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The Ipcress File (1965)
Funeral in Berlin (1966)
Billion Dollar Brain (1967)
Action Jackson is another one.
Not better, but I do enjoy the first two Harry Palmer films 'The Ipcress File' and 'Funeral in Berlin'. Caine is such an opposite of Connery or Moore. Cheeky one that cat.
First and fourth Mission Impossible films are better than some of the Bonds. First MI especially has that cold war feel to it.
The Bourne Trilogy breath fresh air into the genre.
I'd also count Firefox with Clint Eastwood going undercover. Another Clint spyflick I'd consider would be The Eiger Sanction.
It's been some time since I've last seen North By Northwest. But if I remember right, it was a great addition to the genre.
Violante Placido could be a Bond girl.
You have clearly lost your marbles ;)
:))
Personally I found it to be a fine film with a well constructed story, but at times it's dull, plodding, and not very exciting. It lacks the pizazz and panache of the Bond 1960's classics which with the exception of GF are similarly paced but still snappier and more engaging. Not better than watching Bond.
Your opinion and your welcome to it but I've never seen the level of acting in Bond that I did in Tinker. Oldman is simply sublime and the supporting cast are fantastic so no I've not lost my marbles I revel in it's pace, it's far more a believable spy story than any Bond film.
I can do without fast paced but as someone who's read the book although there is some editing and adapting going on they captured the spirit of Le Carre's novel beautifully.
I'll take this over Bond, Bourne or that Crusie nonsense any day, if your looking for things to be spelled out for you and big revelations played out with the all the subtly of a sledgehammer then you need not apply.
One of my favorites (note my icon)! I recently got ahold of a British-made Blu-Ray of "Ipcress" that's Region-free. Looks great on my US-made Blu-Ray player.
Another kindred spirit! My icon thanks you.
I haven't seen the film in ages and when I found out about its Blu-Ray release I made sure to read the novel, which is extraordinary. Got the Blu-Ray in this week from Netflix and I'm looking forward to viewing it. Perhaps not incidentally, I'm attracted to stories involving the Berlin Wall. I'm half-German myself and I actually lived in Berlin from '04-'05.
You think that movie trumps Bond, fine.
Sledgehammer? LOL, ALL novels and movies use that to a degree or another.
So, you like a tiny hammer, cool.
It's kind of, you know, necessary in fiction.
Want realism?
Read the news.
Oh wait- not there either for the most part.
So... I guess it comes down to preference, eh? :))
I was asked if I'd lost my marbles so I thought I'd defend my opinion, I don't see anything wrong with what I posted, they said it was dull, I'm saying it isn't in my opinion I found it a riveting piece of cinema it just didn't do it in a dumbed down way like so much Hollywood product these days.
I enjoy escapism like the next man or woman, although I am gravitating towards more layered cinema these days but TTSS was for me one of my favourite films of this decade so far.
Do you know how much of a dick you look using smileys all the time, I guess I'm getting old but it feels like kindergarten on here at times.
I didn't say you lost your marbles for liking TTSS by the way. Again, for me it was a very well written film with lots of value for those who enjoy these kinds of films, myself included. But when you come to a Bond board and say that TTSS beats all Bond films, you should expect such a reaction. Bond is the king of the spy genre, and Bond films got that way because they offer much more than just psychological drama. Much more well rounded efforts.
Personally, George Smiley is one of the most boring cinematic spies I've ever seen. Sorry. No style, panache, not one little thing interesting in his personality. An office drone is the best way I'd describe him. No life to speak of outside of the office. Granted I've only seen the film once and will do so again when it's available for free, but on first impressions I firmly disagree with your premise here. Compare Smiley to the WW2 double agent Dusko Popov, or many other real life spies that Ian Fleming drew from in creating the character. It's difficult to favorably compare an ordinary spy with a superspy and come out of the winning end of that debate.
I don't know Shardlake. If he comes to this forum to slam Bond all the time, maybe this debate is deserved. If it's just in this thread, it seems to be derailing the thread somewhat.
And can a mod change the word better in the title to more? The better is driving me mad.
The thread title is awkward. It would be better to inquire which spy movies we also enjoy, not necessarily ones we like them more than our "favourite Bond". I wouldn't say that I necessarily like "The Iprcess File" better than "From Russia With Love", for example, but I damn well prefer it to several lesser Bond films.
I would put FRWL as top tier Bond for me but I'm just not as enamored about Bond like I used to be, Craig's appointment as Bond got my interest reinvigorated and I loved CR and Skyfall. As for TLD I think Dalton is a great Bond but as for the films they don't excite me like they used to I'll take them over some of Connery's all of Moore's and won't even consider comparing them to the Brosnan error. OHMSS remains my favourite entry then SF followed by CR.
As for Smiley being boring you are right, in fact Alfredson's stage direction to Oldman was you must appear boring you can't be boring. I find something far more compelling in Oldman's performance than I have in Bond for years. Any way the question wasn't who do you find the most exciting Spy you've changed the meaning of the original thread to make me look silly. I know it's a Bond forum and maybe I should leave because I can't look at these films like I did as a child, I feel at times some people will just ignore damn right awfulness of some of the entries because they are fans, these films are not cinematic highlights of all time they are for some incredibly entertaining pieces of escapism and even the most down to earth entries are utter nonsense.
I don't want Bond to become Smiley but that's not going to stop me being more moved by TTSS, I was that impressed with it, if you weren't fine I'm not expecting to change your mind but I was asked if I'd lost my marbles in quite an insulting manner, I'm afraid I find those bloody yellow faces utterly immature, I can't stand smileys (oh the irony).
Bingo. DTTM's tone was perfect for it and helped make it the effective Bond imitation it is. For some reason, the same writer/producer/director team decided to make the tone high camp for its disappointing sequel and that wrecked its chances for repeating DTTM's success.
I did it for ya.
Look, I didn't ask anyone to knock Bond, I was just curious to see if anyone here liked other espionage movies more, and if so which ones. If you name a movie & explain what's great about it for you, fine, but don't name a movie and shoot down Bond too without expecting a little smiley attack. b-(