Noe one seems to have much time for this third Harry Palmer film, the one that killed off the series for two decades - not Michael Caine, not director Ken Russell - but I enjoyed it.
Sometimes when this happens I wonder if there's something wrong with me. "This film isn't beloved. No one seems to like it. But I did. Am I weird?" But stuff it.
Of course its unavoidably persona. I like 60s spy films, it's got that great cinematography of the period, and Michael Caine as Harry Palmer. I enjoy films set in the snow- and this was shot in Finland.
It's also got a knock out support cast - Francois Dorleac, the gorgeous sister of Catherine Deneuve who was to shortly die in a car accident; Karl Malden having a high old time as a shifty agent, and Ed Begley hilarious as a deranged anti communist millionaire.
I love films about deranged millionaires with private armies (eg The Stuff, Goodbye Paradise) - this one as Begley trying to lead an uprising in Latvia!
I wonder if part of the reason people didn't like this was that the Americans are the baddies, invading, and Caine is helping the Russians.
The film is flawed - Caine's character is passive too much of the time. I wish there'd been more to do for Guy Doleman who plays British intelligence. Occasionally the story gets a little lost - or more correctly the characters. The Caine-Dorleac romance for instance feels undercooked.
But Russell does a good job I feel - it's visually strong, there's good pacing. The battle on the ice floes at the end is a semi classic and there's some solid action bits. Under-rated.
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