A Dandy in Aspic (1968)

Excellent but underrated film

As Good As It Gets

It's easily one of the freshest, sharpest and most enjoyable films of this year.

The story, direction, characters, and writing/dialogue is akin to taking a tranquilizer shot to the neck, but everything else was so well done.

I am not sure why this film gets a bad rap -- I thoroughly enjoyed it. Wonderful locations of an impossibly glamorous late-60s London, Lawrence Harvey suitably mysterious, a seeping sense of doom which won't give you nightmares but will make you appreciate the story arc even more.Yes there are plot holes but nothing major. The character of Mia Farrow remains a cipher, but maybe it's intentional.Watch out for two then future telly stars in minor roles: Richard O'Sullivan (of Man about the house) and Mike Pratt (of Randall and Hopkirk). Recommended.

Very entertaining late 60's Cold War romp through Britain and Germany. Excellent realism (Russian agent heroin user who longs for home simultaneously with the next hit!) and Laurence Harvey's cold, matter-of-fact demeanor as the disgruntled agent who is pretty much fed up with the whole political spy scene. He turned out to be a super choice for this role!Also, Mia Farrow is excellent as the ditsy, naive "bird" who takes a fancy to LH's counterpoint character. But the real kudos go to Peter Cook, the mod devil-may-care chap who supplies to LH all the pertinent spy goings-on with a mordant, off-color humorous style. (Note his playboy flirtations juxtaposed with his serious delineations of Home Office tidbits to LH at the penthouse tower bar in Germany.) Lionel Stander gets in a good dry line or two as a Russian agent who confronts LH in Germany. Quincy Jones gets my musical kudos for the tasteful soundtrack! Finally, the ending is also tastefully done, all too apropos for LH's downward spiraling lifestyle.

It was somewhat of a feature of the late 1960s to make bleak and world weary spy movies. This film is in this mould. I saw the film upon it's release and quite enjoyed it, albeit it is slow and a little dull. Still, I think that it is an interesting piece of film making and enjoyed the performances of Laurence Harvey and Tom Courtenay who play British agents who do not like each other. (Harvey is in fact a double agent). There are some good locations shots of 1960's London (mainly bleak) and Berlin (not so bleak). Harvey trudges around both capitals after been given an assignment to kill a Russian Spy - who is in fact himself. Mia Farrow is a trendy young thing (tho' a bit on the thin side)and adds love interest. However, as she keeps turning up wherever Harvey goes, is she as innocent as she appears? A young Peter Cook also stars as a rather irritating junior British agent. John Bird and Lionel Stander add a little humour into an otherwise humourless film. Definitely worth a look.

Oh the trials and tribulations of being a spy. Alexander Eberlin (Lawrence Harvey) is in a bad way. You see, he's a Russian spy within the British Secret Service, and has been one for eighteen long years. He wants out, to go back to Russia but is forbidden to do so by his superiors. Things have just gotten worse for Eberlin too. He's been busy killing British agents on the sly and now suddenly he's been assigned to eliminate the person responsible - himself! As if that wasn't enough, the Brits think the assassin is a Russian agent, Pavel (Per Osscarson), who happens to be Eberlin's contact in London and an old friend. When Pavel turns up dead and is declared not to be the assassin after all, things get really complicated for Eberlin.This is credited as an Anthony Mann production but Mann died before filming was completed and star Lawrence Harvey took over. Given the interesting premise it's a shame the film is so disappointing. It drifts aimlessly never creating the tension you'd expect and in the end poor Eberlin is killed after being made a monkey of by the Brits and Russians alike. Yes it was cynical but so coldly so that the film leaves virtually no impression and that's the real crime.There is a marionette credit sequence which is nicely done and symbolic as all get out but subtle it ain't and Quincy Jones' vague and formless score fits this meandering film but gives no weight to the proceedings. There are some nice wide screen compositions and deep focus photography to amuse your eyes but all in all this was a doomed production from the beginning and never found its footing.