I always chuckle when I watch Michael Caine in a movie. I think he's a very good actor who has been graced with a great natural presence that he brings to every role and he knows how to use that presence to great effect.
This is an okay film with a solid story and good perfomances.
well worth catching if you see it coming up on telly
I always liked The Whistle Blower - one of those typical cheap 80s UK based movies that Caine always seemed to pop up in and it would always be shown years later on BBC2.
shareHaha yeah thats exactly the type of film it is, but dunno if thats a good thing. (It sometimes annoys me when stuff like this is on Ch5 at 11.30 every 3 months while stuff like 'Shoot the Pianist' or 'Meantime' never get shown). I just found it too contorted for its own good, alot of expo for a little pay-off, and if you're gonna slag the Ruskies off do it properly and get Arnie on the job, get Lundgren instead of Geilgud lol.
But seriously, it seemed to try and cash in on Harry Palmer, without ANY of the action. It needed (and this is where I was joking bout Arnold n Dolph) a bit more 'glamour', i.e. a bit less talk, a chase or two, a more engaging lead etc. Still, it was 1.99 in Morrison's Bargain Basement...why not?
...it would always be shown years later on BBC2.It managed to get onto BBC1
This is a good and unfairly maligned (IMO) 80s cold war thriller. It's old enough now to be a period piece rather than simply dated. It's quite stylish in an understated way - I love the Cheltenham locations, the tweedy, sloaney GCHQ types, Nigel Havers on his bicycle and in his pokey bedsit(shame about the dreadful 80s specs), Michael Caine's Rover, etc. It has the slightly shabby feel of the Harry Palmer films.
It's also fairly balanced - yes we have the amoral 'establishment' figures and the crusading left wing journalist (reflecting the paranoia of the left wing media who were enraged by the continuing popularity of Thatcher and Reagan - notice how films maligning the 'establishment' dropped out of favour after Labour got into power) but we also have the good old fashioned decency and loyalty of Michael Caine's character, His line about 'I want to believe in England again' and the shots of him parading past the Cenotaph always bring a lump to my throat.
'THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE'
It on BBC1 tonight (10/Nov/08) at 11:35pm.
shareGeez, I'm really late to this dance, last post was 6 years ago. Saw TWB for the first time on Cable Channel 'THIS' last night. WOW. I'm a big 60s spy buff after seeing Dr. No with Lord Sean, then reading the books because our President Kennedy said Fleming was his favorite author. And TWB keeps up the genre. Of course, Michael Caine was splendid - from Alfie to Batman's butler and of course, The Man Who Would be King (with Lord Sean) was outstanding.
TWB reminded me of the later, The Fourth Protocol, with Caine and Pierce Brosnan, both excellent movies with great script, cast and direction.
I hope we get more of these movies from the Brits given that Putin is up to his old KGB tricks again and doing his Nuke Rattling, spy efforts and invasions.
Just watched this last night, good movie all round and good performances from Caine and Nigel Havers. I also liked that it was a lower budget British 80s film with a cold war theme, I hope to come across more like this.
share@ jake-ryan1968..............you brain-dead pillock! Wake up..........it's US/UK who are the sabre rattlers, start all the failed invasions/regime changes & create the terrorists who now attack us. Try reading/watching something other than right-wing drivel............& open your eyes/ears/mind FFS!
shareMORON ... still in mommy's basement playing keyboard commando ... and whacking it to pix of Joe Stalin ... and Hillary ....
shareYou're the moron. I'm 67, a retired ex-pat brit, seen it all & watching from afar as the UK sticks it's nose up USA's arse - invading everyone, bringing terror to us all & becoming a nasty racist country.............of which I imagine you approve as you clearly must be a right wing war-mongering prick.
shareTHAT CONFIRMS IT. LONDON IS NOW "LONDONISTAN" BECAUSE OF COMMIE BRITS LIKE YOU. ENJOY THE BEHEADINGS .. SOON TO START .. AT A "TUBE STATION" NEAR YOU. YOU CRAPPED AWAY A WONDERFUL COUNTRY ... NOW WANT TO JUDGE AMERICA ??? FXXX OFF - JXX OFF !!!!
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