Mark Kermode reviews The Ipcress File | BFI Player

[@mikeheyburn9716]

It captures the London of my childhood like being in a time machine. Superb film.

[@kenpudsey6435]

Nigel Green as Major Dalby is superb..a classic film!

[@jasonfernee2401]

He played the disciplinarian role exceptionally. You only have to look at Colour Sergeant Bourne in Zulu to see how he crossed the class divide but essentially being in the same role.

[@PercivalBlakeney]

@@jasonfernee2401 kzbin.info/www/bejne/ppunkJame8hpb6c 😉

[@kenpudsey6435]

Every role he played,he embraced..a fine actor!

[@tooterooterville]

"Come in, Palmer. Close the door!"

[@kenpudsey6435]

@@tooterooterville Ha ha Jim..very good!💯

[@theoldbuilding4818]

One of my all time favourites. Amazing cast, iconic leading man and super stylish to look at.

[@tooterooterville]

I still pop in the DVD every year or two. I first saw this film as a freshman in college (1966). This was my first exposure to any truly British movie and was fascinated with all the features unique to the UK vis a vis USA (cars, telephone boxes, idioms, etc.). I finally got to travel to London for the first time in 1980 and many times since. I have been an anglophile ever since seeing this movie.

[@farmercraig6080]

Yes mine to. I also liked Funeral in Berlin. But Billion dollar brain, wasn’t a good film from memory. But I might give it another go one day.

[@SaltimusMaximus]

It isn’t just Michael Caine, other great cast members and the whole setting of that time in it’s unglamorous reality make it truly great, and a slice of social history

[@IamRobotMonkey]

My favourite film of all time. Absolute perfection. Dramatic but understated. There's far more going on than you realise on first viewing it. Pay attention, indeed.

[@wackadakka3134]

i like the way he has to fill in a form every time he does anything

[@randyacuna5643]

A superb spy drama, arguably the best non James bond spy adventure with the added addition of a superb John Barry score. This is what a spy movie should be like .

[@francinedouaihy497]

One of my favorite movies of all times! Michael Caine is awesome - cool, handsome, Sexy. Loved seeing the London of that era- the characters ‘ classic clothing - everything!!!🎩🎩🇬🇧🇬🇧🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

[@amnril]

I love this Film, it is so British and Caine is superb and an antidote to Bond.

[@evanescapades2513]

Best film of this genre as far as i am concerned 10/10

[@miguelalexandrereal4940]

Why were they brainwashing the scientists? What were the motivations behind Major Dalby's betrayal? I like the movie but I didn't understand this.

[@ricardocantoral7672]

@@miguelalexandrereal4940 Draining the "brain power" of the west is just as effective as killing off the muscle. As for Dalby, he simply hated Ross.

[@miguelalexandrereal4940]

@@ricardocantoral7672 thanks for the reply. The Dalby's motivation to betrayal doesnt make any sense, is just there make the audience feel surprised like a twist. But overall is good cold war contained espionage movie.

[@JohnSmith-oe4ci]

@@miguelalexandrereal4940 the audience of the time would have been very aware of the large number of upper class traitors like Burgess, Maclean & Philby. There were others !

[@walterlee4796]

One of my favorite spy series with one of my all time faves Sir Michael. The supporting cast is excellent and only gets better with the addition of Oscar Homolka as Col. Stok in the next two films, hmmm think I’ll go watch them again for the umpteenth time😁

[@farmercraig6080]

It’s a very rewarding film, hanging out with Harry Palmer, the wonderful story, great character actors and a very real believable film. It’s also rewards repeat viewings as you piece together the evidence. Highly recommended.

[@matthewhendy5785]

Indeed. Great casting particularly Nigel Green.

[@farmercraig6080]

@@matthewhendy5785 yes, he’s great in this.

[@serenityinside1]

Forgetting sue Lloyd ?

[@farmercraig6080]

@@serenityinside1 yeah she gives a great performance here.

[@billyhodges7194]

Yea I love this film.... One of the impeccable Holy British films that includes If...., Withnail & I, Performance...... Hell I even loved funeral in Berlin 👍

[@PopeLando]

When I was discovering movies as a kid and going to see the first Star Wars, a 50 year old film was The Gold Rush by Charlie Chaplin and the Jazz Singer. All talking pictures, Fred Astaire, Busby Berkeley, Gone With The Wind were younger than The Ipcress File is today.

[@MikeGreenwood51]

Gone with the Wind 1939. Generally the younger is the one of fewer years whilst the older is of greater years. You have looked at earlier which is a little different to younger. But the older would have been born earlier.

[@callumreid8592]

Book is fantastic too. Talked about it alot when I reviewed The Deadly Affair for the Sheffield Hallam Film magazine. Funeral in Berlin is also fantastic!

[@spockboy]

They sure changed the story around from the book!

[@taviodangelis9593]

Got that Fuckin A Right But a Good Novelization is Silver. What Did You think about Caine and Malden in 'Billion Dollar Brain'?

[@farmercraig6080]

Yeah Funeral in Berlin is a good film. Have seen Billion Dollar Brain, didn’t like it fro memory, but might give it another try one day.

[@mango4ttwo635]

when people have asked me for my favourite Bond movie, I answer (until D Craig's Casino Royale , admittedly): The Ipcress File. The anti Bond film, working class, unglamorous, NHS glasses, and almost metrosexual - knowing his onions rather than his innuendo lines. And rather than car chases and exploding cigars, clashing shopping trolleys

[@michaelwhittaker5432]

EXACTLY !! he lives in a bed sit and eats soup

[@tooleyheadbang4239]

I haven't heard 'Metrosexual' for a long time! It was a buzz-word in the popular press for a while, until its inventor, English journalist Mark Simpson, finally admitted that it was just Latin for Motherf***er!

[@peterh1353]

The music of John Barry is part of the con. You don't notice it until afterwards.

[@therantingboy]

One of my favourite movies

[@PercivalBlakeney]

You start off as a kid idolising James Bond, you grow up and accept that Harry Palmer's a whole lot closer to reality. Ecc 1:18 &c. 😶

[@jasonfernee2401]

Harry Palmer, the poor man's James Bond, but just as deadly and effective. I think there are a lot more films left in the character beyond the one's produced.

[@PercivalBlakeney]

@@jasonfernee2401 Harry Palmer?... maybe learned his trade alongside Jim Prideaux and Alec Lemas. Just a thought. 😋 Thanks Jason. ☺️

[@ricardocantoral7672]

@@jasonfernee2401 Palmer is cooler than Bond.

[@interested-q4d]

The itv adaptation of the Ipcress file has one anachronism in episode 3.Plamer and a woman are in Beirut Palmer reads out a date "April the twentieth 1963. " Unfortunately a few scenes earlier we see a newspaper announcing the death of JFK. Kennedy was assassinated on the twenty second of November 1963. The date itself is iconic because both CS Lewis and Aldous Huxley died on the same day.Not a bad remake though.

[@jimmytgoose476]

I wouldnt call it a remake ; it owes more to the novel than to Caine's film but they both made big changes to the source . I like the way the series tipped the hat to the film ; I'm watching the series again this week and have picked up a few details i missed first time . Much as i loved Caine's Palmer and the film as a whole i found it a bit disappointing on returning to it because of the plot and a somewhat penny pinching feel - i get the impression the main differences from the novel are for budgeting concerns rather than cinematic brevity . I live in hope of the people behind the programme doing Funeral In Berlin next 🙂

[@jimmytgoose476]

Another point (I'm not sure if it would be an anachronism like yours) i spotted was in the briefing where they are informed of the Soviet bomb....and shown footage of American hardware 😃

[@derrekmorgan1940]

One of Michael Cains underrated movies my father liked him in this role

[@dennisthedog4015]

Sold it. Its bbc iplayer now

[@ricardocantoral7672]

There's a clue to watch out for when trying to guess the identity of the traitor. It took me quite a number of viewings in order to notice it.

[@bramleydragon]

I've seen the film several times. What is the clue your talking about?

[@ricardocantoral7672]

@@bramleydragon A certain color appears whenever the "traitor" is in the frame.

[@PercivalBlakeney]

@@ricardocantoral7672 That's all the excuse I need to watch it again. 😎

[@farmercraig6080]

@@ricardocantoral7672 oh really that’s interesting.

[@zozoa1]

Seeing London again how I use to remember it was just brilliant. Story line was ok

[@dhall5785]

“We’ve suspected this one for some time”

[@eyeseer1]

Harry Palmer was a nod for Austin Powers, heck Michael Caine would be Austin's father as Nigel Powers.

[@redbike6340]

Brilliant film 👌🇬🇧

[@billyhodges7194]

All of the bond films combined don't touch the ipcress file... Few do

[@The_Mighty_Fiction]

The new version is going to blow harder than the Big Bad Wolf. The kid they've cast as Harry looks like the fucking intern and it's clear he's meant to be a ringer for Taron Egerton. It's not a good sign when you're copying the look of the pastiche.

[@jimmytgoose476]

I think the series is brilliant and the cast are faultless . The best bit about it is the way it avoids the film's obvious cost cutting .

[@ansilumens1444]

You can give an actor Caine's glasses, but you can't give him charisma or star quality.

[@nkt1]

Same applies if you poke out an actor’s eye, and give him Peter Falk’s glass one. Fancy that!

[@ricardocantoral7672]

In my opinion, the glasses made the character.

[@jettrink7510]

36 empty chairs in the auditorium and he choses the one next to Courtney... WOW

[@kevkeary4700]

my name is Harry Palmer

[@theman2017inc]

Harry Palmer the antithesis of 007

[@walterkronkitesleftshoe6684]

It isn't usual to read a B103 to its subject Palmer.... but I'm going to put you straight.

[@philiphaigh8349]

First class x

[@robertoorellana2602]

😮

[@spockboy]

The sequels weren't nearly as good because they did not have John Barry's music. If you need proof, watch "Never Say Never Again" which is a remake of Thunderball without his fantastic score.

[@limedickandrew6016]

Still pretty good though.

[@PercivalBlakeney]

@SpockBoy "Now is the Winter of Our Discontent". 😉

[@spockboy]

@@PercivalBlakeney Made glorious summer, by this son, of York.

[@farmercraig6080]

Funeral in Berlin, is pretty good. Well worth a watch.

[@John-wz7yu]

A absolute classic movie but I'm not very impressed with the new ITV version

[@liamh5127]

Vastly superior to Bond.

[@redcardinalist]

Not the same type of film though surely for a comparison? As Mark says in the video, this is a more down-to-earth, gritty film. Bond on the otherhand is a much more larger than life sexy heroic trope :)

[@ricardocantoral7672]

A more appropriate comparison would be Bond vs North by Northwest and Bond comes up short in comparison.

[@bneale]

Um no. LOL

[@adamgrimsley2900]

They now and remade this with a 12 year old boy

[@jimmytgoose476]

Hes about the same age as Caine was .

[@ricardocantoral7672]

@@jimmytgoose476 True but he looks so young. He looks like he should be in High School.

[@jimmytgoose476]

Maybe people just had rougher lives then . I loved the series because , apart from being very well executed (sod the naysayers) it is more faithful to the book whereas the film, despite its lasting charms, deviates from the book because it has more than a whiff of constrained budget .