There are plenty of twists & turns in this highly cerebral cold war thriller. Russian military official Omar Sharif woos Julie Andrews in hopes of getting her to defect...or so Russia thinks. Director Blake Edwards put together this highly entertaining game of cat-and-mouse and elicits quite a bit of chemistry between Sharif & Andrews. He also had the good sense to populate the supporting cast with a lot of fine (mostly British) character actors. Anthony Quayle is very good as a very unpleasant spy and Dan O'Herlihy is excellent as an embassy official with a lot of secrets. As O'Herlihy's bitchy wife, Sylvia Syms steals each scene she's in. Still the film belongs to Sharif & Andrews and they make their outlandish situation believable. Excellent cinematography (in Barbados, Paris & London) by Freddie Young.
Review of The Tamarind Seed
The Tamarind Seed
(1974)
The hills are alive with...the sound of SPIES?
5 May 2013
Warning: Spoilers