ferbs54 Just had myself a little Harry Palmer weekend, watching all three films in this classic trilogy starring Michael Caine as the Cockney thief turned secret agent. First up was 1965's "The Ipcress File," costarring Nigel Green and Guy Doleman as Harry's two superiors (both of them far more disagreeable than James Bond's M), as well as Sue Lloyd as the agent who Harry gets involved with. In this initial outing, Palmer is tasked with finding a British scientist who had recently been kidnapped, and discovering why so many other scientists have been turning up with their brains completely drained. Ultimately, Harry gets to the bottom of things, but not before he himself is subjected to some pretty harrowing mental torture. The film is directed in a very stylish manner by someone named Sidney J. Furie; most of the film's images are really something to look at, and off-kilter camera angles and bizarre camera setups abound. Like the Bond films, this Palmer outing was produced by Harry Saltzman (as were the following two); other elements that connect to the 007 franchise are Peter Hunt as editor, a wonderful score by John Barry, and set design by the great Ken Adam. But this is a far cry from the universe of 007; Palmer and his world are far more realistic and credible. Thus, we see Harry shopping in a supermarket, asking about his salary and so on. The Bond movies were pure escapism; the Palmer movies are set very much in our humdrum world, and the London settings are anything but glamorous, but rather drab and dingy. In all, an excellent opener for this trilogy, and challenging as well, as the viewer tries to keep up with all the plot complications and double crosses. In Harry's world, nobody, it seems, is what he or she seems, and everyone seems to have a secret agenda....

SnoopyStyle There is a suspicious brain drain in Britain. Scientist Radcliffe is kidnapped off of a train. Harry Palmer (Michael Caine) is stuck doing mind-numbing surveillance. His boss Colonel Ross pulls him out after 2 months in the doghouse and transfers him to counter-intelligence headed by paperwork-obsessed Major Dalby. Unconventional Palmer tracks Radcliffe to a warehouse. Radcliffe isn't there but there is a tape labeled IPCRESS. Dalby tells him to open an Ipcress File.I love the style. I love the bureaucratic side of espionage. I also love Michael Caine's cool demeanor. I love the first two thirds of the movie. The last act is questionable. It's a bit too cheesy. There isn't enough tension. It needs some more action. Also I'm not sure why the conspirators do what they do. It feels different from the first parts of the movie.

grantss Intriguing espionage drama, based on the Len Deighton novel.Decent, reasonably complex, plot. Not 100% watertight, but the holes aren't big. Solid direction by Sidney J Furie. Movie moves along at a decent pace and he builds the tension well. Does miss a few beats though. Some scenes are quite flat and almost pointless.Good final few scenes which make it all worthwhile and bring everything together.Good performance by Michael Caine in the lead role. Not your average spy - he is almost the anti-James Bond. Resourceful, but slovenly and, well, human. Seemed much more like a real agent would be than James Bond.Good support from Nigel Green and Guy Doleman.

l_rawjalaurence THE IPCRESS FILE covers familiar territory of a Cold War spy thriller; it contains an incomprehensible plot, a fair share of untrustworthy characters, and a subject (The Ipcress File) which is never satisfactorily explained. Suffice to say that Harry Palmer (Michael Caine) discovers the cause of all the trouble, but only after a considerable degree of suffering at the hands of a torturer (Frank Gatliff).What makes Sidney J. Furie's film so memorable is its shooting-style (photography by Otto Heller). It makes use of the basic shot- reverse shot sequence, but every frame is partially obscured by an object, or person placed close to the camera; we seldom see the characters' faces in full profile. This strategy helps to create an atmosphere of menace, where nothing is quite as it seems, and every mission suggested to Harry by his two bosses Dalby (Nigel Green) and Ross (Guy Doleman) appears to have ulterior motives behind it that Palmer remains blissfully unaware of. Palmer himself retains his integrity throughout, even if he perceives himself as something of a rebel within the Secret Service.THE IPCRESS FILE is a direct antithesis of the Bond canon of films, also popular at the time of release. It is set in a grimy, rain- sodden London full of gray buildings and dark interior; no exotic locations for this spy. The most colorful aspect of the mise-en- scene are the big old-fashioned Routemaster buses that drive up and down familiar streets - Piccadilly, Whitehall, Oxford Street. Palmer himself lives in a shabby apartment; his one concession to the so-called 'Swinging Sixties' spirit is an ability to cook, but no one, not least his colleague Jean (Sue Lloyd) seems especially interested. The film inevitably incorporates some of the sexist attitudes of the time - for Palmer all women are "birds," and they do not become actively involved in any espionage activity. The film is a very masculinist piece, with legions of actors dressed in long coats, trilby hats and dark suits. Palmer himself has a good sartorial sense, but even he adopts the same uniform, especially when in pursuit of the enemy.Michael Caine, in a pre-ALFIE role, shows all the cockiness characteristic of his youthful period, when he really believed he could challenge the status quo. Whether he succeeds or not is very much open to debate.