John Huston directed this little-seen thriller that stars Paul Newman as Joseph Reardon, a member of British Intelligence sent on an undercover mission by his boss Mr. Mackintosh(played by Harry Andrews) in a prison where he is given a fictitious criminal background in order to infiltrate a criminal gang where the leaders are imprisoned. He assists in their eventual escape which leads from Ireland to Malta. His contact(played by Dominique Sanda) is a beautiful but aloof woman who has her own personal reasons for the assignment, which includes a Parliament member(played by James Mason) who isn't what he pretends to be... OK espionage thriller with good cast and direction, though the plot does seem overly complicated at times.
55 Reviews
Top tier cast and crew deliver a lazy spy film
a_chinn2 August 2019
John Huston ("The African Queen" "The Maltese Falcon" "The Treasure of the Sierra Madre") directs this spy thriller scripted by Walter Hill ("The Driver" "48 Hrs." "Undisputed") which stars a top tier cast that includes Paul Newman, Dominique Sanda, James Mason, and a host of British actors who you're sure to recognize. There's also photography by Oscar winning cinematographer Oswald Morris and music by multiple Oscar winning composer Maurice Jarre. Sadly, what ends up on screen is dullsville. Newman plays a British secret agent who pretends to be an Australian criminal who later pretends to be Canadian, in order to infiltrate a secret spy organization run by villainous James Mason. The dullness of the film may be explained by some behind-the-scenes politics. Walter Hill was in the process of suing Warner Bros. but came to an agreement to adapt this book, which he halfheartedly did in order to complete his obligation. Hill later stated he only wrote the first half of the film and the rest was re-written by Huston and others, with the script not even completed two weeks into shooting. Cinematographer Oswald Morris also reported that Huston was rather disinterested in the film, showing up late to set and that Morris and crew were the ones who had to set up the shots for the day and catch up the unprepared Huston when he did finally show up. Newman was also reportedly disappointed at Huston's lack of enthusiasm for the project. Given all that, it's understandable that this spy thriller is rather lifeless. Still, Mason and Newman are compulsively watchable and even a disinterested Huston is still a better than most, so although lackluster, "The MacKintosh Man" is still watchable. Also, I think this is probably the first and only time you'll ever see Paul Newman coldcock a dog and drown it.
Somewhat disappointing
Wizard-822 January 1999
While never actively bad, this thriller just isn't exceptional. The first half isn't bad (we keep wondering why Newman is doing these things, and we wonder where he's going and what's going to happen), though it somehow lacks "oomph" to everything. In the second half, it starts to get dull. You won't be clear on everything in the end, and the climax came off more as a whimper than a bang. Nowhere near the worst movie in the world, but you can give it a miss despite Huston directing and Newman starring. This didn't do very well at the box office when it first came out, and it's easy to see why.
More than what it seems
gleywong30 August 2003
Hitchcock appears to be the ghost that is haunting John Huston in this flick. Or should we say that it is Huston's homage to Hitchcock that we have here, and which seems to either spice up, or overburden the film, depending on who the viewer is. The cinematography, lowkey brown color palette and restrained performances -- allowing the vivid "action" to move the plot-- all have shades of the later Hitchcock movies like "Topaz" or the one with Newman himself in it, "Torn Curtain." In fact Hitchcock made only one more film after the 1973 date of "Mackintosh Man," so we are witnessing something which could be interpreted as an effort on Huston's part to continue that legacy. Some specific parallels are, for example, Newman's struggle in the river to strangle the killer-dog set on him during his escape echoing the struggle in the farmhouse to kill the Russian agent ("Torn Curtain"). Or the mad car chase over rocky Irish roads by Newman and Sanda, mimicking the inevitable car chases patented by Hitch in various of his early b/w films, such as "The Man who Knew too Much (w/ Donat)" or "Young and Innocent".
Another parallel can be seen in the casting. Besides Newman himself, there is Huston's selection of the mysterious Dominique Sanda, one of Europe's most sensuous stars, whose appeal mirrors Hitchcock's obsession with the cool blonde beauty of Grace Kelly, Eva Marie Saint or Tippi Hedren.
Then, too, we have the eloquent James Mason in a late role commanding the opening of the film in the House of Lords by holding forth in the grand manner. But we should guess that he is here a Hitchcockian anti-hero, one in the mold of Phillip Vandamm from Hitch's monumental "North by Northwest." More parallels could be drawn, but for the mise-en-scene, Huston does one up on Hitch by actually filming in Ireland and Malta.
As for the plot it appears to have the tempting multilayered complexity of a typical English thriller, such as those in which Michael Caine appeared before he was swallowed up by Hollywood. If there are plot densities, we are after all, dealing with agents and double-agents, and things can get knotted up. In what other country than England could upperclass spies -- traitors-- be celebrated in literature and movies like the agents Philby or Blunt? Newman's adversaries are gentlemen, but not what they seem to be. We even get an idea of what an English prison is like and the quantities of laundry that they do. Last of all, who is Mrs. Smith? A name deliberately chosen for its opaqueness. Is she convincing as Mackintosh's daughter, or is she merely an agent, and not even a double agent? Yes, there are holes in the plot, but overall, the performances and Newman's Great Escape make up for the plot weaknesses.
Of four ****, three and a half. Still a must for fans of the director Huston, or the stars Newman, Mason or Sanda, and the many supporting stalwarts of British b/w postwar movies and Masterpiece Theatre productions.
Another parallel can be seen in the casting. Besides Newman himself, there is Huston's selection of the mysterious Dominique Sanda, one of Europe's most sensuous stars, whose appeal mirrors Hitchcock's obsession with the cool blonde beauty of Grace Kelly, Eva Marie Saint or Tippi Hedren.
Then, too, we have the eloquent James Mason in a late role commanding the opening of the film in the House of Lords by holding forth in the grand manner. But we should guess that he is here a Hitchcockian anti-hero, one in the mold of Phillip Vandamm from Hitch's monumental "North by Northwest." More parallels could be drawn, but for the mise-en-scene, Huston does one up on Hitch by actually filming in Ireland and Malta.
As for the plot it appears to have the tempting multilayered complexity of a typical English thriller, such as those in which Michael Caine appeared before he was swallowed up by Hollywood. If there are plot densities, we are after all, dealing with agents and double-agents, and things can get knotted up. In what other country than England could upperclass spies -- traitors-- be celebrated in literature and movies like the agents Philby or Blunt? Newman's adversaries are gentlemen, but not what they seem to be. We even get an idea of what an English prison is like and the quantities of laundry that they do. Last of all, who is Mrs. Smith? A name deliberately chosen for its opaqueness. Is she convincing as Mackintosh's daughter, or is she merely an agent, and not even a double agent? Yes, there are holes in the plot, but overall, the performances and Newman's Great Escape make up for the plot weaknesses.
Of four ****, three and a half. Still a must for fans of the director Huston, or the stars Newman, Mason or Sanda, and the many supporting stalwarts of British b/w postwar movies and Masterpiece Theatre productions.
A British agent is assigned by spymaster Mackintosh to impersonate a criminal and infiltrate a strange spy ring
ma-cortes20 January 2013
Thrilling and exciting picture with an extraordinary duo , Paul Newman and Dominique Sanda , they form an awesome pair in this interesting flick . This is an entertaining movie full of all usual trimmings : car pursuits , fistfights , noisy action , getaway and capture . It deals with a member of British Intelligence named Reardon (Paul Newman) who undergoes a risked assignment ordered by Mackintosh (Harry Andrews) . As he is recruited , assuming a fictitious criminal identity and allows himself to be caught , imprisoned, and freed in order to infiltrate a spy organization led by a mysterious leader (Michael Hordern) . Reardon have to expose a communist traitor and he also must catch him . The intrigue involves a Conservative Member of the British Parliament, Sir George Wheeler (James Mason) , who is best known for his frequent political diatribes on the British government . Meanwhile , Reardon goes in action , being helped by a beautiful agent (Dominique Sanda in her first Hollywood movie for French actress) .
A cold war spy thriller with all the edge-of-seat ingredients : suspense , thrills , a complex intrigue , twists and turns . Intriguing and thrilling script , being one of the first produced screenplays of Walter Hill who later became an action thriller director . Paul Newman is first rate as a secret agent assigned a dangerous mission accompanied by a beauty Dominique Sanda . Wily and excellent , as always , James Mason as a cunning Parliament member with dark aims . This is the first of two movies that actors Paul Newman and James Mason made together , the other was Verdict . It's also the second of two movies that director John Huston and actor Paul Newman made together , he first was The judge Roy Bean , made the previous year . Supporting cast is frankly magnificent , such as Ian Bannen , Nigel Patrick , Michael Hordern , Percy Herbert , the last film of Noel Purcell and Niall MacGinnis and special mention to Harry Andrews as Mackintosh . This film and its source novel were loosely based on the identification, defection and escape from Wormwood Scrubs Prison in 1966 of Russian spy George Blake who was working in British intelligence as a double agent but was not one of the Cambridge Five spies . Colorful and evocative cinematography by Oswald Morris filmed on location in London , Ireland and Malta . Enjoyable musical score by the great Maurice Jarre , including a catching leitmotif .
The motion picture was well produced by John Foreman who financed various Huston films such as The Man Who Would Be King ; being stunningly directed by the great John Huston at his best . Director John Huston made this spy movie not longer after he had helmed another espionage film , Kremlin's letter . The picture was made in a good time of the 70s and 80s when Huston resurged as a director of quality films with Fat City, (1972 ), the afore-mentioned The man who would be king (1975) and Wise blood (1979). He ended his career on a high note with Under volcano (1984), Honor of Prizzi (1985) and Dublineses (1987). Rating : 7 above average , worthwhile watching , though P.G. , parents guide , for its violence and beatings . This is one of John Huston's main films , a model of his kind , the spy genre , definitely a must see if you are aficionado to thriller film . Huston broke a new ground with this landmark movie , providing exciting scenes and unforgettable dialogs .
A cold war spy thriller with all the edge-of-seat ingredients : suspense , thrills , a complex intrigue , twists and turns . Intriguing and thrilling script , being one of the first produced screenplays of Walter Hill who later became an action thriller director . Paul Newman is first rate as a secret agent assigned a dangerous mission accompanied by a beauty Dominique Sanda . Wily and excellent , as always , James Mason as a cunning Parliament member with dark aims . This is the first of two movies that actors Paul Newman and James Mason made together , the other was Verdict . It's also the second of two movies that director John Huston and actor Paul Newman made together , he first was The judge Roy Bean , made the previous year . Supporting cast is frankly magnificent , such as Ian Bannen , Nigel Patrick , Michael Hordern , Percy Herbert , the last film of Noel Purcell and Niall MacGinnis and special mention to Harry Andrews as Mackintosh . This film and its source novel were loosely based on the identification, defection and escape from Wormwood Scrubs Prison in 1966 of Russian spy George Blake who was working in British intelligence as a double agent but was not one of the Cambridge Five spies . Colorful and evocative cinematography by Oswald Morris filmed on location in London , Ireland and Malta . Enjoyable musical score by the great Maurice Jarre , including a catching leitmotif .
The motion picture was well produced by John Foreman who financed various Huston films such as The Man Who Would Be King ; being stunningly directed by the great John Huston at his best . Director John Huston made this spy movie not longer after he had helmed another espionage film , Kremlin's letter . The picture was made in a good time of the 70s and 80s when Huston resurged as a director of quality films with Fat City, (1972 ), the afore-mentioned The man who would be king (1975) and Wise blood (1979). He ended his career on a high note with Under volcano (1984), Honor of Prizzi (1985) and Dublineses (1987). Rating : 7 above average , worthwhile watching , though P.G. , parents guide , for its violence and beatings . This is one of John Huston's main films , a model of his kind , the spy genre , definitely a must see if you are aficionado to thriller film . Huston broke a new ground with this landmark movie , providing exciting scenes and unforgettable dialogs .
stale construction
SnoopyStyle5 November 2017
British agent Joseph Rearden (Paul Newman) meets his superior MacKintosh and Mrs Smith who direct him to steal diamonds from mysterious mail deliveries. He gets arrested after an anonymous tip and sentenced to 20 years in prison. He joins Slade, a KGB mole in British intelligence, in a prison escape. They are drugged and brought to a vast secret organization. Meanwhile, politician Sir George Wheeler (James Mason) rails against the government and MacKintosh informs him of infiltrating the escape organization.
The first act is rather stale. John Huston directs the material in a standard manner. The trial is boring. It would have worked much better to start with Newman arriving in prison. His intelligence background should be revealed much later as a shocking twist. The pacing and plotting is rather slow and methodical. It is competently made and it has the great Paul Newman. It's well into the second half when they finally have a car chase. Otherwise, the drama is rather limited.
The first act is rather stale. John Huston directs the material in a standard manner. The trial is boring. It would have worked much better to start with Newman arriving in prison. His intelligence background should be revealed much later as a shocking twist. The pacing and plotting is rather slow and methodical. It is competently made and it has the great Paul Newman. It's well into the second half when they finally have a car chase. Otherwise, the drama is rather limited.
Read the source book by Desmond Bagley, and enjoy all the great character actors in the movie
Terrell-419 June 2008
Warning: Spoilers
For some reason Paul Newman and international intrigue never hit it off. In The Prize (Mark Robson, 1963), a story of skullduggery at the Nobel Prize ceremonies, complete with kidnappings, violence and romance, Newman looks petulant and sounds whiney. The movie's style echoes Charade and To Catch a Thief, but Newman is definitely no Cary Grant. In Torn Curtain (Alfred Hitchcock, 1966), where a killing is brutal and lengthy, betrayal and capture is a real possibility but where tension is lacking, Newman usually looks irritable and uncomfortable. Torn Curtain isn't much of a movie and Newman disliked his experience working with Hitchcock, but Newman's performance is flat and perfunctory.
With the Mackintosh Man, a story of Cold War intrigue, treason and dangerous escapes, Newman doesn't break his pattern. He gives a performance that, for me, seems commonplace. It's not all his fault. The screenplay by Walter Hill, undoubtedly with a lot of input from director John Huston, is unnecessarily complicated and abrupt. Worse, Huston's direction, in my opinion, is careless and sloppy. Relationships in the movie aren't made clear. There's no subtlety. Details get lost. There's a long, pointless car chase. At times Newman looks like he's all by himself, acting in a vacuum. Much of the movie was filmed in Ireland during Huston's long Irish squire period. One assumes this was the primary reason Huston did the film. He could get great tax write-offs; he was where he enjoyed being; the Irish loved having him there...and he evidently didn't want to be bothered by working too hard.
So why watch the movie? Well, if you're a fan of the adventure novels of Desmond Bagley, you'll know The Mackintosh Man is based on Bagley's The Freedom Trap. For some reason I get a little nostalgic, even while I'm either bored or irritated by the movie, knowing this. The book, as nearly all of Bagley's novels are, is a superior read with careful, tricky plotting, good writing and protagonists you can come to like. The second reason is James Mason. He plays a slippery fellow you'd better not trust too far. Mason is a movie in himself, as he usually was in all of his films. It's a delight to observe just how good he was. The third reason is the large number of first-rate British character actors that populate the movie. Some have significant roles, others are on and off quickly. Here are a few, and they're all memorable...Harry Andrews, Ian Bannen, Michael Hordern, Nigel Patrick, Peter Vaughan, Roland Culver, Percy Herbert, Niall MacGinnis, Noel Purcell, and Leo Genn. The movie may be confusingly written and carelessly directed, Newman may seem out of place, but you can't beat the cast.
Newman plays Joe Reardon, a tough crook tossed into a British high security prison for 20 years. Eventually he hooks up with a gang that runs an escape operation for long-term prisoners. They get you over the wall and to another country. They can get Reardon out if he pays their high price. Others have gone before. He agrees and out he goes, with another prisoner who is a traitor. By gum, we find out Reardon really is working with British counter- intelligence. High-level traitors are being sprung from the prison and winding up in a transit pipeline to the Soviet Union by way of Malta. Could an aristocratic member of parliament, Sir George Wheeler (Mason), be involved? Does the beautiful Mrs. Smith (Dominque Sanda) really care for Joe or is she playing her own game? Can Newman ever show he's tough without sounding sarcastic? Could a dramatic shoot-out at the climax be more self-consciously staged and directed?
Read Bagley's The Freedom Trap, then see the movie. You'll like, I hope, the story in the book, and you'll like the actors in the movie.
With the Mackintosh Man, a story of Cold War intrigue, treason and dangerous escapes, Newman doesn't break his pattern. He gives a performance that, for me, seems commonplace. It's not all his fault. The screenplay by Walter Hill, undoubtedly with a lot of input from director John Huston, is unnecessarily complicated and abrupt. Worse, Huston's direction, in my opinion, is careless and sloppy. Relationships in the movie aren't made clear. There's no subtlety. Details get lost. There's a long, pointless car chase. At times Newman looks like he's all by himself, acting in a vacuum. Much of the movie was filmed in Ireland during Huston's long Irish squire period. One assumes this was the primary reason Huston did the film. He could get great tax write-offs; he was where he enjoyed being; the Irish loved having him there...and he evidently didn't want to be bothered by working too hard.
So why watch the movie? Well, if you're a fan of the adventure novels of Desmond Bagley, you'll know The Mackintosh Man is based on Bagley's The Freedom Trap. For some reason I get a little nostalgic, even while I'm either bored or irritated by the movie, knowing this. The book, as nearly all of Bagley's novels are, is a superior read with careful, tricky plotting, good writing and protagonists you can come to like. The second reason is James Mason. He plays a slippery fellow you'd better not trust too far. Mason is a movie in himself, as he usually was in all of his films. It's a delight to observe just how good he was. The third reason is the large number of first-rate British character actors that populate the movie. Some have significant roles, others are on and off quickly. Here are a few, and they're all memorable...Harry Andrews, Ian Bannen, Michael Hordern, Nigel Patrick, Peter Vaughan, Roland Culver, Percy Herbert, Niall MacGinnis, Noel Purcell, and Leo Genn. The movie may be confusingly written and carelessly directed, Newman may seem out of place, but you can't beat the cast.
Newman plays Joe Reardon, a tough crook tossed into a British high security prison for 20 years. Eventually he hooks up with a gang that runs an escape operation for long-term prisoners. They get you over the wall and to another country. They can get Reardon out if he pays their high price. Others have gone before. He agrees and out he goes, with another prisoner who is a traitor. By gum, we find out Reardon really is working with British counter- intelligence. High-level traitors are being sprung from the prison and winding up in a transit pipeline to the Soviet Union by way of Malta. Could an aristocratic member of parliament, Sir George Wheeler (Mason), be involved? Does the beautiful Mrs. Smith (Dominque Sanda) really care for Joe or is she playing her own game? Can Newman ever show he's tough without sounding sarcastic? Could a dramatic shoot-out at the climax be more self-consciously staged and directed?
Read Bagley's The Freedom Trap, then see the movie. You'll like, I hope, the story in the book, and you'll like the actors in the movie.
Newman's own performance is far from exciting
Nazi_Fighter_David3 July 2005
Warning: Spoilers
The film, in which he plays a British secret agent involved in a complex Cold War plot, is absurd1y contrived, and there is little suspense or energy
Newman is as lifeless as the story
For variety, he has an automobile chase in Ireland, underwater swimming near Malta, and an occasional Australian accent But throughout, his expression remains unchangedit's the gray look of world-weary disgust he perfected in "WUSA." The worst-acted scenes involve his romantic interlude with Dominique Sanda, but the relationship is superficial and pointless in the first place
At times, Huston and Newman seem to be condemning the cold, inhuman men (and women) in espionage, but they choose to involve us with the "hero" at precisely his most reprehensible moments The only humor consists of Newman's sexist and anti-homosexual remarks and his casual approach to violence
The film's exclusive catharsis occurs when Newman, having been severely beaten, gets back at his captors by batting them over their heads, setting fire to their house, and viciously kicking a woman in the groin In "WUSA," Newman meant us to censure the cynical mercenary, but in "Sometimes a Great Notion," and particularly in the two Huston films, he invites us to applaud the fascist mentality, sadism, brutal vengeance or nihilism of his characters, and it's a peculiar and disheartening development in his work
For variety, he has an automobile chase in Ireland, underwater swimming near Malta, and an occasional Australian accent But throughout, his expression remains unchangedit's the gray look of world-weary disgust he perfected in "WUSA." The worst-acted scenes involve his romantic interlude with Dominique Sanda, but the relationship is superficial and pointless in the first place
At times, Huston and Newman seem to be condemning the cold, inhuman men (and women) in espionage, but they choose to involve us with the "hero" at precisely his most reprehensible moments The only humor consists of Newman's sexist and anti-homosexual remarks and his casual approach to violence
The film's exclusive catharsis occurs when Newman, having been severely beaten, gets back at his captors by batting them over their heads, setting fire to their house, and viciously kicking a woman in the groin In "WUSA," Newman meant us to censure the cynical mercenary, but in "Sometimes a Great Notion," and particularly in the two Huston films, he invites us to applaud the fascist mentality, sadism, brutal vengeance or nihilism of his characters, and it's a peculiar and disheartening development in his work
Lackluster Espionage Thriller with An Excellent Maurice Jarre Score
zardoz-133 July 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Paul Newman stars as a veteran undercover British Intelligence operative on the lam in "Maltese Falcon" director John Huston's "The MacKintosh Man," based on Desmond Bagley's novel, a superficial but entertaining espionage thriller that takes part in London, Ireland, and the island of Malta. Mind you, this isn't Huston's best film and it's a far cry from "The Maltese Falcon," "The Asphalt Jungle," and "Key Largo." Nevertheless, a solid cast, atmospheric settings, and composer Maurice Jarre's "Third Man" type zither tune enliven this somewhat indifferent 1973 Warner Brothers release. Previously, Newman and Huston had collaborated on "The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean," another less-than-stellar Huston effort. Indeed, Huston was between hits during his sabbatical with Newman. The 1972 movie "Fat City" garnered him some critical acclaim, but Huston did not flower again until his next film, the Sean Connery & Michael Caine period adventure "The Man Who Would Be King," that he had planned to make originally with Clark Gable and Humphrey Bogart. Meanwhile, Huston populated "The MacKintosh Man" with a memorable cast, including the urbane but villainous James Mason as Sir George Wheeler, Ian Bannen as the Communist traitor Ronald Slade, Harry Andrews as Angus MacKintosh, Peter Vaughan as a London detective, and the statuesque French beauty Dominique Sanda.
Angus MacKintosh (Harry Andrews of "633 Squadron") summons secret agent James Reardon (Paul Newman of "Hombre") to London to help him expose a traitor at the highest level. MacKintosh has furnished Reardon with a background as a criminal from Australia. Mrs. Smith (Dominique Sanda of "The Conformist") arranges for Reardon to have access to a bank account in Switzerland while MacKintosh explains that London used to rely on couriers to deliver diamonds. Greed and corruption spelled the demise of the system and diamond merchants now send diamonds through the mail in inconspicuous packages that nobody could imagine contained hundreds of thousands of diamonds. They arrange matters so that Reardon assaults a British postman and steals a diamond package valued at 140 pounds. Inspector Brunskill (Peter Vaughan of "Brazil") catches Reardon packing in his motel room before he can exit the United Kingdom. Of course, Reardon slipped Mrs. Smith the diamond package soon after he stole it from the postman. Brunskill arrests Reardon, and the trial judge (Roland Culver of "Thunderball") sentences our hero to a twenty year stretch in Chelmsford Prison.
While he serves time in Chelmsford, Reardon spots Communist traitor Ronald Slade (Ian Bannen of "The Inglorious Bastards"), but he never gets an opportunity to meet him. Meanwhile, another prisoner soon to be released, Soames-Trevelyan (Nigel Patrick of "The Battle of Britain") introduces himself to Reardon and explains that he acts as an intermediary for a group that will rescue inmates from the slammer in return for a steep monetary payment. Reardon obtains the money and learns that a crack team will rescue both Slade and him from prison. The escape occurs while the prisoners are in the exercise yard, and one smoke grenade after another flies over the prison wall and lands in the exercise yard, obscuring everybody and everything. Unbeknownst to the prison authorities, a truck with a crane drops a naval net over the side, and Slade and Reardon both scramble onto it. The crane hoists them over the wall, and they clamber astride and behind guys on motorcycles. Slade and Reardon are not far from the prison when they enter another truck and drive away. The two are given a hypodermic injection to put them to sleep. When Reardon and Slade recover they find themselves comfortably encounced in an isolated mansion. Meanwhile, MacKintosh closes the noose around Sir Charles Wheeler's neck and gives him the opportunity to resign. The two men have known each other since they worked in British Intelligence during World War II. Mrs. Smith pulls in to pick up MacKintosh at the train station. After MacKintosh gets off the train, he is run down by a car and winds up in a coma in the hospital.
At the secluded mansion, Mr. Brown (Michael Horden of "Where Eagles Dare") turns his henchmen loose on Reardon once he learns his true identity, and they beat him up. Reardon recovers from the beating and sets a trap for them and then escapes after setting his bed ablaze. The villains pursue him across the moors while the mansion burns and Reardon discovers that he is in Ireland. He finds himself in a remote village and rents a small truck to pick up Mrs. Smith after she flies in. At the same time, Sir Charles arrives on his yacht. He has smuggled Slade on board and is heading for Malta. Reardon and Smith follow him to Malta. Mrs. Smith goes aboard Sir Charles' yacht while Reardon approaches the Maltese authorities about the politician hiding the prisoner escapee aboard his yacht. The authorities board Sir Charles yacht and predictably find nothing. MacKintosh realizes that he is in trouble and dives off the yacht, escaping from the police. After the authorities leave, Reardon climbs back aboard the yacht and learns about Sir Charles' whereabouts at a church at Marsaxlokk. Sir Charles has taken Mrs. Smith there along with Slade. Reardon shows up armed and Sir Charles learns that MacKintosh has not only died but also the Prime Minister knows about his treachery. Wheeler and Slade try to make a deal with Reardon, but the vengeful Mrs. Smith—MacKintosh was her father—guns them down repeatedly.
"The MacKintosh Man" puts Newman behind the eight ball early, but he is rarely in jeopardy. The prison break is cool and future director Walter Hill's dialogue is flavorful, but John Huston has done better work. Suspense is virtually nonexistent. There is a fast chase, but it is never harrowing. Sanda and Newman have an intimate moment in the sack before he pulls the diamond robbery, but their romantic liaison occurs off-camera. Everything about "The MacKintosh Man" is lackluster.
Angus MacKintosh (Harry Andrews of "633 Squadron") summons secret agent James Reardon (Paul Newman of "Hombre") to London to help him expose a traitor at the highest level. MacKintosh has furnished Reardon with a background as a criminal from Australia. Mrs. Smith (Dominique Sanda of "The Conformist") arranges for Reardon to have access to a bank account in Switzerland while MacKintosh explains that London used to rely on couriers to deliver diamonds. Greed and corruption spelled the demise of the system and diamond merchants now send diamonds through the mail in inconspicuous packages that nobody could imagine contained hundreds of thousands of diamonds. They arrange matters so that Reardon assaults a British postman and steals a diamond package valued at 140 pounds. Inspector Brunskill (Peter Vaughan of "Brazil") catches Reardon packing in his motel room before he can exit the United Kingdom. Of course, Reardon slipped Mrs. Smith the diamond package soon after he stole it from the postman. Brunskill arrests Reardon, and the trial judge (Roland Culver of "Thunderball") sentences our hero to a twenty year stretch in Chelmsford Prison.
While he serves time in Chelmsford, Reardon spots Communist traitor Ronald Slade (Ian Bannen of "The Inglorious Bastards"), but he never gets an opportunity to meet him. Meanwhile, another prisoner soon to be released, Soames-Trevelyan (Nigel Patrick of "The Battle of Britain") introduces himself to Reardon and explains that he acts as an intermediary for a group that will rescue inmates from the slammer in return for a steep monetary payment. Reardon obtains the money and learns that a crack team will rescue both Slade and him from prison. The escape occurs while the prisoners are in the exercise yard, and one smoke grenade after another flies over the prison wall and lands in the exercise yard, obscuring everybody and everything. Unbeknownst to the prison authorities, a truck with a crane drops a naval net over the side, and Slade and Reardon both scramble onto it. The crane hoists them over the wall, and they clamber astride and behind guys on motorcycles. Slade and Reardon are not far from the prison when they enter another truck and drive away. The two are given a hypodermic injection to put them to sleep. When Reardon and Slade recover they find themselves comfortably encounced in an isolated mansion. Meanwhile, MacKintosh closes the noose around Sir Charles Wheeler's neck and gives him the opportunity to resign. The two men have known each other since they worked in British Intelligence during World War II. Mrs. Smith pulls in to pick up MacKintosh at the train station. After MacKintosh gets off the train, he is run down by a car and winds up in a coma in the hospital.
At the secluded mansion, Mr. Brown (Michael Horden of "Where Eagles Dare") turns his henchmen loose on Reardon once he learns his true identity, and they beat him up. Reardon recovers from the beating and sets a trap for them and then escapes after setting his bed ablaze. The villains pursue him across the moors while the mansion burns and Reardon discovers that he is in Ireland. He finds himself in a remote village and rents a small truck to pick up Mrs. Smith after she flies in. At the same time, Sir Charles arrives on his yacht. He has smuggled Slade on board and is heading for Malta. Reardon and Smith follow him to Malta. Mrs. Smith goes aboard Sir Charles' yacht while Reardon approaches the Maltese authorities about the politician hiding the prisoner escapee aboard his yacht. The authorities board Sir Charles yacht and predictably find nothing. MacKintosh realizes that he is in trouble and dives off the yacht, escaping from the police. After the authorities leave, Reardon climbs back aboard the yacht and learns about Sir Charles' whereabouts at a church at Marsaxlokk. Sir Charles has taken Mrs. Smith there along with Slade. Reardon shows up armed and Sir Charles learns that MacKintosh has not only died but also the Prime Minister knows about his treachery. Wheeler and Slade try to make a deal with Reardon, but the vengeful Mrs. Smith—MacKintosh was her father—guns them down repeatedly.
"The MacKintosh Man" puts Newman behind the eight ball early, but he is rarely in jeopardy. The prison break is cool and future director Walter Hill's dialogue is flavorful, but John Huston has done better work. Suspense is virtually nonexistent. There is a fast chase, but it is never harrowing. Sanda and Newman have an intimate moment in the sack before he pulls the diamond robbery, but their romantic liaison occurs off-camera. Everything about "The MacKintosh Man" is lackluster.
Good
k-thomas3 August 2005
Warning: Spoilers
I thought this Movie was a good old fashion thriller without bottles of Ketchup. One only flaw was Jenney Runnacre's accent, but the scene where she kicks Paul Newman in a very painful part of the Anatomy can still make you cringe. Everybody always talks about Alfred Hitchcock, regarding thrillers, but i personally think John Huston was a close second, especially as he also directed Films of other subjects such as the western The Unforgiven with Burt Lancaster and the Historical Film, The Man Who Would Be King, with Michael Caine and Sean Connery. If you like a good light Thriller with a good story, i recommend The Mackintosh Man for you. Kevin Thomas.
Decent spy thriller
robb_7726 February 2008
A well-made espionage thriller, THE MACKINTOSH MAN has all the necessary elements for a real knockout spy yarn only it's never quite as involving as it should be. The screenplay by highly-respected writer Walter Hill features a solid premise and plenty of interesting twists and turns, and the various UK locations are used to great effect, bringing a character of their own to the film. The cast is also well-chosen, and portray their roles with respectable conviction, yet something still seems off about the picture. It's almost as if the whole enterprise lack that special "oomph" that is necessary to really sell a spy picture.
Perhaps the problem is that, after years of James Bond movies and various Cold War thrillers, too many of the film's elements have simply been done before and done better, and the ominous feeling of déjà vu is too immense for the film to survive. Or maybe the problem is that we expect a lot more from a director with clout of John Huston, who seems to take a strangely apathetic approach to the material which makes the film's recycled elements feel even more trying. For whatever reason, the film never seems to grip us in the way a good thriller is supposed to. As a whole, THE MACKINTOSH MAN is a fine film for a rainy evening, but it stands as not only a wasted opportunity, but also as possibly the least distinctive film of director Huston.
Perhaps the problem is that, after years of James Bond movies and various Cold War thrillers, too many of the film's elements have simply been done before and done better, and the ominous feeling of déjà vu is too immense for the film to survive. Or maybe the problem is that we expect a lot more from a director with clout of John Huston, who seems to take a strangely apathetic approach to the material which makes the film's recycled elements feel even more trying. For whatever reason, the film never seems to grip us in the way a good thriller is supposed to. As a whole, THE MACKINTOSH MAN is a fine film for a rainy evening, but it stands as not only a wasted opportunity, but also as possibly the least distinctive film of director Huston.
Paul on the downplay
mdewey11 March 2009
Not your usual late '60's, early 70's Paul Newman flick, where he was cast in more overt starring roles, a la "The Sting" or "Butch Cassidy". The Paul Newman here is more understated and anti-heroic which provides a welcome change to film goers like me who enjoy seeing the Hollywood biggies downplaying their box-office charm by taking on less glamorous, more substantive roles. This political melodrama takes place primarily in a European/British Isles setting, with an all European cast except for Mr. Newman. He portrays an agent who infiltrates a diamond smuggling ring to try to smash that ring's core. During the course of the film, he is pretty well beat up and bandied about by his antagonists, not leaving his pretty boy image much to thrive on. His contact agent, Mrs. Smith (Dominique Sanda), becomes his love interest, not as a torrid screen love affair but more of an quasi-platonic one, where the job at hand takes precedence over the romantic involvement.
The plot and story line is developed nicely by Mr. Huston, who takes us on a European tour that starts in London, then works its way to Ireland and finally to Malta. James Mason does his usual yeoman's job in his rendition of the pompous Sir George Wheeler, the right wing politico big wig who may have his own share of illegal dalliances. Although Mr. Newman is, in fact, the main character, the entire cast comes across very well as more of an ensemble effort, with no one role really outdoing another. It seems that Mr. Huston lent his directorial hand very deftly when it came to letting the film itself be the focal point rather than just one or two actors hogging the spotlight. Not a well known film, perhaps, but one that deserves viewing nonetheless, due in no small part to a most interesting conclusion.
The plot and story line is developed nicely by Mr. Huston, who takes us on a European tour that starts in London, then works its way to Ireland and finally to Malta. James Mason does his usual yeoman's job in his rendition of the pompous Sir George Wheeler, the right wing politico big wig who may have his own share of illegal dalliances. Although Mr. Newman is, in fact, the main character, the entire cast comes across very well as more of an ensemble effort, with no one role really outdoing another. It seems that Mr. Huston lent his directorial hand very deftly when it came to letting the film itself be the focal point rather than just one or two actors hogging the spotlight. Not a well known film, perhaps, but one that deserves viewing nonetheless, due in no small part to a most interesting conclusion.
Downbeat and weaker than the book
dave13-127 December 2011
Desmond Bagley's tightly plotted thriller about a man who escapes from prison with the help of a gang and then finds himself on their wrong side is loosely adapted here and not very well. The idea is a clever one and makes for an excellent suspense thriller in print; in any good thriller, the character is cut off from aid and isolated in the middle of a dangerous situation, and making the central character a fugitive in the company of thugs who mistrust him does this very well. Unfortunately, much of the tension-filled atmosphere of the book is lost here as the story becomes a murky riddle built around a not-very-interesting main character. Newman effectively conveys that he is clearly more than he seems, but the movie has trouble turning that into viewer interest. The grim drizzly look of the movie is its best feature, but even that seems coincidental and not organically connected to the storytelling. There were worse movies made that year, but better ones too.
Much ado about nothing
madmonkmcghee7 November 2012
It's hard to believe that so much combined talent results in such a poor movie. Did the John Huston of Maltese Falcon and Sierra Madre really direct this turkey? And the magnificent Paul Newman consented to act (well, barely) in this snooze fest? It starts to make more sense when you know Huston and cast made this purely for contractual reasons. And boy, does it show.....Nobody's even faintly trying to create any suspense. Everybody involved seems to be sleepwalking through the thin plot until the predictable ending. There is absolutely nothing that stands out about this film. It's not even bad enough to be interesting, just dull beyond belief. Only recommended to cure insomniacs.
Not Too Bad Thriller
rmax30482329 August 2003
Warning: Spoilers
The whole movie is pretty well executed but there are two scenes that especially impress. The first has Newman, just escaped from a country estate, being chased across some sprawling chilly-looking hills by some armed gangsters and a dog. No particular acting skills are called for but the location has been neatly chosen. The steel-gray horizon is empty as far as the eye can see. The rises are sprinkled with large lichen-spotted boulders. There are numerous small streams that must be splashed across, and they look so cold as to be almost glacier fed. Low stone walls criss-cross the landscape. Newman runs through an isolated cemetery studded with a dozen Celtic crosses, the kind of place that is so atmospheric that it practically begs you to die on the spot so you can be buried there and forgotten.
The second memorable scene is a car chase. Well - a car and pickup chase. Newman and Sanda roar around the mossy back roads of the Irish countryside followed by two men in a Mercedes. Newman says, "Now let's see what they can really do," and he floors the battered truck. There are skids, the vehicles twirl around on the slippery dirt road, they bump and crash against the stone walls bordering the paths. With no particular set up, the Mercedes does a final pirouette and flings itself backward against (and through) one of the walls. Alas this particular wall was designed to prevent vehicles from accidentally driving off the cliff behind it. The Mercedes does a neat one and a half gainer off the precipice, bounces off the rocks far below and into the surf. I never thought I'd find another car chase exciting, but this one is straightforward and unembellished. There are no slow motion shots. No vehicles crash through a fruit peddler's cart. There are no shots of the inside of the car as it falls, no screaming occupants. The Mercedes lands on its roof way down there -- and does NOT explode! It just lies there in the swirling ocean surf, mackeral dead. Thank you, John Huston.
The story is kind of complicated but is followable if you pay attention. James Mason, Ian Bannon, and Harry Andrews are old pros at this business. Paul Newman's efforts on film have been varied. When he gets a good script and puts some effort into it you get a fine performance from him, as in The Hustler. He's often criticized for not being able to play comedy but he's more than competent in, say, The Prize. There are also times when he seems hardly able to keep awake and he mumbles rather than speaks, as in Torn Curtain and, some of the time, in this film. It's rather a lukewarm performance. And he's suntanned beyond any English or Irish standards, though he'd fit right into Malibu. Dominique Sanda has about one expression, an intense stare, and is rather like Candace Bergen, so stunningly gorgeous that it hardly matters whether she can act or not.
The ending is something of a disappointment. There is a Mexican standoff involving Bannon and Mason on one side, and Newman on the other. Bannon, a voice of tired reason, advances the proposition that this situation is insane. Someone is liable to be hurt. Why not put our pistols down and walk away, all of us alive and no one in danger any longer? Sounds eminently sensible. Newman agrees, which is also sensible. So everyone puts down his gun, but while Mason and Bannon stroll off, Sanda, who has had Mason's gun pressed against her head, picks up a pistol and shoots the two of them to pieces for personal reasons. She tells Newman who is standing there aghast, "You would have let them get away. I should have shot you too." Then she stalks off and leaves him flat. The problem is that viewers haven't been set up for this ending. It's true that Mason was responsible for the death of Sanda's father, but we've been given no indication of how bitter she is, or how ruthlessly she can kill. Huston has claimed that the ending was made up at the last minute but that he regretted using it as it now is, because he would have shot some of the earlier scenes differently. He was right about that, the old fake.
The second memorable scene is a car chase. Well - a car and pickup chase. Newman and Sanda roar around the mossy back roads of the Irish countryside followed by two men in a Mercedes. Newman says, "Now let's see what they can really do," and he floors the battered truck. There are skids, the vehicles twirl around on the slippery dirt road, they bump and crash against the stone walls bordering the paths. With no particular set up, the Mercedes does a final pirouette and flings itself backward against (and through) one of the walls. Alas this particular wall was designed to prevent vehicles from accidentally driving off the cliff behind it. The Mercedes does a neat one and a half gainer off the precipice, bounces off the rocks far below and into the surf. I never thought I'd find another car chase exciting, but this one is straightforward and unembellished. There are no slow motion shots. No vehicles crash through a fruit peddler's cart. There are no shots of the inside of the car as it falls, no screaming occupants. The Mercedes lands on its roof way down there -- and does NOT explode! It just lies there in the swirling ocean surf, mackeral dead. Thank you, John Huston.
The story is kind of complicated but is followable if you pay attention. James Mason, Ian Bannon, and Harry Andrews are old pros at this business. Paul Newman's efforts on film have been varied. When he gets a good script and puts some effort into it you get a fine performance from him, as in The Hustler. He's often criticized for not being able to play comedy but he's more than competent in, say, The Prize. There are also times when he seems hardly able to keep awake and he mumbles rather than speaks, as in Torn Curtain and, some of the time, in this film. It's rather a lukewarm performance. And he's suntanned beyond any English or Irish standards, though he'd fit right into Malibu. Dominique Sanda has about one expression, an intense stare, and is rather like Candace Bergen, so stunningly gorgeous that it hardly matters whether she can act or not.
The ending is something of a disappointment. There is a Mexican standoff involving Bannon and Mason on one side, and Newman on the other. Bannon, a voice of tired reason, advances the proposition that this situation is insane. Someone is liable to be hurt. Why not put our pistols down and walk away, all of us alive and no one in danger any longer? Sounds eminently sensible. Newman agrees, which is also sensible. So everyone puts down his gun, but while Mason and Bannon stroll off, Sanda, who has had Mason's gun pressed against her head, picks up a pistol and shoots the two of them to pieces for personal reasons. She tells Newman who is standing there aghast, "You would have let them get away. I should have shot you too." Then she stalks off and leaves him flat. The problem is that viewers haven't been set up for this ending. It's true that Mason was responsible for the death of Sanda's father, but we've been given no indication of how bitter she is, or how ruthlessly she can kill. Huston has claimed that the ending was made up at the last minute but that he regretted using it as it now is, because he would have shot some of the earlier scenes differently. He was right about that, the old fake.
Out in the cold
sol-kay23 December 2010
Warning: Spoilers
***SPOILERS*** Given the assignment by his boss code name Makintosh, Harry Andrews,to go undercover as a convicted mail thief British secret agent Joseph Rearden, Paul Newman, gets himself arrested after mugging a mailman of a package containing 140,000 pound sterling in cut diamonds.
Given a 20 year sentence by the courts Rearden is now in position to get in close with convicted communist spy Slade, Ian Banner, who's serving life and find out about the spy ring he's involved in Great Britain and who's the Mr. Big that's running it. It doesn't take long for Rearden to contact a Mr. Brown, Michael Hordern, an inmate at the prison who sets up an elaborate escape plan for both him and Slade to crash out of the joint. What in fact Rearden doesn't quite know is that Slade's outside contacts are wise to him in knowing that he in fact is not a career criminal but an impostor and are ready, after he's in their custody, to beat the truth out of Rearden even if it ends up killing him!
***SPOILERS*** As things soon turn out the very person who can verify that Rearden is in fact working undercover for the British I5, or intelligence department, Makintosh gets run over and later dies from his injuries! This leaves Rearden out in the cold as a convicted criminal on the run from the police as well as the Soviet spy ring that's determent to silence him.
The film has Rearden get involved with his contact on the outside Mrs. Smith, Dominique Sanda, who as it turns out is the late Mr. Mackintosh's daughter as well as a member of the British I5.***MAJOR SPOILER*** As for the person who's in fact is running the spy ring he turns out to be a 25 year member of the British Parliment who's about as anti-communist as well super patriotic as one can get; Dubbed by the British press as "Mr. Law and Order" himself Sir George Wheeler played by James, no relations to Perry, Mason! With Wheeler knowing that Rearden is in fact an undercover British Agent makes things even worse for him and Mrs.Smith then they already are! That's until the very end of the film when the tables are turned and the person who has the most to lose in both Wheeler and Slade ending up free turns on them! With fatal results!
P.S Paul Newman plays it real cool as undercover British Agent Joseph Rearden and shows off his ability behind the wheel or a car in one of the most bizarre car chases in movie history across the Irish countryside. The car chase finally ends up with the Soviet Agents chasing him crashing off a 200 foot cliff and into the Irish Sea. Newman also shows us what a great swimmer he is in doing in what looked like without a stunt double, at at age 47, all his underwater stunts with his suit tie and shoes on! This was such an amazing aquatic feat on Newman's part that I don't doubt for a moment that even the great Johnny "Tarzan" Weissmuller would have found difficult to duplicate!
Given a 20 year sentence by the courts Rearden is now in position to get in close with convicted communist spy Slade, Ian Banner, who's serving life and find out about the spy ring he's involved in Great Britain and who's the Mr. Big that's running it. It doesn't take long for Rearden to contact a Mr. Brown, Michael Hordern, an inmate at the prison who sets up an elaborate escape plan for both him and Slade to crash out of the joint. What in fact Rearden doesn't quite know is that Slade's outside contacts are wise to him in knowing that he in fact is not a career criminal but an impostor and are ready, after he's in their custody, to beat the truth out of Rearden even if it ends up killing him!
***SPOILERS*** As things soon turn out the very person who can verify that Rearden is in fact working undercover for the British I5, or intelligence department, Makintosh gets run over and later dies from his injuries! This leaves Rearden out in the cold as a convicted criminal on the run from the police as well as the Soviet spy ring that's determent to silence him.
The film has Rearden get involved with his contact on the outside Mrs. Smith, Dominique Sanda, who as it turns out is the late Mr. Mackintosh's daughter as well as a member of the British I5.***MAJOR SPOILER*** As for the person who's in fact is running the spy ring he turns out to be a 25 year member of the British Parliment who's about as anti-communist as well super patriotic as one can get; Dubbed by the British press as "Mr. Law and Order" himself Sir George Wheeler played by James, no relations to Perry, Mason! With Wheeler knowing that Rearden is in fact an undercover British Agent makes things even worse for him and Mrs.Smith then they already are! That's until the very end of the film when the tables are turned and the person who has the most to lose in both Wheeler and Slade ending up free turns on them! With fatal results!
P.S Paul Newman plays it real cool as undercover British Agent Joseph Rearden and shows off his ability behind the wheel or a car in one of the most bizarre car chases in movie history across the Irish countryside. The car chase finally ends up with the Soviet Agents chasing him crashing off a 200 foot cliff and into the Irish Sea. Newman also shows us what a great swimmer he is in doing in what looked like without a stunt double, at at age 47, all his underwater stunts with his suit tie and shoes on! This was such an amazing aquatic feat on Newman's part that I don't doubt for a moment that even the great Johnny "Tarzan" Weissmuller would have found difficult to duplicate!
lets see how fast he's prepared to go
chrislyons1222 September 2006
Warning: Spoilers
I saw this film when it was first released in UK.I thought it was a reasonable thriller. I remember the car chase with Newman driving a Ford van being pursued by the baddies in an old Mercedes, and they end up going over the cliff. I thought Newman must have done the driving stunts himself and was quite intrigued by the thought of such a big star driving an old van at such high speeds. The prison escape was very well staged and plausible and while the film has a violent edge to it, it never quite convinces as a memorable one. It draws you into it's plot but leaves you a little high and dry in between the action sequences. Worth seeing and maybe a DVD release with some location details would be good.
Should have been much better
suicidea21 November 2022
With a director like John Huston and a great cast, being adapted from a very good book, this should have been much better. It's still not bad at all, I enjoyed it very much, but the overall result looks like a waste of the ingredients to begin with.
First of all, you have to be *very* familiar with the spy genre / movies / novels / jargon / that world in general, for the movie to make any sense. Unless you're acquainted with the works of John Le Carre etc, it's difficult to follow, or even guess why anyone is doing what they're doing. In my imdb reviews and during movie-related chats with friends, I often complain that most Hollywood movies think audiences are morons, and spell everything out for them, but this movie was an exception where the opposite is true: yes, there are clues as to who is doing what and why, but they are hidden so deep that you have to be a spy yourself to solve the whole thing.
I don't know if the reason is the direction of John Huston (who was at one of those periods in his life where he wasn't giving his best to his work) or the adaptation, script, whatever. But talk to 10 people who have seen this movie for the first time, and they'll each tell the plot differently. Who is the Paul Newman character after? Is it a diamond thief? Is it a Russian spy? Or a double spy? Is it a gang that breaks prisoners out? Is it the Russian spy's handler?
That aside (although admittedly, the fact that a movie is incomprehensible is very difficult to put aside) the performances and the atmosphere work. I've never seen Paul Newman give a bad performance (although I admit, I haven't seen The Silver Chalice) but the real holding force of the movie is the great supporting cast. James Mason and Ian Bannen, two great actors, are always a joy to see. Huston regulars Harry Andrews, Leo Glenn and Noel Purcell, plus a great performance from Nigel Patrick are also a treat. But the surprise of the movie, at least for me, was Dominique Sanda, making her Hollywood debut. I was quite surprised to read that some reviewers thought her performance was cold, aloof, and that "she appeared emotionless because she understood little English, not knowing what's going on". No, that's how her character is supposed to be! It's not a bad performance from an inexperienced actress, on the contrary: it's a masterful performance that few actresses would be able to pull off. I absolutely loved her in this movie.
There's intrigue, fights, escapes, chases, shootouts, the usual spy movie thrills, and a great cast. The theme music, and the general atmosphere is also very nice, Huston knows how to do it even when he's hamming it. If only the whole thing made more sense upon first viewing, it could have been a minor spy classic.
First of all, you have to be *very* familiar with the spy genre / movies / novels / jargon / that world in general, for the movie to make any sense. Unless you're acquainted with the works of John Le Carre etc, it's difficult to follow, or even guess why anyone is doing what they're doing. In my imdb reviews and during movie-related chats with friends, I often complain that most Hollywood movies think audiences are morons, and spell everything out for them, but this movie was an exception where the opposite is true: yes, there are clues as to who is doing what and why, but they are hidden so deep that you have to be a spy yourself to solve the whole thing.
I don't know if the reason is the direction of John Huston (who was at one of those periods in his life where he wasn't giving his best to his work) or the adaptation, script, whatever. But talk to 10 people who have seen this movie for the first time, and they'll each tell the plot differently. Who is the Paul Newman character after? Is it a diamond thief? Is it a Russian spy? Or a double spy? Is it a gang that breaks prisoners out? Is it the Russian spy's handler?
That aside (although admittedly, the fact that a movie is incomprehensible is very difficult to put aside) the performances and the atmosphere work. I've never seen Paul Newman give a bad performance (although I admit, I haven't seen The Silver Chalice) but the real holding force of the movie is the great supporting cast. James Mason and Ian Bannen, two great actors, are always a joy to see. Huston regulars Harry Andrews, Leo Glenn and Noel Purcell, plus a great performance from Nigel Patrick are also a treat. But the surprise of the movie, at least for me, was Dominique Sanda, making her Hollywood debut. I was quite surprised to read that some reviewers thought her performance was cold, aloof, and that "she appeared emotionless because she understood little English, not knowing what's going on". No, that's how her character is supposed to be! It's not a bad performance from an inexperienced actress, on the contrary: it's a masterful performance that few actresses would be able to pull off. I absolutely loved her in this movie.
There's intrigue, fights, escapes, chases, shootouts, the usual spy movie thrills, and a great cast. The theme music, and the general atmosphere is also very nice, Huston knows how to do it even when he's hamming it. If only the whole thing made more sense upon first viewing, it could have been a minor spy classic.
Spy Vs Spy.
hitchcockthelegend11 February 2014
The Mackintosh Man is directed by John Huston and adapted to screenplay by Walter Hill and William Fairchild from The Freedom Trap written by Desmond Bagley. It stars Paul Newman, Dominique Sanda, Ian Bannen, James Mason, Michael Horden and Harry Andrews. Music is by Maurice Jarre and cinematography by Oswald Morris.
Spy shenanigans unbound as Newman plays Joseph Rearden, a hired agent for the British Intelligence who pulls a job on the orders of The Mackintosh Man (Andrews), and finds himself sent to prison for 20 years. But this is all part of a greater plan
A well performed and serviceable drama, if a bit of a let down come the final third. The most fun and intrigue comes about once Rearden enters prison and the initial part of plotting once he is broken out, then it sort of loses its way, trying to make a simple story more intricate than it is. There's good mystery viewing to be found in working out the means and motives of the major players, and there's no shortage of action and sizzle either as Rearden is thrust into a world of espionage and counter espionage. There's a ream of suspicious accents to ignore and Jarre's musical score tries to reach the heights of Anton Karas' work on The Third Man, but fails and just comes off as a cheap repetitive attempt at a homage.
More caper movie than intellectual thriller, it's never less than watchable and the cast are good value for your time. 7/10
Spy shenanigans unbound as Newman plays Joseph Rearden, a hired agent for the British Intelligence who pulls a job on the orders of The Mackintosh Man (Andrews), and finds himself sent to prison for 20 years. But this is all part of a greater plan
A well performed and serviceable drama, if a bit of a let down come the final third. The most fun and intrigue comes about once Rearden enters prison and the initial part of plotting once he is broken out, then it sort of loses its way, trying to make a simple story more intricate than it is. There's good mystery viewing to be found in working out the means and motives of the major players, and there's no shortage of action and sizzle either as Rearden is thrust into a world of espionage and counter espionage. There's a ream of suspicious accents to ignore and Jarre's musical score tries to reach the heights of Anton Karas' work on The Third Man, but fails and just comes off as a cheap repetitive attempt at a homage.
More caper movie than intellectual thriller, it's never less than watchable and the cast are good value for your time. 7/10
Interesting Cold War thriller from '72-73
mark-rojinsky28 April 2021
An intriguing Cold War espionage thriller derived from English novelist, Desmond Bagley's 'The Freedom Trap' (1971). It has the heft of an adventure film combined with spy thriller and the settings in Ireland and Malta are evocative. The classically handsome blue-eyed American actor, Paul Newman is very dynamic as the Australian double agent, Joseph Reardon:- some of his acting shows great flair whether showing the effects of being narcotised and beaten up by enemy agents in a bleak Galway Georgian mansion ; swimming effortlessly under water eyes wide-open under a yacht in Valletta Harbour; prudently avoiding the grim hazards of the British prison system ca. '72-73, or effortlessly driving a van at speed around winding Galway country roads to evade the baddies. Fascinating to see the American star sauntering around London, imbibing a whiskey in a Galway pub located on the coast, reading a Dickens novel in his prison cell or playing dominoes with a fellow prisoner. Good support is given by the classy Huddersfield-born actor, James Mason (20.000 Leagues under the Sea, Bad Man's River), Scottish actor Ian Bannen as Slade, Percy Herbert and the beautiful willowy blonde French actress, Dominique Sanda.
A Middling Spy Thriller
elevenangrymen3 March 2013
Warning: Spoilers
James Reardon is a member of British Intelligence that is called by his boss MacKintosh, to infiltrate a spy organization. To do so, he puts on an Australian accent and robs a postman. He is convicted and sent to jail. There he is approached by a man who offers to help him escape, claiming to be part of an organization. He is helped, but at the same time he is distrusted. Back in London, MacKintosh is trying to tie a prominent London politician into the Soviet(?) scandal.
However, MacKintosh gets too close and is assassinated. Reardon too is in danger. MacKintosh's secretary and daughter (once again?) flies up to Ireland and together they track Soviet spies, but their own lives are at risk. Can they make it?
This is the film's tag line: "Only MacKintosh can save them now. And MacKintosh is dead!". Wow...when I first heard that tag line I doubled over laughing. Which is precisely one more laugh than I got from this film. There are so many things wrong without this film, I could make a list....hey I've got enough time! Paul Newman plays a British man playing an Australian, sounding like an American. It is hard to understand what Dominique Sanda is saying, and her line delivery can be awful (ex."No, he was my father".). MacKintosh is in the title, and he is in the film for...five minutes. The plot is deliberately confusing. I had no idea what was going on until I looked it up later. Even then, it made no sense. James Mason's villain is paper thin, and the whole Soviet subplot is just a mess.
However, the whole thing manages to break even. It is not the worst film Huston made (ahem, I'm looking at you Phobia), but it is far from his best. The whole cast seems incredibly bored, but no one is more bored than Paul Newman. This may very well be the worst performance I have ever seen Newman give. His rendition is so blank and oh so very boring, that at points you want to scream at him to show some of that famous Newman charm. Perhaps he was all charmed out, he made The Sting the same year. Still, he is one of the most dull and lifeless protagonists I've seen in a long time.
However he does not give the worst performance of the film. That honor goes to Dominique Sanda. I loved her in Il Conformista, but her performance her has me doubting my initial affection. She too manages to be effortlessly wooden, but with a French accent! Harry Andrews, who plays MacKintosh is charming, but he gives no idea why anyone would have a whole plot revolve around him. Perhaps the one saving grace here is James Mason, he is good. My god, how I longed for some kind of charm! His character is poorly written, yet he manages to be...average!
The script is entirely pointless. It makes no sense, and is unnecessarily confusing. It is fulled with pointless exchanges, and scenes were literally nothing important happens. There is a five minute sequence were Sanda and Newman talk, while they tan. That's it. But perhaps the greatest example of shoddy scripting occurs during the climax. Ahem, **SPOILER ALERT**. Sanda has been kidnapped, and Newman must save her from Mason's evil claws, because....he has to save her. So he goes onto a boat and knocks a sailor on the head, and demands to be taken to her, and then...he is. No chase sequence or exchange of dialog, that's..it. Then the sailor takes him to Sanda, and he talks to James Mason for a while, about...nothing. I'm pretty sure they bring up chess at one point. **END SPOILERS**
Correct me if I am wrong, but aren't thrillers supposed to...thrill? If they are, than this is most certainly not a thriller. It may seem as if I am bashing the film relentlessly (I am), but the film is not without it's good points. It has some beautiful cinematography. The chase(?) scene through the foggy Irish lowlands is beautiful, even if it is more landscape than cinematography. The score by Maurice Jarre is also very good. It is cheerful and fun, something that Huston should have payed more attention to during the making of the film.
Speaking of Huston, he directed this? After all it contains no directorial input, it could have shot itself. It is so boring and uninterestingly shot, it seemed like Huston just gave directing and let the story play itself out. Bad move. It's plot isn't very remarkable, but it could have been at least a little bit thrilling. Huston said himself that he hated the film, and it isn't hard to see why. It is a tepid, middling entry in Huston's filmography, and one I hope to never revisit again.
The MacKintosh Man, 1973, Starring: Paul Newman, Dominique Sanda and James Mason, Directed by John Huston, 6/10 (C-)
(This is part of an ongoing project to watch and review every John Huston movie. You can read this and other reviews at http://everyjohnhustonmovie.blogspot.ca/)
However, MacKintosh gets too close and is assassinated. Reardon too is in danger. MacKintosh's secretary and daughter (once again?) flies up to Ireland and together they track Soviet spies, but their own lives are at risk. Can they make it?
This is the film's tag line: "Only MacKintosh can save them now. And MacKintosh is dead!". Wow...when I first heard that tag line I doubled over laughing. Which is precisely one more laugh than I got from this film. There are so many things wrong without this film, I could make a list....hey I've got enough time! Paul Newman plays a British man playing an Australian, sounding like an American. It is hard to understand what Dominique Sanda is saying, and her line delivery can be awful (ex."No, he was my father".). MacKintosh is in the title, and he is in the film for...five minutes. The plot is deliberately confusing. I had no idea what was going on until I looked it up later. Even then, it made no sense. James Mason's villain is paper thin, and the whole Soviet subplot is just a mess.
However, the whole thing manages to break even. It is not the worst film Huston made (ahem, I'm looking at you Phobia), but it is far from his best. The whole cast seems incredibly bored, but no one is more bored than Paul Newman. This may very well be the worst performance I have ever seen Newman give. His rendition is so blank and oh so very boring, that at points you want to scream at him to show some of that famous Newman charm. Perhaps he was all charmed out, he made The Sting the same year. Still, he is one of the most dull and lifeless protagonists I've seen in a long time.
However he does not give the worst performance of the film. That honor goes to Dominique Sanda. I loved her in Il Conformista, but her performance her has me doubting my initial affection. She too manages to be effortlessly wooden, but with a French accent! Harry Andrews, who plays MacKintosh is charming, but he gives no idea why anyone would have a whole plot revolve around him. Perhaps the one saving grace here is James Mason, he is good. My god, how I longed for some kind of charm! His character is poorly written, yet he manages to be...average!
The script is entirely pointless. It makes no sense, and is unnecessarily confusing. It is fulled with pointless exchanges, and scenes were literally nothing important happens. There is a five minute sequence were Sanda and Newman talk, while they tan. That's it. But perhaps the greatest example of shoddy scripting occurs during the climax. Ahem, **SPOILER ALERT**. Sanda has been kidnapped, and Newman must save her from Mason's evil claws, because....he has to save her. So he goes onto a boat and knocks a sailor on the head, and demands to be taken to her, and then...he is. No chase sequence or exchange of dialog, that's..it. Then the sailor takes him to Sanda, and he talks to James Mason for a while, about...nothing. I'm pretty sure they bring up chess at one point. **END SPOILERS**
Correct me if I am wrong, but aren't thrillers supposed to...thrill? If they are, than this is most certainly not a thriller. It may seem as if I am bashing the film relentlessly (I am), but the film is not without it's good points. It has some beautiful cinematography. The chase(?) scene through the foggy Irish lowlands is beautiful, even if it is more landscape than cinematography. The score by Maurice Jarre is also very good. It is cheerful and fun, something that Huston should have payed more attention to during the making of the film.
Speaking of Huston, he directed this? After all it contains no directorial input, it could have shot itself. It is so boring and uninterestingly shot, it seemed like Huston just gave directing and let the story play itself out. Bad move. It's plot isn't very remarkable, but it could have been at least a little bit thrilling. Huston said himself that he hated the film, and it isn't hard to see why. It is a tepid, middling entry in Huston's filmography, and one I hope to never revisit again.
The MacKintosh Man, 1973, Starring: Paul Newman, Dominique Sanda and James Mason, Directed by John Huston, 6/10 (C-)
(This is part of an ongoing project to watch and review every John Huston movie. You can read this and other reviews at http://everyjohnhustonmovie.blogspot.ca/)
Who Wants All These Criminals To Escape
bkoganbing13 November 2006
I suppose if I could figure out just who wanted all these criminals to escape and for what purpose I probably could have appreciated The Mackintosh Man a whole lot better. It's just left to the viewer that this is once again a plot by those devilish Communists to bring down capitalism.
Paul Newman, with as phony an Australian accent as you could find, plays a British secret agent who is sent on a mission by Mr. MacKintosh of British Intelligence. MacKintosh is Harry Andrews and hence Newman is a MacKintosh Man.
His mission and he accepted it was to get himself arrested for a daring jewel heist and then hope that those who are looking to spring prisoners contact him. They do and he's sprung along with Ian Bannen.
The guy behind all this is James Mason, a Tory M.P. who spouts an American style law and order platform. A Commie, who'd have thunk it?
The idea isn't even original at that, it was much better done in The Manchurian Candidate with Angela Lansbury and James Gregory as the evil fifth columnists.
John Huston didn't think too much of this film. He and Paul Newman had one more film owed to Warner Brothers and they worked it out together. Newman and Huston had worked well on the vastly superior Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean the year before.
And who am I to argue with Huston.
Paul Newman, with as phony an Australian accent as you could find, plays a British secret agent who is sent on a mission by Mr. MacKintosh of British Intelligence. MacKintosh is Harry Andrews and hence Newman is a MacKintosh Man.
His mission and he accepted it was to get himself arrested for a daring jewel heist and then hope that those who are looking to spring prisoners contact him. They do and he's sprung along with Ian Bannen.
The guy behind all this is James Mason, a Tory M.P. who spouts an American style law and order platform. A Commie, who'd have thunk it?
The idea isn't even original at that, it was much better done in The Manchurian Candidate with Angela Lansbury and James Gregory as the evil fifth columnists.
John Huston didn't think too much of this film. He and Paul Newman had one more film owed to Warner Brothers and they worked it out together. Newman and Huston had worked well on the vastly superior Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean the year before.
And who am I to argue with Huston.
Work of true craftsmanship
bygard27 April 2007
A very stylish opening with James Mason as holier and smoother than thou top-politician making a high speech instantly gives a feeling of things not being quite how it seems. And quite rightly so, most things in the story have a feeling of being very cool and calculated. And with Huston's experience it is all handled very well. Compared to Huston's many sanctified classics this film has been seen as more of a minor work of his. But it does have things boiling underneath its cool surface and deserves a deeper look and maybe several viewings. This movie is largely not in-your-face action, but gets parts of the mood and style from earlier movie works and periods. For example the music reminds me of 'The Third Man'. And when action and violence finally occur, it gets surprisingly tense and raw in its effect.
The movie crosses interestingly several genres, like a cold war spy thriller and prison movies. Some of the scenes manage to catch something familiar from early Hitchcock, specially the runaway and chase scene on an Irish moor. The locations in London and Ireland with real local people add much to the realism and fascination of the story. Even the car chases use old beaten up vehicles keeping far away from usual top agent style.
Paul Newman as Joseph Rearden does a strong role but the cool center of the story is Dominique Sanda as an almost emotionless beauty whose appearance covers secrets and surprises. The plot holds up very well all the way to the final moments with some nasty surprises. A film worth seeing for Huston fans and others.
The movie crosses interestingly several genres, like a cold war spy thriller and prison movies. Some of the scenes manage to catch something familiar from early Hitchcock, specially the runaway and chase scene on an Irish moor. The locations in London and Ireland with real local people add much to the realism and fascination of the story. Even the car chases use old beaten up vehicles keeping far away from usual top agent style.
Paul Newman as Joseph Rearden does a strong role but the cool center of the story is Dominique Sanda as an almost emotionless beauty whose appearance covers secrets and surprises. The plot holds up very well all the way to the final moments with some nasty surprises. A film worth seeing for Huston fans and others.
Paul Newman's performance along with the escape scenes keeps this film afloat
jordondave-2808519 November 2022
Adapted from the novel The Freedom Trap by Desmond Bagle with the screenplay co-written by Walter Hill directed by John Huston. Starring Paul Newman as an agent Joseph Reardon employed to expose a possible spy within the British consulate. He does this by first assaulting the mail man with a different identity before stealing a small box of diamonds for the purpose of putting him in prison to join up with a political prisoner, named Slade (Ian Bannen), for a possible escape. The title "The Mackintosh Man" as it is called refers to the star Joseph's boss, Mackintosh played by Harry Andrews with Miss Smith (Dominique Sanda) as his aide.
Because of Paul Newman's performance keep the movie watchable which some of it's tone is similar to a much superior film The IPCRESS File starring Michael Cain. One of the inconsistencies was. If the exposed spy was suspected why did Mackintoch himself revealed to the person who that source to find out himself. If the Newman character was undercover, why was he even mentioned at all. Anyways this rating was squarely toward some of the action that it has which I thought was well made like the car chase and his getaway.
Because of Paul Newman's performance keep the movie watchable which some of it's tone is similar to a much superior film The IPCRESS File starring Michael Cain. One of the inconsistencies was. If the exposed spy was suspected why did Mackintoch himself revealed to the person who that source to find out himself. If the Newman character was undercover, why was he even mentioned at all. Anyways this rating was squarely toward some of the action that it has which I thought was well made like the car chase and his getaway.
Slow and dull
fiona_r_lamb26 August 2019
I watched this because of Paul Newman and the fact it was supposed to be a spy thriller. Didn't find it very thrilling at all. I think I am so used to current day films now this feels like a dinosaur in comparison. Not slick at all. The acting was OK except for the French woman who was so incredibly wooden. And the worst atrocity was Newman's Australian accent.
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