Product Description
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Based on the true story of Elie Cohen, Israel's national hero,
whose daring mission took him from Argentina to Damascus where he
successfully entered the upper echelons of the Syrian government.
The secrets he obtained became crucial in Israel's victory in the
1967 Six-Day War. A portrait of spies and ing that is as
chilling as it is compelling, and as riveting as any James Bond
adventure. The legendary Elie Cohen was persuaded to become a
secret agent and ended up leading a double life -- as a
mild-mannered husband and her in Israel, and as a wealthy
businessman who infiltrated the highest levels of the Syrian
government. Incredibly, Cohen was so successful that he was
nominated to be the Defense Minister of Syria. The story begins
in 1959. Cohen was a family man leading a quiet, normal life
working as an accountant in Tel Aviv when he is recruited by
Israel's Mossad secret service and assigned a mission that would
forever change his life, and the history of Israel. John Shea
("Missing," "Lois and Clark," "Baby M") delivers a riveting
performance as Elie Cohen whose mission took him from Argentina,
where he established a new identity as a wealthy Syrian
businessman, to Damascus. Risking his life at every turn, Cohen's
guile and fluency in Arabic enables him to climb to the upper
echelons of the Syrian government and gain access to the most
vital secrets of the enemy's machine. This top-secret
information, which he related to Israeli intelligence, became a
crucial element in Israel's victory in the 1967 Six-Day War. Eli
Wallach ("Baby Doll," "The Misfits," "Tough Guys") co-stars in
this explosive account of intrigue and espionage in the volatile
Middle East. 2005 was the 40th anniversary year of Elie Cohen's
death (May 18, 1965) June 5-11, 2007 will be the 40th Anniversary
of The Six-Day War--for which Elie Cohen's mission was
substantially responsible for the quick victory.
Review
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Like so many docudramas, The Impossible comes packaged with
a list of qualifications. While the script, credited to Marty
Ross and Douglas Livingstone, is based on published sources and
other research, a printed preface notes that where direct
evidence is unavailable, the film represents the opinion of the
film makers as to events that happened in secret. Furthermore,
the names of all Syrian and Mossad officials, as well as some
locations, have been changed. And then, according to a press
release: The final script was studied by Israel s censor
to guarantee that nothing compromised security. When, one
wonders, does a docudrama become outright fiction or propaganda?
Still The Impossible co-produced by Graham Massey and
directed by Jim Goddard, who previously collaborated on the
mini-series Reilly: Ace of Spies turns out to be more complex
than might be anticipated, compiling a portrait of spies and
ing that is as chilling as it is compelling. Elie Cohen turns
out to be the hero, of course, but a considerable measure of
sympathy is generated for the Syrian general whose trust he
betrays. The business of ing is ambiguous and hardly
glamorous. --New York Times
The Impossible is a First-Rate film that is genuinely based
on truth. It s a story that no one could make up. John Shea stars
as Elie Cohen, Israel s real-life James Bond who had amazing
success ing in Syria in the 1960s which helped Israel win the
June 1967 Six-Day War. And, Eli Wallach co-stars as the Head of
Israel s intelligence agency. This is a suspense-filled drama
that figures so importantly in the history of Israel. --Leonard
Maltin
A marvelous film told in the grand tradition of a John Le Carre
novel. Shea is simply terrific in the role of Elie Cohen. This is
a top-notch thriller made all the more so by its factual basis.
--Chicago Sun-Times