful11

Mauro_Lanari

Dec 16, 2020

(Mauro Lanari)
An unusual spy film, not inert but intimist and introspective, a slow burning that leaves its mark. The stellar cast adapts to the directorial code and those who expect something different will be disappointed.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

tropicAces

Jul 10, 2018

It’s like reading an interesting Wikipedia article. Occasional moments will grab your attention while others will have you wanting to do further research, but in between is a lot of slow filler.

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

Ralfbergs

Jul 17, 2018

In my opinion this movie was really boring for most of the time. Ok, it is based on true story and all that, but I think I will forget about such a movie in less than a month. It lacks something to be memorable and at some points it is just plain boring, even though the premise of the storyIn my opinion this movie was really boring for most of the time. Ok, it is based on true story and all that, but I think I will forget about such a movie in less than a month. It lacks something to be memorable and at some points it is just plain boring, even though the premise of the story seems interesting. Acting is good and I like that they spoke in Italian and German where necessary instead of using English and pretending there that it is the right language, but the screenplay - I think either the actual story wasn't as interesting to make a movie or they just made a bad screenplay of it.… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

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