The Quiller Memorandum

Superb anti-Bond film gives Segal an atypically low-key, intense role which he pulls off brilliantly, backed by excellent work from a well-chosen supporting cast (von Sydow is particularly good in a role that echoes Olivier's mad dentist in MARATHON MAN, though Guinness' prominent billing amounts to basically a cameo). Exceptionally well shot and framed for the widescreen, with director Anderson favouring odd-ball camera angles (especially in the extended torture/interrogation scene).

Really odd. I'm not sure I've ever seen anything quite like it. A thriller with almost no thrills. Maybe that's how real spies feel.

I once punned on the title, dubbing it THE NY-QUILLER MEMORANDUM; as it happens, the film's pacing does at times inspire weariness. Apparently, Harold Pinter's script deliberately sidelined the film's spy-thriller aspects in favor of a more reflective, intellectual approach, but Michael Anderson's direction proved too workmanlike to fully match it. It still has its moments, with good Pinterian dialogue, strong performances by George Segal and Max von Sydow, and Erwin Hillier's cinematography.

A pleasant departure from the average post-Bond spy thriller, Pinter's script is refreshingly subtle and ambiguous throughout, presenting a far-fetched but engaging mystery and a realistic hero who relies on wits alone rather than silly gadgets. Although Quiller is a British spy in the novel series, George Segal is an excellent piece of casting, convincingly imbuing the character with intelligence and tenacity.