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Miss Vicky's Loyal and Willing Slave
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Year of release
1974

Directed by
Alan J. Pakula

Written by
David Giler (script)
Lorenzo Semple Jr. (script)
Loren Singer (novel)

Starring
Warren Beattie
Walter McGinn
Hume Cronyn


The Parallax View

++

Plot – Presidential candidate Senator Charles Carroll is assassinated atop the Seattle Space Needle. 18 witnesses are present. Three years later – Seven of those witnesses have died in 'accidents.' Loose cannon reporter Joseph Frady (Warren Beattie) starts an investigation which will lead him to the Parallax Corporation, some shocking revelations and a dramatic end.

This is a terrifically bitter and cynical film, right down to its fantastic tagline - “As American as apple pie.” With its evocative visual style, bleak and stark tone it is a truly disquieting, paranoia-fuelled political thriller. This is a film that is quite clearly a sign of the politically troubled times it takes place in, born out of the rash of political assassinations (JFK, Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, Bobby Kennedy) that occurred throughout the 60s, and more predominantly the countless conspiracy theories that they spawned, particularly those surrounding the murder of John F. Kennedy. After all, in cases such as these how could one man alone; unremarkable and unimportant men at that, kill such important and iconic figures? How could one man have such an effect on a whole nation? It doesn't really seem to compute that its possible. So people need to seek different, more complex answers. This film delivers one in the Parallax Corporation.

Set up not as a government threat, but as a large, faceless corporation Parallax are in the business of identifying and recruiting potential killers. While it's quite an intriguing and vexing take on the conspiracy angle I found it lacking in credibility. That may sound harsh coming from someone who loved Three Days of the Condor and The China Syndrome with their shady conspiracies, but it just didn't feel like it was presented in a plausible manner. The fact that this invisible force has such an incredible reach, and seemingly unlimited capabilities to accomplish it goals just feels overly paranoid, even for the 70s. It just feels too far-fetched. And while it perhaps helps to emphasise the fact that we cannot comprehend these people or their actions, the fact that no reason is given for the assassinations is a bit annoying. Is the fact they are liberal just enough?

The film opens incredibly strongly with a terrifically conceived assassination. The way its shot heightens the shock and power of it, followed by the terrified chaos that it creates. Following that the shooter climbs out onto the top of the Seattle Space Needle where he gets into an altercation with authorities chasing him before the perpetrator falls to his death. It very much feels like an homage to Alfred Hitchcock, recalling moments such as the Statue of Liberty scene in Saboteur and the Mount Rushmore finale in North by Northwest. It opens the film in such fantastic fashion that it almost works against it in a way. At no point does the film really climb up to those heights of excitement and drama again.

The closest it actually comes probably isn't until the very end of the film, and another assassination, this time of Senator George Hammond. While they are both terrific they are quite different in their execution. While the opening kill is fast, chaotic and action-packed, the second assassination is a much more deliberate, tightly constructed affair. It's an exercise in editing, framing and pacing; coupled with an explosive pay-off. It all creates quite an eerie atmosphere as the camera is still in manner, watching from the rafters as the cart Hammond is riding starts wandering out of control around the auditorium, crashing into chairs and tables draped in red, white and blue. All the while the Senator's pre-recorded speech is playing in the background, and past Presidents, people who are America, watch on in the form of large card displays.

While the first assassination takes place in a confined space, the second takes place in a massive, empty auditorium. With numerous wide angle shots; held for a long time, as well as long stretches of silence it really captures the isolation and alienation. The scene is a perfectly orchestrated trap as Frady plays right into the hands of the enemy that he is seeking to destory. It results in quite a shocking ending that I wasn't expecting, but on reflection realise it could not really have happened any other way.

My favourite element of the film is definitely the visual aspect of the film, created through a combination of Alan J. Pakula's direction and some wonderful cinematography from Gordon Willis. The film looks wonderful and is terrifically shot, with a series of interesting locations and shooting angles. To help create the feeling of these invisible forces all around us, characters are frequently obscured behind glass, curtains or elements of architecture. Characters, particularly Beatty's, are often filmed with wide angles in large, empty environments. It isolates the characters and gives a feeling of being overwhelmed by the surroundings.

As well as the two assassination scenes there is one other scene worthy of note, thought I'll be honest and say I'm not sure what to make of it. It's the Parallax Test scene that Frady undergoes. It's very effective and striking in showing how images, even the most patriotic, can be twisted and bastardised to fit a certain belief or system. It's mixture of American iconography and images that could be associated with America – God, religion, family, baseball, apple pie, commercialism, racial prejudice and lynchings, guns and violence, comic book superheroes, the Nazi menace etc. It's also shown in a manner I didn't expect. Usually it would show some of the test, while intercutting it with Frady's reactions, and then cut to the end. However in allowing it to run for five minutes uninterrupted, I felt it perhaps crossed over into a little pretentious, merely existing just to call attention to itself without really advancing the plot. In a film which feels like it is already meandering at points it sort of halts the film, and bogs down the pace. As I said though it is very effective at confusing and bewildering me, with some cynical, manipulative Americana-style music helping to create something quite distressing. So it might be a piece of avante garde genius, or some smug, egotistic nonsense. I think it might be the former but I'm not ready to commit, staying on the fence about it.

The film includes a couple of occasions of action which don't feel like they really belong. There is an over the top Western-style bar brawl between Frady and a cop in a small town. And there is also a bombastic car chase which sees Frady go all James Bond as the car goes flying through the air in slow motion before crashing into a supermarket. In a film which strives for a serious, sombre tone these scenes just feel out of place, as if they belong to another movie. Even the scene featuring a bomb on a plane feels a little unnecessary, just another example of gratuitous action they've thrown in.

As for Beatty's performance, I wouldn't call it bad but perhaps just unremarkable. I was going to say he looked bored but I think that would be unfair. I think most of the fault lies in the script landing him with a fairly one dimensional character. The film is more about the story; the mystery and suspense of it, than about the characters that inhabit it. Usually in a film like this I'd expect the character to be angry or upset about what they are discovering, or show great tenacity and determination to uncover the truth. Frady however just comes across as really laid back and chilled, seemingly not all that bothered by the enormity of what he is tackling. A man not really flustered by what happens, able to just brush it off with a smile. It's like a window into what All The President's Men would have been like had Woodward and Bernstein had a surfer dude mentality. As a result, as well as not really engaging with his character it's also very hard to buy into the fact that this guy can get so close to the Parallax Corporation when no-one else, or any government enquiries, have been able to. And while his talents also aren't exactly taxed Hume Cronyn delivers a nice showing as Frady's editor. Oh and for me personally it's always a treat to see William Daniels. While he may have had a distinguished career on stage, film and TV to me he will always be Mr Feeny from Boy Meets World.

Oh and there are some truly lovely bits of nostalgia on show here. In particular I'm talking about the prominence given to Pong, and the practice of paying for a flight when you are on the actual plane. In cash! I had no clue of this process up till now.

Conclusion – A flawed film that at times threatens to approach greatness but for me never quite got there. While it is bookended by two terrific assassination scenes, it has the penchant to wander in the intervening time. So its an interesting film, one that I look forward to revisiting sometime and perhaps enjoying more.



It's like a window into what All The President's Men would have been like had Woodward and Bernstein had a surfer dude mentality.
I'd have +repped you for this line alone.

Oh and for me personally it's always a treat to see William Daniels. While he may have had a distinguished career on stage, film and TV to me he will always be Mr Feeny from Boy Meets World.
lol... Me too.



Miss Vicky's Loyal and Willing Slave
I'd have +repped you for this line alone.
Glad I could entertain. I'm also glad you were able to make it that far as I wasn't sure about the review (as I said before posting it). Felt it was too detail heavy and just got bogged down; losing the light, breezy feeling I like to try and create.

Feeny!!! FEENY!!! Fee-hee-hee-heeny!!!



Glad I could entertain. I'm also glad you were able to make it that far as I wasn't sure about the review (as I said before posting it). Felt it was too detail heavy and just got bogged down; losing the light, breezy feeling I like to try and create.



Feeny!!! FEENY!!! Fee-hee-hee-heeny!!!
" light, breezy feeling " = after a heavy roll in the hey



Miss Vicky's Loyal and Willing Slave
" light, breezy feeling " = after a heavy roll in the hey


And for some reason I thought it would be HoneyKid who was most likely to lower the tone of this thread.



Miss Vicky's Loyal and Willing Slave
I have one more review I'm working on just now but after that I think I may take a few days off from watching and reviewing films. I think I'm suffering a bit of film fatigue just now, a little bit of burn out after so many films and reviews back to back.



Miss Vicky's Loyal and Willing Slave
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Year of release
1978

Directed by
Daryl Duke

Written by
Curtis Hanson (script)
Anders Bodelsen

Starring
Elliott Gould
Christopher Plummer
Susannah York
Celine Lomez


The Silent Partner


Plot – Miles Cullen, a seemingly bland bank teller, happens upon a piece of paper which leads him to believe a robbery is going to shortly occur. He is also able to figure out who the would be robber is. Instead of reporting it to his bosses or the police, he devises a plan which would allow him to grab most of the cash for himself. As a result, when the robber eventually arrives (dressed as Santa) and holds up Miles at the teller's desk, he nets far less than the police and the bank think he has. However this bank robber isn't exactly the kind of guy you want to mess with, as Miles soon discovers.

Working from an early scripted effort from Curtis Hanson (later to be of LA Confidential fame) this is a very quirky, extremely entertaining little thriller. It presents us with a series of complicated characters, going about their everyday, but complicated, lives. It is one of those morally ambiguous flicks that seemed quite rife in the 70s. Miles Cullen steals (the money and a van), lies, manipulates and covers up a murder. And he's the good guy of the piece! The one to root for.

Seemingly made on a tight budget the film does have a bit of a TV movie look at times (it could quite easily pass for an episode of Columbo) and the direction doesn't do much to raise this. While not detrimental to the film it does come across as being quite workmanlike and uninspired at points. So if the film was going to impress it would need to succeed highly on other levels, such as the script and the performances of those involved. On both of those terms the film delivers.

One or two plot holes aside it's an intelligent script which delivers a number of clever twists and turns, reversals and double crosses. And with so many twists being fairly predictable, what was so pleasing was the actual surprise of some of them. In particular the moment were Cullen decides to turn the tables on Reikle is terrific. The way he lures him up to his appartment, and then reverses their roles by phoning from the street to tell him to 'f**k off' put a real grin on my face. For such a mild mannered guy; up against this psycho, it's a ballsy and surprising move.

The actual idea itself that kicks the film off is very imaginative and clever. In films and TV shows the inside man of a robbery is frequently caught, but what if he has absolutely no connection to the 'outside man.' Indeed what if the outside man, Harry Reikle, doesn't even know that he has a partner in his endeavours.

Elliott Gould is very good as Miles Cullen. He actually felt very reminiscent of Walter Matthau, and in particular his character seems to come from the same mould as Charley Varrick did, sharing many of the same qualities. They share a laconic charm, a bit of a downtrodden aura and their characters are prone to being greatly underestimated, both by the viewer and the other characters. Opposing him, Christopher Plummer makes for a fantastic villain, he is just terrifically menacing and sinister. Indeed he is so good at being so bad that I wish he was in the film more. His cold blooded psychopath just takes over the screen any time he appears. He really is quite an unnerving presence.

While they don't have as much to do both of the main actresses here also contribute well to the film. Celine Lomez is incredibly sexy and enticing as Elaine, while Susannah York is extremely engaging and charming as the complex Julie Carver. Oh and there is a real bonus treat in the inclusion of an adorably young John Candy. He doesn't get much to do but just seeing him looking so baby faced is a hoot.

This film is much more of a psychological thriller than a straight-up heist movie. And with the cat and mouse game between Cullen and Reikle powering it along it works extremely well. It's such a nice sort of yin and yang relationship between the two characters. In many ways they are complete opposites, and yet when it comes to this one issue they are both driven and determined to come out on top. The majority of the fun is watching Cullen continually surprise Reikle. His unexpected cunning and intelligence that we discover he has in this area allows him to continually outsmart and stay one step ahead of this ruthless, sadistic freak. And this happens right down to the end were he outsmarts Reikle one final time. The expression on Plummer's face when he realises what is going on is just fantastic.

The film is extremely well paced; delivering a satisfying mix of character moments, relationships, touches of humour, lots of tension and some incredibly severe violence. There isn't much violence but what there is, is shocking, sudden and quite visceral. Some may see the violence as a bit gratuitous and misogynist. I think it works very well in the scene were Riekle viciously assaults a young girl early on, as anyone still on the fence about whether we should be cheering on Cullen or not sees that he is a saint in comparison. As for a later scene featuring Elaine and a fishtank, there is no doubt it is very striking and left me taken aback. However I don't know if it was quite necessary to go that far. It almost feels as if it belongs to more of a horror/slasher flick.

With so many remakes out there and on the way, including a few thrillers from the 70s (Assault on Precinct 13, Taking of Pelham 123, Sleuth) I'm a little surprised this hasn't been considered for the remake treatment. With its intelligent, edgy premise and the fact that its fairly unknown (so unlikely to create a deal of fuss from disgruntled fans) it would seem like a prime candidate.

Conclusion – A clever, riveting thriller that at times had me on the edge of my seat. Well acted throughout and with a slick plot this is dark, twisted fun.



Miss Vicky's Loyal and Willing Slave
Just realised that the version of Duel I have taped is the TV broadcast version (only about 72 minutes) as opposed to the 90 minute cinema release. Is it still worth watching or should I just hold off and try and catch the 90 minute version at some point?



Miss Vicky's Loyal and Willing Slave
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Year of release
1959

Directed by
Billy Wilder

Written by
Billy Wilder (script)
I.A.L. Diamond (script)
Robert Thoeran (story)
Michael Logan (story)

Starring
Marilyn Monroe
Tony Curtis
Jack Lemmon


Some Like it Hot

++

Plot - 1929. Two musicians, Joe and Jerry (Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon) inadvertently witness the Valentine's Day Massacre mob murder. Realising they are not long for this world if they stick around, they find a way out by joining a band heading for Florida. Just one problem - it's an all girls band! Donning dresses and wigs, Joe and Jerry are transformed into Josephine and Daphne. Along with the band's singer, Sugar Kane (Marilyn Monroe), they embark on a series of adventures and complications.

We take a brief divergence from my season of 70s thrillers for this all time classic comedy which I had the privilege to catch at the cinema a few weeks ago now.

While I did very much enjoy this the first time I saw it (around about a 3.5+) my enjoyment this time around was on certainly on a different level. Whether that was down to the experience of seeing it on the big screen, viewing a much sharper print than previously or perhaps it was down to who I watched it with. The friend I went to see it with loves Some Like it Hot, listing it as one of her 10 favourite films. So perhaps her massive enthusiasm rubbed off on me.

What is perhaps most impressive here is how Wilder is able to take what is basically a one joke premise and make it into a two hour film with a pace that never greatly drops. The reason for much of that success is that it doesn't fixate solely on the 'two guys in dresses' angle. Instead it presents us with a fun send-up of gangster films, a clever reversal of genders and stereotypes, a lovely period picture in its own right and most of all just a hilarious, downright farce. For such a light-hearted film it actually contains some great action (the opening chase between the cops and Spats' goons) and the main story is kicked off by multiple gangland murder, not something you'd expect for such a sweet, family film; particularly in the 50s.

This is a terrifically scripted comedy full of sparkling dialogue. And luckily the quality of the script gets the performances it deserves from its great cast. If you were to ask most people what they associate with Some Like it Hot in a Family Fortunes/Family Feud style, the top answer would probably go to Marilyn Monroe, followed by Tony Curtis. And while they are both great, for me the real star of the piece is Jack Lemmon. He is just tremendous and is responsible for the large majority of my favourite moments here; whether it be his mantra of “I'm a girl, I'm a girl” when in bed with Sugar, his tango dancing with Osgood Fielding III or his giddiness the next morning when he thinks he's getting married. The man in just a legend and with every performance of his that I see he moves further up the rankings of my favourite actors.

The other two members of the classic trio as I said are both great. Expertly playing up to her ditzy blonde image Monroe is terrific. She shows throughout the whole film just why she was, and still is such an icon. She just oozes charm and sexuality; imbuing Sugar with innocence, charm, a playfulness and a touch of naivety. She constantly lights up the screen, perhaps none more so than when she sings “I Wanna Be Loved By You.” With her sultry voice and incredible see-through dress she is just pure sex appeal. And given perhaps the toughest task of the three as the straight man of the piece (at least as close as you can get when you spend much of the film in drag) Curtis still comes up with a terrific showing as both Geraldine and as the ridiculously accented Junior. I think the fact that both he, and Lemmon, play things so straight for the most part really helps. As opposed to just playing it extremely camp they make the characters seem believable.

The casting as a whole deserves great praise for finding individuals who are just perfect for specific roles. I'm talking in particular about those playing Slacks' goons. Their faces and voices just possess such incredible character. Nehemiah Persoff gives a vibrant showing as Little Bonaparte, while Pat O'Brien makes a great impact in a small role as Detective Mulligan; responsible for a number of great lines.

I think the choice to shoot the film in black and white was an exceptionally smart move. Along with helping to create the films 1929 period setting, it is very effective in cutting down on the camp element of the film. By helping to hide the make-up and the colour of their dresses, it means that it never stands out as much as you think it would. Though the costumes throughout the film are excellent, from Monroe's dresses down to the classic gangster get-up sported by Spats.

It's really hard to think of too many flaws. Perhaps at two hours it is a touch too long, meaning that the pacing in terms of laughs is a little hit and miss. The film will deliver an excessive series of laughs in short bursts, and then go for stretches were the laughs die away to an extent. Oh and while Persoff is good value as Little Bonaparte, his introduction and the time dedicated to 'The Friends of Italian Opera' feels a bit unnecessary, just diverting time away from the main story. But these really are just minor quibbles.

The film is also able to boast a wonderful, classic ending. The last few minutes are just terrific, and it ends with the fantastic exchange between Lemmon and Joe E. Brown, culminating with the memorable line, “Well, nobody's perfect.” It's also one of those great bits of Hollywood legend that such a classic line wasn't written until the night before the scene was shot.

Conclusion – This is just such a joyous, feelgood film. I can see it being a great choice as a film to watch when I'm sick in bed, and in the need of a good laugh. A film just designed to put a smile on your face (unless you're HoneyKid that is )



Bright light. Bright light. Uh oh.
Nice review, and I agree with your current rating more than your previous one. I hope you watch the funniest Wilder flick, One, Two, Three, sometime soon.

A few trivial notes, just in case anybody cares.

Tony Curtis was dubbed as Josephine by one of the world's most famous voices, Paul Frees. He may well have dubbed more voices in American films than anyone. He's famous for doing voices on "Rocky and Bullwinkle", but since you're watching the original The Manchurian Candidate soon, you should know he narrates that film.

I hope you did recognize George Raft and Pat O'Brien as the main gangsta and his cop nemesis. There's a scene where a kid keeps tossing up a coin just like Raft did in the original Scarface and Raft says to the kid, "Where did you learn that cheap trick?" That "kid" is Edward G. Robinson, Jr.

I could go on about Joe E. Brown and his heyday in the '30s, but that's enough for now. However, I will say that one dress which Marilyn wears near the end (when Tony kisses her on stage, I think) has got to be as close to nudity as you could get in a '50s. Hollywood flick.

__________________
It's what you learn after you know it all that counts. - John Wooden
My IMDb page



Miss Vicky's Loyal and Willing Slave
Nice review, and I agree with your current rating more than your previous one. I hope you watch the funniest Wilder flick, One, Two, Three, sometime soon.

However, I will say that one dress which Marilyn wears near the end (when Tony kisses her on stage, I think) has got to be as close to nudity as you could get in a '50s. Hollywood flick.
Thanks Mark, always nice to have your appreciation. I was actually pondering whether to go even higher but as that would have been such a big difference from the first time I hesitated, just in case the conditions for this second viewing were a big factor. Will be interested to see how it ranks on its next viewing which I assume will be at home on DVD.

Oh and I recently picked up One, Two, Three on DVD after seeing yourself and a few others on here raving about it. Will try and get round to it soonish. I was actually thinking that if I continue with the season format I might have a Billy Wilder season as I've liked/loved every film of his so far and have quite a bunch of his I have access to watch.

And yeah that was the incredible see-through dress (well partly see through) I was talking about. Really is a bit of a moment. First time I watched the film for just a nano second I did think 'oh my god, is she naked?' before common sense took over. Another thing that surprised me for a 50s film that I forgot to mention was the ending. While it is clearly played for laughs it still seems unusual (for the times) to have two men riding off into the sunset together.



Miss Vicky's Loyal and Willing Slave
Another little break from the 70s thriller season now. Feeling a bit under the weather I fancied something a bit more on the light and frivolous side so gave this recent purchase a shot


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Year of release
1980

Directed by
Ronald Neame

Written by
Bryan Forbes (script)
Brian Garfield (novel and script)

Starring
Walter Matthau
Glenda Jackson
Ned Beatty
Sam Waterston


Hopscotch


(7.1 / 10)

Plot – Veteran CIA field agent Miles Kendig (Walter Matthau) is assigned to a desk job by his new chief, Myerson (Ned Beatty). Not seeing it as a job for a 'field man' he retires. While visiting an old flame (Glenda Jackson) he decides to write all about his experiences in his memoirs. Revealing the dirty secrets and so much of their inner workings however does not sit well with his former employers or any of the world's intelligence agencies. With Miles not about to be stopped however what develops is an international game of cat and mouse.

This espionage caper is a fun, if slight, effort led by the ever dependable Walter Matthau. In a way the film feels kind of old fashioned; rather nostalgic and quaint. It has the air and at times the appearance of an adventure film from the 50s and 60s. Its pace certainly isn't of the breakneak nature, quite happy to just pleasantly canter along. It comes across as an amiable mix of James Bond globe-trotting adventure meets the gentle tone and manner of Murder She Wrote. It rather successfully toes the line between coming across as realistic, and yet still escapist.

Matthau plays a fairly typical Matthau character but with a bit of an added glint in the eye, a character with some extra cheek and mischief to him. Indeed most of the film's fun comes from Kendig reaching into his extensive bag of tricks to outwit and outmanoeuvre his former employers and colleagues. The way he just toys with and frustrates Ned Beatty's Myerson in particular is highly enjoyable; hitting its pinnacle when he uses an alias to rent Myerson's home to hide out in, culminating in the moment were he tricks members of the CIA and FBI to destroy the house with extensive gunfire, much to Myerson's consternation. With much of his antics set to an operatic score of Mozart (Kendig, and indeed Matthau's, music of choice) just increasing the playfulness of it.

It's a bit of a one man showcase for Matthau, who is thankfully more than up to the task. The rest of the characters and all the events just kind of revolve around Matthau, sidling past him every so often, but thanks to the cast are still able to entertain. Sam Waterston is solid as Cutter, Kendig's protege who is torn throughout the film by his duty to the CIA and his devotion to his old mentor. Herbert Lom is a charming, likeable presence as Russian agent, Yaskov; Kendig's longtime adversary/friend. While Ned Beatty as his supervisor, Myseron, makes for a very good and detestable villain of the piece. Though his character's constant swearing was one of my complaints about the film. I understand it perhaps shows him to be of lower class and intelligence than Kendig, giving more reason for Kendig and the audience to dislike him, but it just feels like overkill, threatening to make him more of a caricature than a character. You could have cut it down considerably and still accomplished the same thing.

Most succesful of the supporting cast however is Glenda Jackson. While she may not have an extraordinary amount to do she still comes across as a beguiling and enchanting presence. And while the backstory between her and Matthau is never actually revealed, the easygoing chemistry they share and the way their scenes together are written creates the idea of this long history they have shared. They hint and imply at a great affection and romance they have for each other, and they accomplish it all without anything more titillating than just a few brief kisses. With quite a large degree of their interaction coming over the phone they actually only appear together in a few scenes, and it really is quite a shame that we don't see them together more often. I think if we had this could have been a better film.

Much of the film's goodwill however was almost lost for me by the finale, which felt like a bit of a cheat. We are presented with a situation that we really have to suspend our disbelief to go with as it doesn't seem plausible, nor does the film really try to elaborate on what happens. It left a little bit of a sour taste to end the film on.

I certainly wouldn't say it's a vital or a must see film but it is enjoyable. It's the kind of film that I think would be the perfect fit to watch on a lazy, wet Sunday afternoon. With location filming taking place across the globe in Munich, Salzburg, London and the Deep South of America it is very picaresque experience. Though it is presented in a fairly standard, undistinguished fashion by director Ronald Neame, looking rather bland at times as opposed to being particularly stylish or imaginative.

It's one of those films that on the whole is so entertaining and fun, that your mind kind of glosses over the fact that it's not actually that funny when measured in the number of laughs it generates. Yes there are a few chuckles here and there, but outside of that what we get is some witty repartee between characters and some fun performances which bring a little smile to the face and mind (yes my mind can smile! )

Following on from the 70s fare of Three Days of the Condor, The Parallax View, Marathon Man etc were the espionage action was propelled along by extreme paranoia and some brutal action, it feels a little strange to watch a nice, feel good version of the spy caper. A film with no real violence to speak of, were nobody dies. Indeed Matthau's Kendig is of the MacGyver persuasion; as well as having a knack for creating something out of nothing he does not believe in carrying a gun. It's here also were the incessant swearing by Beatty feels out of place. It is far and away the only reason the film achieved an R rating.

Conclusion – While thos is not an essential or groundbreaking piece of work, it is however a very nice film. That may come across as a bit of a back-handed compliment but I really don't mean it to be. Complete with Matthau's not inconsiderable charms it is an exceedingly pleasant way to pass 100 or so minutes.


PS - As you can see I'm trialing something new with this one, adding in a score out of 10 to try and further differentiate between films.



Most succesful of the supporting cast however is Glenda Jackson. While she may not have an extraordinary amount to do she still comes across as a beguiling and enchanting presence.
I refuse to believe that Glenda Jackson has, will or could ever be beguiling and/or enchanting.



Miss Vicky's Loyal and Willing Slave
I refuse to believe that Glenda Jackson has, will or could ever be beguiling and/or enchanting.
Well perhaps those are the wrong words but it was the last bit of the review I was working on, my head is kind of swimming (from man flu, nothing dodgy! ) and I just needed a couple of adjectives to describe an engaging performance. Or perhaps I meant beguiling/enchanting to Matthau. Or perhaps those are the right words. I have no real clue to be honest!



Then you will forever be missing out.
And I'm fine with that.

JD, if that's what she was to you, that's ok. Like mark, you're wrong, but that's ok.

And, no, that line didn't cost you +rep. I should + rep you actually, as I read the whole review and, considering the film, that's a credit to you.



Miss Vicky's Loyal and Willing Slave
as I read the whole review and, considering the film, that's a credit to you.


So perhaps not a fan then can I assume?



Bright light. Bright light. Uh oh.
Yes, he's not a fan of almost as many movies as will is, especially if he hasn't seen them! They both have ESP (everyday serious pessimism).