History Film / TheAssignment1997

A 1997 espionage action thriller film directed by Creator/ChristianDuguay, starring Creator/AidanQuinn, Creator/DonaldSutherland, and Creator/BenKingsley.

[[quoteright:300:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/theassignment1997.jpg]]

A 1997 spy thriller film directed by Creator/ChristianDuguay, starring Creator/AidanQuinn, Creator/DonaldSutherland, and Creator/BenKingsley.

While on holiday in {{UsefulNotes/Jerusalem}} in 1986, a Cuban-American naval officer called Annibal Ramirez is detained and roughed up by Israeli intelligence officer Amos (played by Creator/BenKingsley). Turns out Annibal is the [[IdenticalStranger spitting image]] of 'Carlos the Jackal' Sanchez, the [[TheDreaded infamous Venezuelan terrorist]] who has evaded every attempt to kill or capture him. The mistake is (eventually) sorted out but gives Amos an idea. Together with Jack Shaw aka Henry Fields (Creator/DonaldSutherland), a UsefulNotes/{{CIA}} operative with his own axe to grind with Carlos, they plan to use Annibal to frame Carlos as a CIA informant, so he will be murdered by his own side.

* SexualKarma: Since Annibal will [[BedTrick have to sleep with Carlos's girlfriend while pretending to be him]], he has to learn to have sex like Carlos did in order not to [[NotRightInTheBed make the girlfriend suspicious]]. So he has Carla, an ex-girlfriend of Carlos, instruct him on it, and she makes it clear Carlos is a [[SexGod skilled lover]], but also a [[FetishizedAbuser domineering and aggressive one]] who's into EroticAsphyxiation. By contrast, Annibal is HappilyMarried and has a healthy and vanilla relationship with his wife Maura (and loathes to have to cheat on her for the mission) and when he has sex with her using the aggressive sexual technique Carla taught him, she doesn't enjoy him and tells him to stop as he's hurting her, with the implication only [[AllGirlsWantBadBoys only "bad" girls enjoys "bad" sex]].

-->'''Amos:''' Policemen wind up killing other policemen. It happens. I'd rather have you here feeling guilty about them then to know that there's some meeting in Paris with them all sitting around feeling guilty about you.

While on holiday in {{UsefulNotes/Jerusalem}} in 1986, a Cuban-American naval officer called Annibal Ramirez is detained and roughed up by Israeli intelligence officer Amos (played by Creator/BenKingsley). Turns out Annibal is the [[IdenticalStranger spitting image]] of 'Carlos the Jackal' Sanchez, the [[TheDreaded infamous Venezuelan terrorist]] who has evaded every attempt to kill or capture him. The mistake is (eventually) sorted out but gives Amos an idea. Together with Jack Shaw aka Henry Fields (Creator/DonaldSutherland), a CIA operative with his own axe to grind with Carlos, they plan to use Annibal to frame Carlos as a CIA informant, so he will be murdered by his own side.

While on holiday in Jerusalem in 1986, a Cuban-American naval officer called Annibal Ramirez is detained and roughed up by Israeli intelligence officer Amos (played by Creator/BenKingsley). Turns out Annibal is the [[IdenticalStranger spitting image]] of 'Carlos the Jackal' Sanchez, the [[TheDreaded infamous Venezuelan terrorist]] who has evaded every attempt to kill or capture him. The mistake is (eventually) sorted out but gives Amos an idea. Together with Jack Shaw aka Henry Fields (Creator/DonaldSutherland), a CIA operative with his own axe to grind with Carlos, they plan to use Annibal to frame Carlos as a CIA informant, so he will be murdered by his own side.

-->'''Carlos:''' The thing about Carlos is... he doesn't lose himself with a woman. A lover is not different to him. [[ManipulativeBastard He might have a use for them]], so he has to seduce them properly, make sure they're so crazy about him that they'll do anything for him. It's not... not pleasure, it's a sick kind of conquest. He'll do anything... he is the perfect lover. He'll do it all, not to please you, but to excite you, to make it dangerous for you. ''([[ADateWithRosiePalms starts to stroke herself between her thighs]])'' It's very sexy too, to a woman that danger, like he could kill you in a second but instead he makes you come. And it's like he's killed you and there isn't anything left of you and... he makes you be reborn again the way he wants you to be, so there isn't a thought in your brain that he hasn't put there. Not a feeling in your body that he hasn't put there.

-->'''Carla:''' ''[ArmorPiercingSlap]'' That's what he would have done if I had said something like that. Without a moment's hesitation. What's wrong with you? ''No eres ni hombre!''

* GrenadeHotPotato: In the Paris bombing, Carlos can be heard counting down after pulling the pin on his grenade before throwing it into the café. After taking hostages in Vienna, he trolls one of them by fiddling with a hand grenade as if he doesn't know how to use it, pulling the pin, then tossing the grenade to the terrorist guarding the door, who throws it outside at the police who've just shown up.

** Annibal pretends to leave the BigFancyHouse that Carlos has, meet with Shaw (where he's photographed by the KGB) then return to the house, but just hides in the woods outside. Unfortunately the KGB turn up in force before he has a chance to slip away.

* GrenadeHotPotato: In the Paris bombing, Carlos can be heard counting down after pulling the pin on his grenade before throwing it into the café. After taking hostages in Vienna, he trolls one of them by fiddling with a hand grenade as if he doesn't know how to use it, pulling the pin, then tossing the grenade to the terrorist guarding the door, who throws it outside at the police who've just shown up.

* GrenadeHotPotato:

%% * GettingCrapPastThe Radar: Due to overwhelming and persistent misuse, GCPTR is on-page examples only until 01 June 2021. If you are reading this in the future, please check the trope page to make sure your example fits the current definition.

%%* GrenadeHotPotato: The scene below.

* ManipulativeBastard: Shaw turns up at a US Navy ball and proceeds to push Annibal's buttons, looking for a weakness. Does he resent the GildedCage of a career Navy officer? Is he attracted by the freedom and power of a spy? His country needed him and he RefusedTheCall; [[ShameIfSomethingHappened wouldn't that look bad on his personnel file?]] None of it works, so Shaw has Annibal brought to the bedside of a boy the same age as his son injured by a bomb that Carlos planted. [[spoiler:Annibal later realises the whole thing was just a performance for his benefit.]]