Les tueurs sont lâchés

Saw this 1968 Spy-Thriller with my dad in 1968 at the old Boulevard Theater on Biscayne Blvd. in Miami, Florida. One of Patrick O'Neal's better films. Made during the era of such cold war classic's as Ipcress File, Funeral in Berlin, The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, and Kremlin Letter; for some unexplained reason however, this film never really caught on. It moved at a fast pace, was well acted and well scripted, had adventure, action, romance, humor, and a stunning surprise. Patrick O'Neal did his best work in the late 1960s with Kremlin Letter, Chamber of Horrors, Castle Keep, and Assignment to Kill. Joan Hacket was a shinning light. This rates as her second best on screen performance behind the group. Her death at 49 from cancer was a shock to her fans. Yet, she and Patrick O'Neal are forever caught in time; in their prime, in Assignment to Kill. Can't wait for the DVD to come out one day.

Smart Dialog and a Good Story, Combined with a Competent Cast and Location Scenery, Make this a Slightly Above Average and Little Seen Film. A Private Investigator is Hired by an Insurance Company that Doesn't Like Paying Out Large Claims that are Ambiguous but Legal.

Patrick O'Neal Doesn't Bring Much Charisma to the Table but is Determined and Ultra-Efficient. There is Some Intrigue and One Good Fight Scene and the Movie has Some Modern Late Sixties Flourishes.

One Big Surprise Occurs and there is Some Cleverness to the Whole Thing but Ultimately it Just Isn't that Special. Some Consider this a Neo-Noir and While that is Debatable there is a Case to be Made. It has a Cynical Tone that is Rather Dark in Spots and it is All Played with a Rather Sombre Feel.

The Film was Released in the States on a Double Bill with Little Fanfare, it has been Undiscovered and has a Misleading Title. Overall, a bit Different and Worth a Watch.

Private investigator Richard Cutting (Patrick O'Neal) is being hired by an insurance company to investigate shipping magnate Curt Valayan (John Gielgud). They had made a big payout to him despite their suspicions. One of Valayan's man may be the key to the fraud but he is missing under mysterious circumstances. Cutting finds the man's secretary Dominique Laurant (Joan Hackett), but the investigation is complicated by Matt Wilson (Herbert Lom).

I don't know anything about Sheldon Reynolds who wrote and directed this movie. This is cinematic, but not great cinema. These are solid actors doing solid work. O'Neal is playing the protagonist like an antagonist. The movie needs more action to give it kinetic energy. The fights are old fashion fisticuffs. It can fall into a lack of intensity. I like some of the darker material like Cutting being nonchalant as he's told about killing the 28 sailors. That's cold and that's this movie. It's a bit cold and a bit murky. The story flow meanders sometimes. It's a 60's film looking to the 70's.

I have to be the skunk at the garden party here. I disagree with the consensus that this is an "overlooked gem" of any kind. The movie is simply interminable, with a rambling, labyrinthine plot line that never quite sorts itself out. When it ends there is a general feeling of "just what the hell was that all about?" There is a plethora of endless, leaden dialogue, especially between O'Neal's and Hackett's characters. There is also surprisingly little real action, and the climactic fight scene between Cutting (O'Neal) and The Big Man (Leon Greene) is simply ridiculous. The only good things about the movie are the wonderful old Technicolor cinematography, and the Swiss scenery. Acting-wise, O'Neal is OK (that voice!) but Joan Hackett's Dominique is annoyingly cutesy/cool. Peter vanEyck's appearance is all too brief. Herbert Lom carries his usual aura of suavely subtle danger, and Oscar Homulka is always fun to watch. The only reason I watched it is that I desperately needed to fill a couple of empty hours. You probably have better things to do.

This had some really great dialogue throughout, making it an even more pleasurable experience besides the intriguing offbeat plot and great locations. The photography is extremely colorful and looked great with original 35mm Panavision widescreen prints in IB Technicolor. I don't think distributor WB did a very good job of selling this one, which was sadly the case with many of their films when attached to 7 Arts. Another film that should be on tape and (one can only hope) DVD.