A simply delightful little film. After growing tired
John Chard
A simply delightful little film. After growing tired of the job, CIA agent Miles Kendig decides to get out of the business once and for all. Fearing that his…
A simply delightful little film.
After growing tired of the job, CIA agent Miles Kendig decides to get out of the business once and for all. Fearing that his peace, and maybe his life, could be threatened by the organisation, he tells them that unless he is left alone he will spill the beans on all the secrets that he knows about. They call his bluff, thinking he is full of bitter hot air, so he promptly starts sending out to them one chapter at a time. Realising that Kendig is serious, the CIA sets about putting a stop to him, by whatever means necessary!!. But with Kendig having been one of their own once, he is one shrewd customer, and stopping him is going to be one hell of a job.
Based on the Brian Garfield novel, Hopscotch is a cheeky comedy paced with utter perfection from director Ronald Neame. Featuring a very accomplished cast, Walter Matthau, Glenda Jackson, Herbert Lom, Ned Beatty & Sam Waterston, Hopscotch relies on a sharp script and incredibly appealing dialogue to bring home the bacon, and it does, admirably so. It's the type of film that one knows is not about winning awards, the kind of film that is an actors film, where everyone is comfortable with the material and appears to be having a great time. The lead role of Kendig is tailor made for Matthau, ambling along at his own pace with a glint in his eye and a quip on his tongue, Matthau carries the film with charming ease. The others all contribute of course, but the comedy gold comes from Walter and that lived in face of his. So bits of drama here, bits of comedy there, Hopscotch is a very well made and hugely enjoyable picture, recommended. 7/10
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★ 7 / 10
An Enjoyable Spy Caper
Uriah43
"Miles Kendig" (Walter Matthau) is a calm and experienced senior agent for the CIA in Europe who is liked and respected by everyone in the intelligence…
"Miles Kendig" (Walter Matthau) is a calm and experienced senior agent for the CIA in Europe who is liked and respected by everyone in the intelligence business. Everybody but his arrogant new boss in Washington D.C. named "G. P. Myerson" (Ned Beatty) that is. And because of this personal animosity Myerson has for him Miles is fired from his current position and reassigned to a menial desk job. Naturally, this doesn't sit well with Miles who quits his position and-to showcase the total incompetence of his boss-decides to write a tell-all book which discloses some of the failed and scandalous activities Myerson directed on his way up the ladder. Needless to say, this doesn't please Myerson at all who subsequently issues an order to kill Miles before he can do any further damage to his political career. The only problem is that Miles is much smarter that Myerson ever realized and knows how to game the system only too well. Now rather than reveal any more I will just say that this was a pretty good spy film which not only had bits and pieces of comedy here and there but also managed to keep my attention from start-to-finish due to the multitude of twists and turns throughout. Likewise, Walther Matthau put in a very fine performance in the process as well. In any case, I enjoyed this film and have rated it accordingly. Above average.
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★ 7 / 10
There's nothing wrong with aiming low and hitting the mark perfectly...a charmer
secondtake
Hopscotch (1980) A lightweight, enjoyable entertainment about an aging spy who has fun going renegade in his final weeks. I have to admit I liked the movie for…
Hopscotch (1980)
A lightweight, enjoyable entertainment about an aging spy who has fun going renegade in his final weeks.
I have to admit I liked the movie for the congeniality of Walter Matthau. While not as zany (and original) as the much earlier "Charade" (also with Matthau), "Hopscotch" shares a lot of the feel of that movie, with villains who aren't quite villainous, and a leading man who is part bumbling and part a step ahead of the game. The supporting cast is fun, though just barely--both of the key CIA guys after our hero are good actors at their best, but they are not at their best here, especially Sam Waterston in a wishy-washy role. Most peculiar of all, and almost scotch-taped into both the plot and the casting, is very British and very different actress Glenda Jackson, a former spy who chips in as needed, and plays a growing role as things proceed.
British director Ronald Neame (who directed "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" and "The Odessa File") is completely in charge here, making the most of a middling script that uses well worn or barely surprising twists and gags to keep a potentially violent espionage film from ever leaving light comedy. Because in fact the pace is consistent and the filming (under the eye of Arthur Ibbeteson, also British) is completely fine, if nothing to write home about. In fact, this feels like high budget British television, which is something different than pure Hollywood. Or it might feel like 1960 Hollywood widescreen with minor updates--not including the 1960s Hollywood star, Mr. Matthau.
But it is Matthau's movie, fortunately. He can be a convincing bumpkin and a warm hearted fellow, and he can be clever beneath his seeming simplicity. All of this is an advantage here, and you are completely on his side as he thwarts, with winks and tricks, the supposedly superior forces of a full press CIA assault. Expect some fun, and you won't be disappointed.
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