Scott LeBrun
The legendary John Huston directs this engaging thriller starring the iconic actor Paul Newman. Newman is aces as a more antiheroic character than one might expect. Rearden (Newman) is a man hired by Mr. MacKintosh (Harry Andrews) to steal diamonds being sent through the mail. But the police are tipped off, Rearden goes on trial and is sent to prison, and agrees to a shadowy organizations' offer of assistance. They regularly break people out of prison for a hefty fee.This viewer would do well not to give away too many more details about the plot, because it does have some twists for you along the way. Not everything here can be taken at face value. The absorbing tale was adapted from a novel by Desmond Bagley; although future director Walter Hill gets sole screenwriting credit, several people actually worked on it. It gets a lot out of some wonderful location shooting in Ireland and Malta, and it showcases a typically charismatic and commanding Newman. The first rate cast also features Dominique Sanda as a French-accented "Mrs. Smith" who works with MacKintosh, and a superb James Mason as a sly member of Parliament who's leading a double life. It's a pleasure to see them all at work. Ian Bannen, Michael Hordern, Nigel Patrick, Peter Vaughan, Roland Culver, Percy Herbert, the intoxicatingly sexy Jenny Runacre, Niall MacGinnis, Eddie Byrne, and Shane Briant turn up as well.There are some thrilling moments, but the climactic confrontation leaves a little something to be desired. It just doesn't have that much tension. However, there is some shocking violence that makes a hell of an impact.This is good material, overall, that would have been ideal for a filmmaker such as Hitchcock. But Huston is pretty masterful himself, crafting a slick feature that holds your attention without being really memorable.Seven out of 10.
SimonJack
Paul Newman is the hero in this 1973 British espionage thriller. He is Rearden, an undercover agent who goes from one ID to another, with appropriate accent changes. The movie doesn't a have large cast, but all are very good in their roles. Dominique Sand is one of the main players, Mrs. Smith (code name for the daughter of Mackintosh). James Mason is Sir George Wheeler. Harry Andrews is Mackintosh. Michael Hordern is Mr. Brown. One gets a sense of the cloak and dagger early on. And, one can guess that if Newman and Andrews characters are the good guys, this is another one of those James Mason roles as culprit. Other than that, the story has some good intrigue, with modest action and some chase scenes. The ending is a surprise. The movie is based on a 1971 Novel by Desmond Bagley, "The Freedom Trap." This is the only film success of his four novels that were made into moves. The movie has some nice scenic shots of sites in Europe. It was filmed in Ireland, Malta, London and Liverpool. "The MacKintosh Man" is a fun mystery that most should enjoy.
elshikh4
This is like existential spy movie, that turns along the way into nihilistic spy movie, that turns into nihilism itself in the end !Obviously, director John Huston had no idea what he was doing. If the goal was another spy movie, then it's bland, uninspired, and lifeless. And if the goal was different spy movie, with slower pace, less action, delayed information, immoral choice, then it ended up as just different, and not even in a good way ! The dissolve editing during the first half was very boring and annoying. However, if you want *really* boring and annoying element, then it's Maurice Jarre's music, or – to be more accurate – Maurice Jarre's sole piece of music. It seemed that the man wrote only one piece of music, then left without writing more to it, or at least variations for it. Then in a strange, if not sadistic, manner; they played it over and over and over again, till your nerves got damaged. And the worst thing is that it felt upbeat and ceremonial, expressing the wrong feelings for most of the time !Paul Newman as British is an early indication that there is something wrong. Nevertheless, I discovered eventually that he was the one bright point around. Dominique Sanda is a beauty yes, however deadly monotonous. Her utterance suited a provocative robot. From start to finish, she had such an unbearable flat face, with mute features, being completely senseless. So when she started to feel the effect of James Mason's sleeping pills, I couldn't decide was she losing her senses, or that was her regular self ?! And while Mason is reliable in anything, I hated to see him walking and talking without much character. He was the calm sophisticated evil guy, so what's new ?! I'll tell you, 2 things : The way his hair looked in the wind. And the hidden wicked meaning behind his role; whereas the political opposition people are unpatriotic, rather spies !!!There were many dumb moments that transformed into funny jokes, and with playing them seriously—the whole thing became a comedy. Count with me : The scene in which Newman steals the diamonds was perfectly idiotic. In fact, most of his action scenes here were between laughable and embarrassing. Look at him carefully while hitting Michael Hordern. Hordern seemed drugged already. And sometimes it was just a slight punch to the air, to get the huger foe unconscious ! Hordern's shooter kept missing Newman while the latter is running in the open, during the daylight ! (they could have made the sun in the shooter's eyes, used fog, altered the scene's time to be at night.. But no interest whatsoever). The car chase was a bit tense, albeit I always thought that the evil guys' car had a drunk driver. He was as if mimicking the moves of the lead's car playfully ! While the heroine's father is dying, and everybody is chasing the lead, and there is a dangerous spy who's escaping out of the nation; the 2 leads find all the time in the world to have a vacation, put on swim suits, listen to music, and enjoy a romance !! Then, the dumbness / fun gets bigger in the third act : The heroine sneaks into the evil man's party in a boldly stupid way. I mean "I forgot my gloves in the car" then voilà, I'm in ?? This is jeu d'esprit more than faux pas ! The evil guy hides his most wanted spy right in front of everybody, on the very yacht which he throws a party on, and – moreover – leaves him without guarding, so when anyone comes across his room, knocks on the door, he opens ordinarily !! When the lead jumps into water, everybody looks in one direction; well, IT'S THE SEA PEOPLE, THE SEA !! The last standoff felt childish, and I couldn't stop laughing during the last shot, where the heroine disappears into darkness; exactly like the movie's possible joy and meanings ! And yet to top it all : the movie's title is a reference to the man who hires the lead to do the job. Now how comedic !!Still the most comedic thing at all is how this movie savors not clearing up anything for you as a viewer. And even if that was done as an influence of the French new wave, the British free cinema, the Italian spinach pizza (whatever !); then what could be the philosophical depth that it led to ?? I believe this question can be included with Bermuda Triangle, and JFK's assassination, in the list of the 20th century's most complicated mysteries !! So when the lead leaves the evil guys go free at the end, you can't comprehend his motives, or judge properly is it a fault or not. Because there is no intellectual content, nor characterization in the first place. And with the very poor quality of the movie as a thriller, then we're having a lose-lose situation, where The MacKintosh Man has none to offer; whether in terms of good surface or any substance. As I told you earlier, it's "Nihilism" my friend !This is a movie about the cold war, that's cold itself. With regard to uninteresting, dull, or frankly bad spy movie from John Huston in the 1970s, then this is The Kremlin Letter (1970) – part 2. To understand what I mean, watch The Kremlin Letter. But I assure to you.. The MacKintosh Man is funnier !
