Réquiem por un dandy

Secret Agent Alexander Eberlin is sent into Berlin to search for the Russian agent Krasnevin. The Brits and Soviets enter into an intriguing game of cat and mouse.

I'll be honest, I recorded it based on the name and year. I was expecting some sort of comedy with the likes of Kenneth Williams or Ian Carmichael; I hadn't planned for yet another 60s spy movie.

In my opinion, it's pretty good: a decent, if unoriginal, plot, a strong cast, and some excellent location work. It did actually keep my attention, even if it was predictable; I'm sure we all knew how it was going to end.

The two issues are the script and pacing, at times it trundles along, and some of Eberlin's encounters with Caroline are bizarre to say the least.

Visually, it's good; it looks somewhat newer. I liked the opening and closing sequences; a puppet on a string left us in no doubt as to the type of film ahead.

Laurence Harvey did a fine job; I bought his character, but for me, the star of the show was Tom Courtenay; I just found Gatiss to be a little more interesting. Caroline's character made no sense; she didn't really go anywhere. Was she simply a bad penny? Mia Farrow I'd suggest, was ok.

6/10.

I won't go into much detail as I don't disagree with many of the negative comments cast here, but overall this is an eminently watchable film- I've seen it perhaps 6 times. I like the quirky off balance, alternating dark and light nature (but then again I loved Fay Grim and other flawed gems).

And although likewise flawed there are some great individual performances great shots of London/Berlin ( I was in East Berlin in 1980 and it didn't look or feel much different) that make it the perfect rainy Wednesday afternoon companion.

Note, as uneven as it is, overall I think films like this are a more enjoyable experience than current releases like the Girl Who Played with Fire or the Social Network that are more consistent; but consistently mediocre. But as always, YMMV.

In London, Alexander Eberlin (Laurence Harvey) is a double agent for both the British and the Soviet intelligence. The British orders him to hunt down Russian spy Krasnevin. He is partnered with British agent Gatiss (Tom Courtenay). He's having a fling with civilian photographer Caroline (Mia Farrow).

This needs to be a paranoid espionage thriller. It's not thrilling. Laurence Harvey is playing the character too coldly. He needs to be scared or something or else the audience won't care. Nobody is rooting for him. I barely know what Caroline sees in him. The story is too stiff and so is the lead.

It is an amazing spy thriller film from the sixties, an era, a period where such topics were galore, besides the James Bond like features, more eccentric one than the other, and from all countries; not only American but also British, German, Italian.... The short series starring Michael Caine in Harry Palmer's role is among the best, or those inspired by John Le Carré. This Anthony Mann's film is absolutely complex, as many other movies of this kind, but riveting, tense, gloomy, and a Lawrence Harvey at his peak; he who finished the film after Anthony Mann's death. What a film, and so different from other Mann's masterpieces: westerns - among the best of Hollywood, besides John Ford's and Delmer Daves' ones - as well as his peplums made just before EL CID, FALL OF THE ROMAN EMPIRE, awesome films too. DANDY IN ASPIC is one of the best spy films of the decade, far from 007 also exciting stories.

While the story is admittedly somewhat confusing, this is definitely not the disaster that Maltin et al. would have you believe it is. It's got some plot issues, and is in fact a bit baffling by the end, but these weaknesses are far outweighed by the sleek mid-60's visuals, the cool location shots of Berlin, and the whole spy-in-an-atmosphere-of-paranoia-and-dread vibe (ie., like the Prisoner). Definitely worth a rent if you're into spy movies and/or paranoia.

p.s. the ever so mod and swinging soundtrack music is by Quincy Jones!