fedor8
More like a 5-cent brain. A pathologically paranoid computer that orders the killing of just about everyone in the movie runs an organization so powerful it almost starts WWIII. Yup, that's how dumb this crap is. One would think that a "superior" mechanical thinking device would make half-way rational decisions; instead, this hunk of metal junk proves to be more bloodthirsty than a gulag operator.The inclusion of Stock, the jovial old Communist from the previous film, was a telling sign. The producers/writers of the HP series were Communist sympathizers, or at least quite sympathetic to the touching plight of the pro-life pacifistic Marxist cause, i.e. childishly naïve about the Soviet Union and its inner workings. Presenting this Russian character as a likable jolly old man is about as twisted as it gets.To Deighton, the closet Marxist who wrote the book, a top Russian military guy is the voice of reason, truth and and a moral compass for the viewer, while a Texas millionaire (representing capitalism - so unsubtle is this Deighton) represents evil, stupidity, aggression and madness. Wow. What drugs was this "Das Kapital"-hugging nincompoop on? Stock tells Caine that it's absurd to believe that the people of Latvia are hoping to get rid off Soviet presence - and THIS is presented to the audience as the voice of reason! Amazing stuff. Anyone who has ever been to ANY of Soviet Union's former European colonies will know just how extremely hated the Russians were(are) there. Deighton is the stereotypical Left-wing elitist, a typical 60s dreamer with his head in the clouds and his feet firmly in the stratosphere.It is downright shameful to portray anti-Communist/anti-Soviet forces in the West as insane Christian-fundamentalist, cowboy-hat-wearing hicks. (The Texans are such daft hicks, according to BDB, that they even wear their cowboy hats in freezing Helsinki.) So obvious and unabashed is the film about its anti-American, pro-Soviet message that Begley was encouraged to give the most over-the-top, exaggerated, hence moronic performance that I have ever seen from a "heavy" in a non-comedy. At the latest with the appearance of foam at the edges of Begley's perpetually-screaming mouth does the movie totally fall apart under its own cretinous weight. It starts looking like a failed parody of a spy movie.Something tells me BDB might have been shown in over 1,000 Soviet cinemas (if they had that many) at the time of its release. In fact, if I didn't know better I'd assume that the Russians had financed it. This is blatant anti-Western propaganda.There is very little credibility in the CIA not knowing squat about Begley's secret paramilitary organization (so secret he holds rallies outside, with hundreds of people, while he screams slogans at around 120 decibels) in spite of the fact that it's financed from within the States, Texas no less (to make it more bombastic), and yet the KGB seem to even know such tiny details as whom the computer had targeted for assassination. Just one of the many far-fetched, utterly silly pieces of illogic that are scattered around this film like grains of sand on a beach.Malden receives orders to kill the girl; the girl gets orders to kill Caine; the Latvian freedom-fighter gets orders to kill Caine - and that was just in one afternoon, I believe. Frankly, it's a wonder that this oh-so dangerous organization lasted longer than a week, what with all the in-fighting/in-killing. The CIA and MI5 shouldn't have even bothered. Begley's little paramilitary formation should have eradicated themselves through inner-rank assassination within a few weeks. Perhaps the computer would have eventually even ordered its boss/owner, played so vapidly by Begley, to be killed too. So very silly.Are Texas oil millionaires really just moronic, goofy, gun-totting fools who behave like little children and shout a lot, while spit flies around them? Well, if you believe that then you must be even dumber than the left-wing putzes who wrote and produced this imbecilic flick. Let me get this straight: "the General" is a silly, dumb oaf (several characters including Caine have referred to him as "stupid") yet the CIA haven't been able to get a decent file on organization's activities? Just one of many staggeringly dumb, far-fetched aspects."The General" didn't seem to be bothered that not one but three people his dandy computer ordered to be killed were still alive, including Caine and Malden, both of whom he welcomed with open arms when they arrived to Texas. WTF? Talk about a tightly-run organization! Even its boss has no clue what's going on half the time. The writer of this silly drivel wanted to have his cake and eat it too; have a bad guy who is both intelligent and stupid, both competent and incompetent, the viewers basically being expected to flip-flop from one extreme to the other depending on the momentary needs of the plot.BDB ends with a spectacularly cartoonish, stupid, bombastic ending, with General Begley doing an impersonation of Chaplin impersonating Hitler, while he drowns in ice, as Communist Stock grins happily for having secured the Latvian people's slavery for at least another 20 years. And this is a happy ending? No wonder no Harry Palmer film had been made after this turkey, for decades. Keep in mind also that this text has only scratched the surface of all the nonsense there is here. A text-book example of how to sink a successful movie franchise.The nepotistic female lead looks crap and acts just as badly. Why couldn't have they just cast someone who isn't part of the Filmic In-Breeding Program?
st-shot
Former British Secret Service agent Harry Palmer (Michael Caine ) now a private investigator is given a package to deliver to a man in Helsinki. Palmer''s suspicions however get the best of him. He discovers that the package contains live virus and is intended by some ultra right wing Texan to help him destroy the Red machine beginning with the invasion of Latvia. In the era of the secret agent craze Caine's Palmer was the anti Bond more scruffy than polished, the plots more gritty than glamorous. In this the last of the series it flirts with the Bond formula and falls on its face. Palmer's rumpled incertitude partially works due to the first half of the films convoluted structure but when dealing with a powerful megalomaniac with weapons of mass destruction in the latter third it becomes strictly a job for 007.Billion Dollar Brain's biggest misstep however is Ken Russell's direction. The idiosyncratic director's penchant for outlandish composition and expressionistic caricature are ill suited for action and suspense and his montages and tempo are flat and murky most of the time, his acerbic wit evident on occasion but out of place much of the time as it veers in and out of spoof. Billion Dollar Brain isn't worth a nickel of your time.
ma-cortes
This is the third of the Harry Palmer spy stories which made Caine a big name star as sympathetic crook turned int secret agent. Nowadays Harry forced into retirement works as private eye . Henry encounters himself privately recruited by the British Secret Agency and he's again hired by MI6 and his colonel Ross(Guy Doleman, usual in the trilogy). He must to deliver a thermos flask containing an estrange eggs to American(Karl Malden) resident in Finland. Harry gets a little help from a gorgeous woman(Francois Dorleac sister to Catherine Deneuve and deceased by car crash) but treachery is all around and he starts to doubt of his partners. Meanwhile a millionaire Texan(an overacting and blustering Ed Begley) prepares a military uprising in Estonia with the help of a billion dollar computer.His objective is the overthrowing communism by means a coup de'Etat in Riga. Meanwhile the Russian intelligence officer( a wickedly comic Oskar Homolka who appeared in 'Funeral in Berlin' as defector) in charge of Russian espionage tries detain it.Michael Caine as deadpan, flabby anti-hero is phenomenal , he makes a delightful creation as the cockney secret agent, an immensely agreeable role. Packs solid scenes such as the final spectacular icebound highlights, among others . Appears uncredited Donald Sutherland as a scientist at computer. This exciting picture displays a James Bond style , in fact the producer is Harry Saltzman in charge of OO7 production. Emotive musical score including sensible leitmotif by Richard Rodney Barrett. Colorful cinematography reflecting splendidly the freeze outdoors by Billy Williams. The motion picture is well directed by Ken Rusell,who adds his peculiar style in some frames. The best adaptation based upon the bestseller by Len Deighton is ¨Ipcress file(65)¨ by Sidney J Furie, it's followed by ¨Funeral in Berlin¨ (66) by Guy Hamilton and continues the series with inferior renditions for TV, titled ¨Bullet to Beijing(95)¨ and ¨Midnight in Saint Petesburg(97)¨ by George Mihalka.
Bolesroor
A spy flick from '67 produced by Harry Saltzman (hold the Broccoli) with titles by Maurice Binder- the bad news is that Connery is nowhere to be seen! Instead we're stuck with Michael Caine in a buffoonish, distinctly-British 007 ripoff.You ever have a headache on a perfectly lovely Spring day? The air is full, the trees are in bloom, the sun just won't go down... but your throbbing head just ruins the day. This movie is that headache.I never quite got Michael Caine's appeal... he always seemed to be a benign British dullard- two steps behind everyone else in the room. Here he does his own Austin Powers impression as "dashing" secret agent Harry Palmer in black-rimmed glasses, crooked teeth and a shaggy perm. Whereas Sean Connery brought a raw masculine swagger to the role of super-spy, Mr. Caine looks ready for a shawl and warm glass of milk. His superior arrives and asks him to return to work and Caine earnestly pleads with him: "Please... sir... I... don't... want... to... come... back... to...work." You have just witnessed the most dramatic scene in the film.Director Ken Russell- before exposing his insanity in films like "Tommy"- directs here with a sprawling stupidity; in trying to imitate the Bond movies by-the-numbers he exposes the film's weak script and lackluster performances. Karl Malden- usually consistently wonderful- shows up as a panicky communist double agent. Palmer's woman has nothing on any of the Bond girls- she's short, blond, and wears black-rimmed glasses and spends most of the film berating him about his commitment issues.Michael Caine has the same look on his face when he's tied up and horsewhipped by an enemy that he does buttering his everything bagel. It's impossible to hate the guy, but impossible to love him, either. In fact this whole movie spontaneously unravels as it unreels... like a car crash... or a headache...I need some Tylenol.GRADE: D+
