The Deadly Affair Details

The usual John Le Carrà net of intrigue, betrayal and death (based on his Call for the Dead) as Mason's Foreign Office... read more on Time Out

 

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RECALL FOR THE DEAD PAST

Based on John le Carré’s novel, 'Call For the Dead,' this is a tale with the usual ingredients : political tapdancing, international intrigue (highlighted by the presence of both Simone Signoret and Maximillian Schell) and a good old cosy murder mystery. The film is one of the more successful transitions to the screen of le Carré’s novels, unlike many of his other works which read so well but have suffered from the Hollywood treatment. The setting is a precursor of the Smiley stories (Tinker, Tailor, etc and Smiley’s People) and James Mason is a thoroughly believable Smiley, even though his name here is “Dobbs,” and Harriet Andersson is credible as his feckless wife.

Made in the 1960s it captures a lot of the peripheral mind-and-eye-candy of the age: a young and pretty Lynn Redgrave in big hair, a theatre production of Marlowe’s 'Edward II' with an even younger and more beautiful David Warner (uncredited) in the title role, all merely serving as backdrop to the more imposing conversations and acting going on in front of the play. (Look out for Timothy West, Max Adrian and Corin Redgrave) There are also the flattering feminine fashions from the era, including London itself clothed in thick fog and relentless rain, and a music score from Quincy Jones with Astrid Gilberto singing the title song (it was, after all, the time of the ‘Girl From Impanema’). The mundane interiors (a relief from the usual glossy pap of today) are therefore more realistic in this collage and the prevailing atmosphere is one of mystery, be it the real crime or the subtext within the liaisons of Mason/Anderssen and Signoret/Schell. Cameo roles from greats like Roy Kinnear and Kenneth Haig round out the magic, but the show is stolen by the magnificent Harry Andrews as a retired Cockney Cop who is roped in to assist Mason with his investigation into the death of a foreign office official. Curl up on the potato couch with a fleecy blanket and cup of cocoa and wallow in the charm of this nostalgic thriller.... read more »

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There aren't enough stars to say how good this is...

I really just wanted to write my thoughts down because this film has not left my mind since I first watched it last week.

The combination of great ... read more »

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Interesting period piece

This 1960’s spy yarn came from the pen of John Le Carre and has a strong cast of British actors. Le Carre had an insider’s knowledge of the British ... read more »

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The Deadly Affair

Classy thriller with top actors James Mason, Simone Signoret and Harry Andrews. Also nice to see Roy Kinnear and Lynn Redgrave in cameo roles. I very much ... read more »

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