areaseven Posted February 23, 2011 Posted February 23, 2011 The IPCRESS File The Rank Organisation, 1965 Directed by Sidney J. Furie (Iron Eagle, Superman IV: The Quest for Peace) Based on the novel by Len Deighton Running Time: 109 minutes Rated PG for violence and mild language. Cast Michael Caine (Charlie in The Italian Job, Lt. Vandeleur in A Bridge Too Far) as Harry Palmer Guy Doleman (1923-1996) (Count Lippe in Thunderball) as Col. Ross Nigel Green (1924-1972) (Hercules in Jason and the Argonauts) as Maj. Dalby Sue Lloyd as Jean Courtney Gordon Jackson (1923-1990) (Cowley in The Professionals) as Carswell Aubrey Richards as Dr. Radcliffe Synopsis British agent Harry Palmer is assigned to investigate the disappearance of a top scientist, which is believed to be linked to similar incidents where scientists are abducted and recovered, but with their minds wiped clean. After raiding a suspected hideout, Harry discovers a piece of audio tape labeled "IPCRESS", which is later on revealed to be a part of a mental experiment called "Induction of Psycho-neuroses by Conditioned Reflex under Stress." It is not long before agents working with him are systematically killed when the clues begin to unravel, and Harry himself becomes the subject of the perpetrator's experiment. Lowdown Spy thrillers - people love them for the sheer amounts of suspense and mystery around them. And for the past five decades, the general public has related the spy thriller genre with the James Bond 007 film series. But there's just one problem: even though Bond films are highly enjoyable, they're extremely overblown with flashy gadgets, impossible stunts and MI6's obviously implausible budget. And then we have The IPCRESS File - the antithesis of the James Bond films, presented by long-time James Bond 007 producer Harry Saltzman (1915-1994). The film does away with the James Bond nonsense - no gadgets, no exotic vacation spots, no terrorist organizations bent on world domination. Instead, we have Michael Caine as Harry Palmer: a man struggling to make ends meet with what seems to be minimum wage in the Ministry of Defence. And unlike most Bond films, The IPCRESS File is heavily story-driven, with excellent performances by Caine and the rest of the cast in depicting a heavily realistic spy agency environment. http://www.youtube.c...h?v=XsSDjcfC3oM The soundtrack by the late John Barry (1933-2011) is significantly less flamboyant than his James Bond 007 works, but is very effective in adding depth to every scene in this film - from the opening sequence where Harry wakes up to make himself coffee to the film's climactic ending. The sample clip above sends chills every time. In a recent interview for the upcoming Disney/Pixar film Cars 2, Caine mentioned that he based his Finn McMissile voice on Harry Palmer. This would prove very interesting. In the meantime, go rent or buy The IPCRESS File on DVD. It's practically what a spy thriller film should look like. Rating: A+ References The Internet Movie Database Wikipedia Quote
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