Save your money for something good and enjoyable

I like movies that are aware of what they are selling... without [any] greater aspirations than to make people laugh and that's it.

This is one of the few movies I've ever seen where the whole audience broke into spontaneous, loud applause a third of the way in.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

At first encounter this would seem as a rather flimsy concoction of muddled espionage pastiche with Dirk Bogarde as a decoding expert surrounded by a league of only very pretty girls - and there are lots of them. One of them is more obtrusive than the others, Susannah York, who importunes on his private life to become his mistress - with complications. The film really becomes interesting, however, when he loses his job, and there the action starts with increasing thickening of the plot, as the espionage business moves into higher gear. Everything is brilliant in this film, however limited it is to its times of the late 60s which makes it very outdated today, but the acting couldn't be better, by Dirk of course, always intelligent and interesting, Susannah York at her best, John Gielgud and Nigel Davenport in smaller but not less important parts, Lilli Palmer as the most experienced of them all and something of an odd key player, and even Donald Sutherland in one vital scene. Jerry Goldsmith is the name of the music vying with Johann Sebastian Bach as Dirk's only actual relief from his troubles, while it all ends with an odd twist, which neither Dirk, Susannah York nor the audience would have expected. It's not altogether a comedy, no thriller, although better than any later James Bond, no real spy thriller, but something of it all in brilliant combination.

When we first meet Sebastian, an Oxford don, he is running to a ceremony at one of the colleges in full regalia. He is followed by a pretty girl, Rebecca Howard, in a jeep. As it turns out both are attracted from the start. Sebastian's talent, aside from his academic knowledge, consists in being a master at breaking enemy codes. WWII has ended, but British intelligence is still interested in deciphering threatening secret messages.Sebastian who lands up in a government office in charge of the all female pool of code breakers, decides to employ Rebecca when she comes to him looking for a job. Things get complicated for him because Carol, the woman he has been seeing, turns out to be a royal pain. He realizes his interest in Rebecca is stronger than he realized.This 1968 British film turned up recently on cable. Not having seen it, we decided to take a look. The film captures the spirit that was prevalent in London during those crazy years of Mod everything. Director David Greene did a fairly good job with a film that never makes clear what it was all about. One of the best things are the opening credits and of course, the costumes of that era.Dirk Bogarde plays the enigmatic Sebastian, the man who can't see a puzzle without solving it. Lilli Palmer has a small role. Susannah York was lovely as Rebecca. John Gielgud and Nigel Davenport play government officers.The musical score by Jerry Goldsmith is an asset for a film with its catchy melodies. Gerry Fisher's camera shows London as it looked during that fun period.

I first saw this movie back in the '60's on TBS. I found it to be a thoroughly delightful film. I have been looking to find a copy of it to add to my VHS/DVD collection. It appears to be out of print at this time. I hope they re-issue it soon.

Saw the movie on cable last night, and while I didn't get quite all of it, I thought Dirk Bogarde was very handsome, and thought he played his part very well. Interesting look at 60s culture. Sometimes I couldn't quite follow the storyline. I was also uncomfortable with some violent tendencies in Sebastian, especially when he hits York. Not a bad film, but I didn't like it as much as some of his other films.