I note the reviews on this film are quite mixed. I think those that have a poor opinion of it are used to spy films that are full of explosions, bikinis and gadgets. This is a different sort of spy film with a more realistic treatment of the subject matter. It is much more in the John Le Carre tradition than the Ian Fleming tradition.
Like the Jimmy Sangster novels and films "The Spy Killer" and "Foreign Exchange" the viewer has to watch closely because the plot subtly develops with very unexpected twists and turns....and I do mean twists. Richard Johnson is excellent as a very low key assassin who is seeking to get out of the business.
If you are longing for kinetic fight scenes and explosive action, forget it. This is a spy yarn that is cerebral and not a vehicle for continuous action. It does not infuse hot war action into a cold war setting. Someone else wrote that it is a gem of a movie. I think that well sums it up. Carol Lynley plays the spy's live in lover, but do not mistake her for mere scenery. Enough said.
Like the Jimmy Sangster novels and films "The Spy Killer" and "Foreign Exchange" the viewer has to watch closely because the plot subtly develops with very unexpected twists and turns....and I do mean twists. Richard Johnson is excellent as a very low key assassin who is seeking to get out of the business.
If you are longing for kinetic fight scenes and explosive action, forget it. This is a spy yarn that is cerebral and not a vehicle for continuous action. It does not infuse hot war action into a cold war setting. Someone else wrote that it is a gem of a movie. I think that well sums it up. Carol Lynley plays the spy's live in lover, but do not mistake her for mere scenery. Enough said.