Customer Reviews

Mackintosh Man [VHS]

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

The simplicity of this movie sets it apart from modern spy movies. The hero (Newman) is given little to work with in terms of information or equipment is forced to problem-solve in a way that makes him seem much more genuine than a James Bond type of character. Similarily the villians are much more realistic and multi-dimensional, as well. It feels more plausible that the big chase scene is between little utility truck and a run-of-the-mill mid-sixties Mercedes sedan than a couple of sports cars. Further the writers resisted the temptation to have the hero kill everyone that he was in conflict with. Even the way the villagers discuss the events up at the mansion adds a sense reality that most action films leave out.
The film has a rainy day in a far-away land feel about it which is complimented by the haunting music. In many ways this movie reminds me of the "Day of the Jackal" and "The Odessa File" in it's controlled scope and tasteful direction.

A real no-nonsense spy thriller, in the same style as The Man Who Came In From The Cold, which is probably the BEST. Paul Newman really outdid himself with this film. Althogh his accent was lacking at times, he is very believable as one of those real heroes, from the cold war era. After all, here is a guy who allows himself to be thrown into a foreign prison, just to break out, with enemies he does not know. The courage involved, is off the charts, and Newman makes you believe that he is doing it because . . . well, simply because he is asked to do so. Without giving too much away, allow me to point out to those who have missed this classic to date; that the ending is right from the archives at the CIA. Decisions, behaviors, and reactions are all to real, and that is what places this film above the others of this genre. The music is also tremendous, with a very haunting theme that is repeated throughout, and yet never becomes repetitive; due to arrangements, instruments, and simply because it is always welcome, given the continuous perils the lead character is thrust into. This is a testatment of what brains, not gadgets, can do.

This is my all time favorite Paul Newman movie. Great fun, just to watch those english actors is a treat.
The background music adds to the mystique. I like this movie so much I've given away 3 copies to friends.
At the time of it's release the critics gave it a poor review,but what do they know?
John Keaveny.

For some reason Paul Newman and international intrigue never hit it off. In The Prize (Mark Robson, 1963), a story of skullduggery at the Nobel Prize ceremonies, complete with kidnappings, violence and romance, Newman looks petulant and sounds whiney. The movie's style echoes Charade and To Catch a Thief, but Newman is definitely no Cary Grant. In Torn Curtain (Alfred Hitchcock, 1966), where a killing is brutal and lengthy, betrayal and capture is a real possibility but where tension is lacking, Newman usually looks irritable and uncomfortable. Torn Curtain isn't much of a movie and Newman disliked his experience working with Hitchcock, but Newman's performance is flat and perfunctory.

With the Mackintosh Man, a story of Cold War intrigue, treason and dangerous escapes, Newman doesn't break his pattern. He gives a performance that, for me, seems commonplace. It's not all his fault. The screenplay by Walter Hill, undoubtedly with a lot of input from director John Huston, is unnecessarily complicated and abrupt. Worse, Huston's direction, in my opinion, is careless and sloppy. Relationships in the movie aren't made clear. There's no subtlety. Details get lost. There's a long, pointless car chase. At times Newman looks like he's all by himself, acting in a vacuum. Much of the movie was filmed in Ireland during Huston's long Irish squire period. One assumes this was the primary reason Huston did the film. He could get great tax write-offs; he was where he enjoyed being; the Irish loved having him there...and he evidently didn't want to be bothered by working too hard.

So why watch the movie? Well, if you're a fan of the adventure novels of Desmond Bagley, you'll know The Mackintosh Man is based on Bagley's The Freedom Trap. For some reason I get a little nostalgic, even while I'm either bored or irritated by the movie, knowing this. The book, as nearly all of Bagley's novels are, is a superior read with careful, tricky plotting, good writing and protagonists you can come to like. The second reason is James Mason. He plays a slippery fellow you'd better not trust too far. Mason is a movie in himself, as he usually was in all of his films. It's a delight to observe just how good he was. The third reason is the large number of first-rate British character actors that populate the movie. Some have significant roles, others are on and off quickly. Here are a few, and they're all memorable...Harry Andrews, Ian Bannen, Michael Hordern, Nigel Patrick, Peter Vaughan, Roland Culver, Percy Herbert, Niall MacGinnis, Noel Purcell, and Leo Genn. The movie may be confusingly written and carelessly directed, Newman may seem out of place, but you can't beat the cast.

Newman plays Joe Reardon, a tough crook tossed into a British high security prison for 20 years. Eventually he hooks up with a gang that runs an escape operation for long-term prisoners. They get you over the wall and to another country. They can get Reardon out if he pays their high price. Others have gone before. He agrees and out he goes, with another prisoner who is a traitor. By gum, we find out Reardon really is working with British counter-intelligence. High-level traitors are being sprung from the prison and winding up in a transit pipeline to the Soviet Union by way of Malta. Could an aristocratic member of parliament, Sir George Wheeler (Mason), be involved? Does the beautiful Mrs. Smith (Dominque Sanda) really care for Joe or is she playing her own game? Can Newman ever show he's tough without sounding sarcastic? Could a dramatic shoot-out at the climax be more self-consciously staged and directed?

Read Bagley's The Freedom Trap, then see the movie. You'll like, I hope, the story in the book, and you'll like the actors in the movie.

One of my top ten favorite films. I disagree with some other reviews here that Newman is out of his element. I thought Newman was great! I've tried to envision a famous British actor playing Newman's character, and it just won't work. His acting abilities add a lot to the film. I do agree with other reviewers that the British supporting actors are all excellent and worth a look on their own. Yes, the music is perfect. Goodness, gracious, folks! Look what you've got here: a prison breakout, a spectacular Irish mansion, Malta, a beautiful girl, and James Mason and his yacht! It's perfect. What more could you want? I will say, on that Irish mansion, I previously had this movie on VHS and when I put it on pause to freeze the fire sequence, the film shook on the screen so I couldn't tell if the mansion was real or not. What a shame to burn down such a beautiful place, I thought. But in this DVD version, I can freeze it and determined it was not a real place...just built to burn down by the moviemakers. Still, that haunting setting with the house alone on the bog and that music as Newman flees away...really, really great. As for the final ending, hey, folks, it's an espionage movie. You're not supposed to figure it out right away. Think about it and watch it again. It gets better every time I watch it, the sign of a truly great movie. You can feel that Irish air. I love this movie. If you haven't seen it, you need to. One of the great sleepers of all time, straight to you from the golden age of movie-making when the stars were REAL MOVIE STARS. Don't miss this one.

Don't pay any attention to the critics reviews. This film is not unflawless but it's a good film. How many films are perfect? not too many i think!! So , Like Paul newman in this role as a Undercover Agent who is asked by MacKintosh ( He's Boss) to steal Jewels. Well, Newman completes the Heist succesfully but is quickly captured and sent to prison. Eventually as you would expect , he is busted out of prison along with a communist spy who was in jail with him. When newman is taken to is refuge. he finds himself in Ireland. Now this On Location filming in Ireland is brilliant!! the scenery is cold and desolate and eerie. When Newnman escapes from is so called rescuers there is a cool chase with newman running through the hills of Ireland being chased by thugs and a guard dog. the haunting musical score is outstanding. james Mason is a spy who Newman is on the verge of revealing. Dominique sanda is just O.K. as Newman mild love interest and Undercover partner. Not a perfect film by any means but certainly worth watching!!

A number of the other reviewers complain that this movie is too complicated. Not sure what to say about that. It's no more complicated than other movies of this type. The Third Man, The Spy Who Came In From The Cold ...these were no less complicated and are considered classics. I have always wished that Newman had done more movies like this. It is refreshing to see him be the hero in a movie, instead of some other version of egomaniac or smart-a$$. This is more consistent with the charitable person that he really was.

There are some inconsistencies in this movie. Rapid dry clothing...The police racing away from the harbor after he jumps into it...Hence only 4 stars. Additionally, the female lead is positively wooden. Miss Sanja is a pretty girl that should have stuck to modeling.

What this movie has that most don't, is a real sense of loneliness. The vacant Irish landscape is a metaphore for the protagonist's life..out alone in a harsh landscape. I've travelled quite a bit, and know that thrilling loneliness. It's very 60's european, but has the same feeling of landing alone in China, when everyone is still asleep on a Sunday morning.

The car chase is very good, using two run of the mill rides. It's not as flashy as racing through downtown Paris in BMW's, but being free of collateral damage makes it seem more plausable that life could just go on afterward. It goes nicely with the gents at the bar gossiping about the unusual event happening the night before. One might imagine the next day's conversation regarding the poor fellows who missed the turn at the top of the cliff.

One may wonder why John Huston trusted Dominique Sanda with Mrs. Smith's role. Was it in order to give an even colder atmosphere to this film about Cold War ? Did he think that the final scene would be more memorable if it was played by the constip... err! by the uptight French actress ? I don't know. Still, I liked a lot the Irish part of The Mackintosh Man with an interesting car chase and beautiful landscapes. But, as it's the 3rd or the 4th time that I see this film and as I nonetheless always forget its plot, let's keep it reserved to John Huston completists. Only.

With a good director like Huston and a good cast, The Mackintosh Man should have been a good movie. Unfortunately it's not. Roger Ebert said it best, so I'll quote from his review of the movie: "Guesswork is necessary because the screenplay is almost criminally messy and leaves us with more questions than it resolves" he writes and goes on to write what he thinks is the plot of the movie, then says "The movie is irritating in its refusal to make things clear". And watching the movie I felt the same. The movie doesn't explain who Paul Newman's character is. Is he a diamond thief or is he a spy? If he's a spy, what is his mission? And who is Mackintosh? With none of this explianed the movie becomes impossible to enjoy because you don't know what's going on on the screen. On the plus side, most of the actors do a good job, especially James Mason, although I never cared much for Dominique Sanda.

The only reason to watch "The MacKintosh Man" is if you're a fan of Huston or one of the actors and want to have seen all of their movies. Don't expect to be entertained.

This time we have a good old British spy film in which the real traitor is the one who is calling for all traitors and criminals to be terminated. Joseph Rearden, the infiltrator who is supposed to expose the whole network, then is a solitary man in an erupting nest of aspics. The only one he could trust does not survive his silly confidence. Macintosh is a vain little mule who still trusted one person in the world, his own assassin. A solitary man against a very well organized spying business finds it slightly difficult but he is an Interpol agent after all. So he knows how to swim between two different currents without drowning. His escape from prison and his escape from the hiding house in Ireland are absolutely amusing. It is so easy. No one is going to believe that one. And yet everyone believes it and they end up in Malta and have a good laugh, a sacrilegious laugh after killing two people in a church. Mama Mia. That film from 1973 is funny in many ways because the action is so easygoing, like some kind of slow business in a back street on a bank holiday Sunday when everyone is out of town. It is in a way funny to see such a film today with an actor who is worth a lot and yet is dramatically under-used and under-directed if not just plain undirected or maybe even misdirected. One thing is impossible today: the drowning of the dog: you would have the RSPA on your back from the shoulders to the ankles for such cruelty to animals. Slightly too long and too realistic. It is as if we were watching the sketches of Guernica instead of Guernica. Some preparatory sketches instead of a masterpiece. But well it is fun to watch some peaceful and rather restive spy film that does not explode in all directions. But well a tiny bit more action might have been a good thing.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne, University Paris 8 Saint Denis, University Paris 12 Créteil, CEGID