The Tamarind Seed (1974)

Just perfect...

I wanted to like it more than I actually did... But much of the humor totally escaped me and I walked out only mildly impressed.

There is, somehow, an interesting story here, as well as some good acting. There are also some good scenes

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

The Tamarind Seed has both Julie Andrews and Omar Sharif looking to merge. But merger is going to be impossible because of the Cold War. You see Julie works for someone in the British home office and Omar is a military attaché for the Russians. If they were from allied countries or even one of them from a neutral there would be no problem. But being in the jobs they're in they're under surveillance, even more so when they start dating. Wildest of all is that both are put on the spot to get the other to defect.Sharif and Andrews are the weak links of The Tamarind Seed. Both lack chemistry between them, you don't the feeling that they are truly caught up with each other. The ones to watch here are Dan O'Herlihy, a high level traitor to the United Kingdom and his ambitious wife Sylvia Sims. Both of their roles are spiced with former passion turned to hate. Herlihy is a closet gay man and Sims stays married to him for the sake of position. He's in line for a top level ambassadorship and she wants it for the perks of the position.Those two really make The Tamarind Seed worth watching.

Blake Edwards, better known for his comedies, directs this respectable spy film based on Evelyn Anthony's novel of the same title. July Andrews in on a holiday in Barbados trying to recover from a love affair with a married man. She meets Omar Sharif and she falls in love with him, only to discover that he's an international Russian spy willing to change sides.On the bright side, the story keeps you interested despite the slow pace. It shows that it is possible to make a nice spy film without crazy special effects, nonsense action scenes and going ballistic for the most unsuspected reason. There's a very nice soundtrack by John Barry and a spectacular song sung by Wilma Reading.On the dark side, it has several of the stereotypes of this kind of movies from the 70's, as for example, the Russians spies have a very strong Russian accent: how do they manage to spy and mingle without being noticed? To keep it short, a nice spy movie where for over 108 minutes, not a single gun is shot and not a single blood drop is spilt. It has great climax scene, where suspense is very well built. A rara avis nowadays, where the explosions have to be loud and action has to be unbelievable in the less realistic possible way. By the way, the movie is 119 minutes long and, believe it or not, July Andrews doesn't sing on this film!!

When a British civil servant strikes up a relationship with a member of the Russian intelligence she meets on holiday, the authorities on both sides grow increasingly alarmed. From the James Bond style opening credits to John Barry's gorgeous score, this is wonderful 70s spy territory. Who can be trusted? Is everyone who they seem or claim to be? Flitting between Paris and London, Granadas and Mercedes aplenty, Sharif is deliciously charming, relaxed and believable as Feodor Sverdlov. Each time we think we know what he's up to, he does or says something to make us doubt again. As a bitter and scheming diplomatic wife caught up in the subterfuge, Sylvia Syms steals every scene she's in, and well deserved the BAFTA nomination that year. Only Andrews looks uneasy, and whilst we believe Sharif's romantic intentions, she is so subdued throughout that we wonder whether it's meant or just wooden acting. Still, it's a great yarn, and worth a look.

I'm a huge Julie Andrews fan, which was why I saw this movie. I now understand spy storylines much better than I did when I watched it, so if I saw it again, I may be able to actually follow the plot. It does drag, which is always a pet pieve of mine, but the romance between Julie and Omar Sharrif is the heart of the film and lets you see that the Cold War was between governments, not necessarily people. The ending makes up for almost everything else, as most good endings tend to do, and it was just what the characters and audience wanted. If you want a lot of action, this may not be the right movie, but if you want a romance masquerading as a spy thriller, this is your film.