On I List of Movie Reviews
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The Ipcress File (1965)
Rate:
8
Viewed:
3/16, 4/25
3/16:
One of the earliest films of Michael Caine's long career, I thought I would see his best in
The Ipcress File, but unfortunately, that's not the case.
So, it's easy to see why Alfie first made him an international star. Because
of Harry Saltzman's connection, The Ipcress File, which is a hybrid of
The Manchurian Candidate,
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, and
Mission: Impossible, is an incomprehensibly dated spy flick.
Hence, it's not surprising to learn from IMDb that: "On the first day of shooting, Sidney J. Furie
gathered the cast and said, 'This is what I think of the script.' He then set it on fire."
All in all, I'll have to see The Ipcress File later.
4/25:
All right, I'm changing my tune for The Ipcress File after wanting to see it again so I can go ahead
with the next two sequels of the Harry Palmer franchise.
Last time, I wasn't prepared for the dense plot. I now understand what the issue is.
It's not that the script is complicated, but it's rather tightly controlled, refusing to give any inch.
You'll have to sit through the film all the way to the end and get the explanation of what it's about.
The most valuable asset is the avant-garde camera work. If not for that, The Ipcress File would've
been a dated spy picture. The dialogue is very concise and to the point. I was never bored for a minute;
it's more of "what's all this?" On the other hand, Michael Caine as Harry Palmer is heaven, and he'll
go on to do more esteemed films. Nigel Green is great as well; I'm surprised he died young at age 47.
For a while, I thought Harry Palmer was being set up and Jean was keeping tabs on him for somebody else.
Then, there was a moment that caused me to say, "Maybe everybody is in it only because they hate Harry Palmer
for being a smug asshole." That didn't work logically because a couple of agents were killed along the way.
Hence, the ending as how it happened is suitable. It still leaves some questions behind. Why Radcliffe?
What about the other scientists? What's the point of draining their brains? Why not kill them instead? Ditto
for Harry Palmer. How could he see anymore, let alone shoot properly, after losing his eyeglasses?
All in all, The Ipcress File can go either way, but I recommend watching it at least twice.