Tuesday, February 21, 2023

Movie review - "The Tamarind Seed" (1974) ***

 Julie Andrews goes back into spy territory, as a British secretary romancing a Russian diplomat Omar Sharif. They're not a bad team. I bit weird. Andrews is so sensible and mannered as usual but she is a star and she suits the character - as a sensible woman with a taste for running off with married men. Andrews is recovering from one affair, and starts another. Sharif plays his role like a Latin lover but that suits him.

The film has pleasures. John Barry's lush score, Maurice Binder's credits, both James Bond like. Smart characters. Excellent support cast - Sylvia Syms is superb as the wife of gay spy Dan O'Herlihy, Syms is shagging Bryan Marshall who works for Anthony Quayle, who is also excellent as a head spy. Russian spies include Oscar Homolka and Kate O'Mara (office girl). I like how it was set in Barbados. There's a shoot out at the end.

I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would. 

No comments: