Agente Secreto Desafia Moscou

MASTER PLAN: capture that spy! A restrained yet witty, surprisingly entertaining parody of the James Bond/spy genre so prevalent during the Cold War of the sixties. Keep in mind that the connection to Bond may be based on the fact that agent 007 was killed at the end of the original novel version of "From Russia With Love." The hero and main character (Bogarde) is not actually a spy - that is, trained for or knowledgeable of the arcane profession. He's actually a bit of a layabout, an unpublished writer content with collecting unemployment to get by. He's not even truly interested in getting a job, but when the prospect of a good salary unexpectedly comes up, he's unable to resist the offer. He thinks, based on his meeting with his new boss (Morley), that he's being sent to Prague on typical corporate business and because he understands Czech. Some warning signals go off in the back of his mind with the thought of going behind the dreaded Iron Curtain and using a code phrase (the title of the film) as part of his instructions. Well, he should have heeded those signals more. It's intriguing that he doesn't know who his contact is - the return code phrase has something to do with September - and this sets up some amusing scenes.

Bogarde is excellent as the slightly naive but nevertheless intelligent, quick-on-his-feet dupe. The story bogs down just a bit as he acquaints himself with the new locale but it really kicks into full gear when he's finally targeted by the enemy (headed by McKern). The audience and the character himself find out that he's actually pretty well suited for the cloak-and-dagger business, much to our astonishment. The actress Koscina had a more flamboyant role in the similarly imitative "Deadlier Than the Male," but she exudes a lot of sultry appeal here. And old pros Morley and McKern show how such experienced thespians can add much to such a film. Since much of the story's premise points to the pointlessness and 'running-about-in-circles' of the espionage business, this translates into a rather frivolous, pointless overall scheme for the film, but you're engaged while viewing it. Also, this early in the decade, this was more derivative of the early "From Russia With Love"-style of the 007 thrillers, rather than the 'world-threatening/domination' plots of later imitators, such as Flint and Matt Helm. And, I'm still trying to figure out the meaning of the alternate title, "Agent 8&3/4." Hero:8 Villain:7 Femme Fatale:7 Henchmen:6 Fights:5 Stunts/Chases:5 Gadgets:4 Auto:6 Locations:6 Pace:6 overall:6

When this film begins, you learn that agent 007 has died! Soon, the scene switches to a very lazy writer, Whistler (Dirk Bogarde). He's on the dole...and very happy to remain that way. However, he's surprised when he goes to collect his unemployment check...he's told he has a job interview!! Well, he has no choice...either go to the interview or no more relief! So he goes...showing up late and initially putting little effort into the interview. But when they offer him an enormous sum to work for them, he's hooked...not realizing that he's just been recruited to become a spy! Why would they want this ne'er-do-well? Well, he speaks Czech...and they need an agent to retrieve something in Czechoslovakia.

As for the mission, Whistler STILL doesn't realize how serious it is and that he could be shot for spying! Clearly he's in over his head and it's not at all surprising that the secret police are soon on to him. But how to escape?! He'll have to use his wits...and so far we haven't noticed that he has any!

I liked this film because although it was a bit of a spy parody, it was NOT overtly a comedy. In other words, they made it all seem plausible and engaging. You also have to really feel sorry for Whistler! Overall, a surprisingly good film--one that was original and intelligently written. Plus, it stars Bogarde, who was a dandy actor.

Despite occasionally amusing passages this engaging spoof of the nascent spy genre is, however, perhaps not memorable enough to be more than an agreeable time passer.

Still, the cast is willing: for most of the film's second half, Dirk Bogarde - playing an unwilling British spy - is forced to sport several ingenious impersonations (waiter, milkman, a typically Bavarian villager, etc.) to evade the pursuing Russian agent Leo McKern. Robert Morley is McKern's British counterpart (but posing as a diplomat) and John Le Mesurier (playing one of Her Majesties' top secret agents) appears in the film's very first (and arguably best) sequence: stopping at what seems to be a reception desk, he proceeds to place on it every kind of gadget one could think of before proclaiming that one of their best agents had been killed and, soon enough, a card showing "007 Deceased" appears on the screen!

Sylva Koscina, playing McKern's Ninotchka-like daughter (who also poses as Bogarde's chauffeur) adds the requisite element of sex appeal to the mix when she becomes enamored with her "boss". Another funny sequence takes place when Bogarde is asked to try out an indestructible glass fabric (the work of a German inventor) by throwing a large rock at it; sure enough, the rock bounces onto the floor when it hits, but as they start walking away, the sound of shattering glass is heard on the soundtrack which prompts the Russian factory owner to hiss "You Nazi swine" to the dumb-founded inventor!

A better-than-average spy thriller, the film is sort of like a combination between James Bond and 'North by Northwest'. It has an awful number of lame jokes in the mix, but in compensation, there are many amusing moments to be had along the way. Set and made during the time of the Cold War, there are almost unavoidably overly silly, mocking portrayals of the Communist characters, however in such a light-hearted film as this one is, silly supporting do not pose much of a problem. Generally, this is just enjoyable stuff, nothing heavy but still entertaining, and at times quite sexed up too, without overdoing it.

This film is very funny indeed, because it was well directed by Ralph Thomas, who could sometimes make terrible films, such as SOME GIRLS DO (1969, see my review). But primarily the film is carried by the superb and delicately delivered performances of those three old pros, Robert Morley, Leo McKern, and Dirk Bogarde. They all knew so well what they were doing that they could always direct themselves. McKern had a passion for Indian food, and I often used to sit near him in the Shahbhag on Roslyn Hill, as he scoffed his curry, but I never thought it tactful to speak to him, as disturbing a man at his curry is simply not the done thing. McKern's greatest acting triumph was his performance as Peer Gynt, in the play of that title by Ibsen. I saw that extremely long and brilliant production at the Old Vic in a long-gone era, but have never forgotten that McKern was a classical actor of enormous stature, and if he had not had such a rumpled face and a funny expression, he might have done more to prove it to people. This film has an absurd story which is satirically and lightly done, so that it all ends up being just lots of fun on the principle of: Who cares if it's ridiculous? It works. Sometimes they do and sometimes they don't. You take your life in your hands when you try to make a satirical comedy. John le Mesurier provides solid backup, as usual, making his comical long face and joining in the fun of pretending to be a spy. Everyone in the film is either a spy or pretends to be a spy or doesn't know he is a spy because nobody has told him. During the Cold War we needed this kind of comic consolation sometimes, because the realities were so grim. There are also some pointed jokes about people sponging on the dole, lazy chaps who claim to be writers and will one day write a great novel but never do (Bogarde plays this for all the laughs he can get), and there is Sylva Koscina having fun falling in love with him whilst spying on him in Prague. All good solid sixties nonsense. And there is a wonderful 'in-joke'. At one point Bogarde is looking at a newspaper, and a secondary story which most people would not notice is headed: '"I'm not a spy!' says Ralph Thomas', Ralph Thomas of course being the film's director. Lots of laughs on the set, I'm sure. 'And now time for a pint,' I suspect.