Estambul 65

With the explosion of James Bond on to the film world in the early 1960's every producer tried to duplicate that genre. This multinational European effort is relatively fast paced and doesn't take itself too seriously.

A $ I million ransom has been paid for kidnapped American nuclear scientist Dr. Pendergast (Umberto Raho) but he has not been returned. American secret agent Kenny (Sylvia Koscina) goes to Istanbul, Turkey to investigate. There she teams up with expatriate American gambling club owner Tony Maecenas (Horst Buchholz) and his henchman Brain (Gustavo Re) and Bogo (Alvaro de Luna). They trace the missing scientist through a trail of villains; from Hansi (Gerard Tichy) to Gunther (Agustin Gonzalez) to Bill (Mario Adorf) to Schenck (Klaus Kinski). Along the way they compete with Chinese agents and rescue a kidnapped heiress Elisabeth (Perrette Pradier). Trust me, reading the plot here is a lot clearer than trying to follow the movie!

One of the attractions of this movie is the continuous action. It keeps moving, covers a number of locales (i.e. gambling clubs, mosques, ferries, public baths, hotel pools, boats) and involves a lot of fights. While obviously not having the budget of the James Bond movies it does its best to exploit the Istanbul scenery.

The movies doesn't take itself to seriously and Tony is a font of one liners. Whether you enjoy the movie is largely dependent on how to like Buchholz's performance. Another commentator described him as "annoyingly smug" and, if you don't relate to the tongue in cheek humor, that is how you may find him. Koscina starts off as central to the movie but quickly fades into the background as action scenes with Buchholz take over. The performances of the other actors are hard to judge given that you have German, Italian and Spanish actors dubbed into English. However I enjoyed, who wouldn't, the impeccably dressed and throughly nasty Kinski.

I can't really comment on the technical credits inasmuch as the video copy was very "washed out" but, even when I have seen it on TV, I have yet to see a really decent print.

The imitation James Bond sub-genre have their own rules and by that standard this faced paced and action filled film is an acceptable treat.

Germany's answer to James Bond is not that much bad :handsome Horst Buchholz has plenty of go and of humor ; his acrobatics (hats off to the stuntman!) are impressive and makes you giddy .

Actually the secret agent is statuesque Sylva Koscina , but ,as the macho hero says to her while he locks her in the cupboard "it's a man job" ,and her role is boiled down to a decorative one ; French Perette Pradier ,herself a spy thriller habituée ("Furia à Bahia pour OSS 117""le judoka agent secret" "house of cards" )provides the obligatory second female "Bond" girl .....

There are several nods to OO7 : Istambul will remind you of "from Russia with love" ;the scrapyard of "Goldfinger" ;and the fight in the pool under water is pure "thunderball" ,though the latter movie was not yet released .

The cinematography is fine, the screenplay knows only one tempo :accelerated,and there's never a dull moment.

Buchholz and Koscina would team up again the following year in Yves Allégret's "Johnny Banco " but this once great director was only the ghost of himself and it was a fiasco.

I caught this last week on the German 3rd / regional channel RBB, unaccountably included on a Spanish hotel cable TV service. Unfortunately for me, with a lot of work to do the following day, I couldn't bear to turn it off, so got to bed rather late. Why? Because as most of the other reviewers have noted, it's really rather good. The action just keeps flowing and the entirely watchable cast imbue the whole thing with a decent slickness.

Spanish director Antonio Isasi-Isasmendi captured the emerging glamour/spy zeitgeist with style, underpinned with a workmanlike eye for detail (I forgive him the wrecked car replacements, I'm sure the budget was not over generous). The occasional asides of the Tony Mecenas hero are fine in the context of the time and probably soften the otherwise implausibly super-human aspects of the character. It's a technique already pioneered in similar genres, e.g. Roger Moore's "The Saint".

Mid-sixties Istanbul comes across as very Euro-Mediterranean and serves as an excellent backdrop for most of the action. The plot was a satisfying mix of set pieces (meaning that one felt at home with the genre) and unexpected twists (meaning that there was no way the viewer could foresee the eventual outcome). Like a number of other reviewers, I also found the relatively low profile of Sylva Koscina for much of the action to be a bit of a shame, having fallen for her somewhat after watching the excellent "Deadlier Than The Male" recently.

P.S. Retro-discovering these decently constructed sixties Euro-thrillers, particularly those made totally outside the Anglo-American sphere, has become a real pleasure in recent years.

It's a really cool thing that the German-French television station ARTE is including this EuroSpy classic with Berlin star Horst BUCHHOLZ (1933-2003) as a James Bond blend. Especially since ARTE can no longer only be seen in France and Germany, but also in other European countries.

Of course, this Bond imitator doesn't come close to the original, but that's not a bad thing. The Berlin world star Horst BUCHHOLZ impresses as a smart secret agent in Istanbul. At that time, 3.745 million visitors wanted to see it in West German cinemas. Of course, the beautiful women in the form of Sylva KOSCINA (LE FATICHE DI ERCOLE with Steve REEVES) and the enchanting Christiane MAYBACH should not be missing. EUROPEAN FILM AWARD nominee Mario ADORF (he was nominated for ROSSINI in 1997) and villain from the service Klaus KINSKI are also there. You can tell that Horst BUCHHOLZ had a lot of fun with his role. In the nineties he achieved another real global success with his role in "LA VITA E BELLA" by ACADEMY AWARD winner Roberto BENIGNI.

Kelly (Sylva Koscina) is a gorgeous FBI agent who is investigating the disappearance of Professor Pensdergast (Umberto Raho) , director of a major US government research on nuclear energy . She arrives in Istambul where is the prime suspect , Tony Mecenas (Horst Buchholz) , a con who carries out illegal games supported by his hoodlums (Gustavo Ré , Alvaro De Luna) , being pursued by the stiff Inspector Mallouk (Angel Picazo) . In the course of the investigation , Kelly meets Tony , who , moved by the beauty of Kelly and the reward of one million dollars , will help her find the professor . As several international agents and Chinese spies track him , chase him , unarm or undress him , but Tony goes on his dangerous adventures full of action and amusement .

Fun and romantic snapshot in time and place in which a swindler falls in love with a beautiful agent . Stirring film in which there are nail-biting action scenes , intrigue , blasts , suspenseful set pieces and two big stars : Buchholz-Koscina , if not much continuity . An agreeable all action sixties Euro-nostalgia trip , being fast paced and rightly developed . An action filled European thriller flick in which the suspicious protagonist falls in love for his investigator and there are some thrilling chases along the way before the final takes a slight twist . Successful thriller that follows the exploits and moving adventures of a rogue trickster , the German Buchholz who played in ¨Magnificent Seven¨ and ¨1, 2 , 3..¨ and a wonderful secret agent , the attractive Croatian actress Koscina . Mid-sixties Istambul comes across as very European locations and serve as an excellent backdrop for most of the action . The plot was a satisfying mix of set pieces and unexpected plot twists . Sympathetic acting by Horst Buchholz as a kind of James Bond as well as a young and adventurous seducer , and stunningly accompanied by the really charming Sylva Koscina . Being a Spanish production here appear several notorious secondaries as Ángel Picazo , Álvaro De Luna , Alberto Dalbés , Gustavo Ré , Luis Induni , Antonio Molino Rojo , Victor Israel and Jorge Rigaud as CIA Chief . Evocative cinematography by Juan Gelpi , including the exotic '60s atmosphere , though a perfect remastering is necessary , because the film copy is washed-out . Being shot in Istambul that is widely and marvelously shown . Lively and catching musical score by Georges Garvarentz .

The director was defending his name and career , but also his money in more ways than one , as he was one of the producers investing in the project . Antonio Isasi Isasmendi is a good professional , a craftsman who has directed several films in diverse genres , as adventures and action , especially , such as : The dog 1979 , 1968 Las Vegas, 500 millions , 1963 The mask of Scaramouche and Summertime Killer . "That Man in Istanbul¨ results to be a surprisingly solid little film , including some action scenes very skillfully staged . Decent action/thriller is worth trying . This is a movie that's both entertaining and enlightening . Certainly worth watching if you're in the mood for something other than typical exploitation fare .