rjschneid47

There is a lot to this film, and it is the kind of film I like, but the audio track was so lousy, it detracted from the experience. I could barely decipher anything that Sam Worthington said throughout. This is the new trend in film making -- unintelligible dialogue. I'll have to watch it again with headphones to track the two storylines. I'm getting tired of directors or whoever is advising them or the producers coming up with films or series where either the music mix is so amateurish (like Dick Wolf) that it gets in the way, or you cannot make out much of the dialogue. The piece is gritty and visually well done. I can tell it's a worthwhile detective story, but for the challenging audio. One thing I can say, is that you will be uncomfortable through much of it.

There are some of us on the planet who just need to get our spy story fixes. We are forced to find them where we can. How often have I watched le Carre's "TTSS" (the Guinness Smiley) or "Smiley's People", or listened to the BBC radio dramatization of "The Honourable Schoolboy"? I've lost count. Or the Deighton adaptation of "GSM" with the marvelous Ian Holm (whom Deighton detested!). Or Hitchcock's 1936 "Sabotage" or his 1935 "The 39 Steps". This rendition of "The Ipcress File" satisfies that need. I'll go back now and find the Michael Caine version from 1965, and its sequels. The period look created in this newer version is a joy to watch. Pace it if you can. Spread it out over a week or more, but enjoy it, for it is worth your time. The reviews claiming Cole to be too young for Harry Palmer are pure bunk. Caine was 32 when he starred in "The Ipcress File". Cole is 35. And Tom Hollander is certainly making his mark in this genre.