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5
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5 |
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10
= Highest Rating |
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Guest
Review by Troy
Howarth |
An
aspiring reporter (Diana Rigg) determines to make her way to
the top of her profession by unmasking an international gang
of murderers headed by the suave Ivan Dragomiloff (Oliver Reed).
Sensing an opportunity to weed out the useless members of his
"assassination bureau", Ivan enthusiastically becomes the
target in a worldwide game of cat and mouse...
Directed with a very
heavy hand by Basil Dearden (Dead Of Night,
1945; The Man Who Haunted Himself,
1970), The Assassination Bureau
is something of a missed opportunity. With its stellar cast,
intriguing premise and high class production values, the ingredients
are present for a fine slice of British satire, but Dearden
clumsily alternates between "cute" farce and bombastic slapstick.
The end result is certainly not without merit, but falls way
short of its potential. With its use of plush Victorian surroundings
and "quaint" graphic effects, the film is reminiscent of Bryan
Forbes' The Wrong Box (1966), a
black comedy about murder that came much closer to hitting all
the right notes. The screenplay by Michael Relph (who also produced
and designed the film), adapted from a novel by Jack London
and Robert Fish, is little more than an excuse for colorful
globe-hopping, as Reed's protagonist dons one disguise after
another in the attempt to outwit his crew of assassins. A more
potentially interesting subplot dealing with the machinations
of villain Telly Savalas, who desires to "upgrade" the bureau
as a political tool, isn't given sufficient time to develop;
as it stands, it carries no more weight than the average scheme
hatched by Blofeld in a James Bond adventure. (Interestingly,
Savalas played Blofeld the same year in On
Her Majesty's Secret Service.) Additional dialogue is credited
to the distinguished British playwright Wolf Mankowitz, best
known to horror fans for his Freudian screenplay for Hammer's
Two Faces Of Dr. Jekyll (1960).
As it stands, the film works on the level of fluffy, stylish
entertainment, although, as noted, Dearden's hamfisted direction
undermines a lot of the humor.
Without question,
the film's greatest asset is its cast. Reed makes for a charming,
dapper and humorous protagonist; viewers accustomed to his intense
turns in so many other films will likely have fun seeing him
enjoying himself in such a role. As the fiercely independent
reporter fighting for equality, Diana Rigg is her usual lovely
and accomplished self. She gives the role more depth than one
could hope for, precisely because she effortlessly projects
an air of intelligence and determination. Savalas, despite the
limitations of his role, makes for a fun and engaging villain.
As with Reed, he seems to be playing against type —
meticulous, slightly prissy and not at all 'tough' in his demeanor.
The
supporting cast includes a number of terrific character actors,
including Curt Jurgens (The Spy
Who Loved Me), Warren Mitchell (Reed's costar in Curse
Of The Werewolf), Clive Revill (The
Private Life Of Sherlock Holmes), Anabella Incontrera
(Double Face), and Frank Thornton
("Captain Peacock" on the popular British comedy series Are
You Being Served?). Handsomely shot by Geoffrey Unsworth
(2001: A Space Odyssey), the film
is undermined by some poor bluescreen and miniature special
effects shots, but overall it's a classy and immaculate looking
production. Pity the script and direction weren't done with
as much care.
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| Paramount's
DVD release is reasonably satisfying. Letterboxed at 1.85 and
enhanced for widescreen TVs, the image has some signs of wear
and tear, and some grain is apparent. Colors are bold but sometimes
a little too hot. Audio quality is a little muffled at times,
with some of the dialogue (not helped by Reed's sometimes whispered
delivery) a little hard to make out. Background hiss and distortion
are not a factor, however. Extras are nonexistent; not even a
trailer is included.
8/07/04 |
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