'The October Man' sounded absolutely great on paper, a mix of psychological drama, film-noir and mystery (a contender for my favourite genre) is very much my cup of tea when it comes to film. Also was drawn in by that it was a very early directing effort, his debut actually, for the reliable Roy Ward Baker and that it had a strong cast headed by John Mills, a versatile actor with an unsurprisingly long career who when in a role that suited him well was very good and more.
While not perfect or mind-blowing, though actually none of the very few flaws it has are major, that didn't stop me from being hugely impressed by 'The October Man'. The great concept is lived up to (not always the case with films with great concepts, have seen a fair share of potential wastes over-time), it's a very well made and put together film, the cast are strong and it was hard to believe that this was a directing debut. If you like murder mysteries mixed with psychoplogy, you should like this.
Do admit to suspecting the person who was the murderer early on while not finding it completely obvious (with there being another person too in particular who was equally capable of doing it).
Agree as well that the police/detective work does suspend disbelief, portrayed as being not particularly competent.
On the other point of view, 'The October Man' looks great. The photography is pure atmospheric class, especially in the climax and just as brilliant at enhancing the Gothic, fog-laden setting. William Alwyn's music score has the right amount of moody unsettlement without being over-the-top or over-emphasising. Baker's direction is more than sturdy, this did not feel like a directing debut at all but indicative more of somebody who had been doing it for some years before and had found their style.
Eric Ambler adapts from his own source material, and it is a thoughtful and taut script. The story is always intriguing and absorbing, with some genuinely suspenseful and memorable moments and some nice twists. The beginning sets up the tone of the film powerfully, but the highlights are the nail-biting ending (where one is like "is he going to do it" or not) and the spine-tingling scene between Jim and Peachy, mainly for Edward Chapman's acting. Mills is utterly riveting in for me one of his best performances, when Jim is in psychological torment Mills' expressions are just so telling and it was hard to not root for Jim. Joan Greenwood is a sympathetic presence and Chapman brilliantly gives a sense of unease. Joyce Carey is a hoot in her role.
Summing up, very good with a lot of great things. 8/10
While not perfect or mind-blowing, though actually none of the very few flaws it has are major, that didn't stop me from being hugely impressed by 'The October Man'. The great concept is lived up to (not always the case with films with great concepts, have seen a fair share of potential wastes over-time), it's a very well made and put together film, the cast are strong and it was hard to believe that this was a directing debut. If you like murder mysteries mixed with psychoplogy, you should like this.
Do admit to suspecting the person who was the murderer early on while not finding it completely obvious (with there being another person too in particular who was equally capable of doing it).
Agree as well that the police/detective work does suspend disbelief, portrayed as being not particularly competent.
On the other point of view, 'The October Man' looks great. The photography is pure atmospheric class, especially in the climax and just as brilliant at enhancing the Gothic, fog-laden setting. William Alwyn's music score has the right amount of moody unsettlement without being over-the-top or over-emphasising. Baker's direction is more than sturdy, this did not feel like a directing debut at all but indicative more of somebody who had been doing it for some years before and had found their style.
Eric Ambler adapts from his own source material, and it is a thoughtful and taut script. The story is always intriguing and absorbing, with some genuinely suspenseful and memorable moments and some nice twists. The beginning sets up the tone of the film powerfully, but the highlights are the nail-biting ending (where one is like "is he going to do it" or not) and the spine-tingling scene between Jim and Peachy, mainly for Edward Chapman's acting. Mills is utterly riveting in for me one of his best performances, when Jim is in psychological torment Mills' expressions are just so telling and it was hard to not root for Jim. Joan Greenwood is a sympathetic presence and Chapman brilliantly gives a sense of unease. Joyce Carey is a hoot in her role.
Summing up, very good with a lot of great things. 8/10