Sorry, this movie sucks

An Exercise In Nonsense

A waste of 90 minutes of my life

Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

Interesting if somewhat lifeless WWII espionage tale that's loosely based on a true story and has hints of James Bond. Christopher Plummer plays a British criminal who's caught pulling a heist in Nazi Germany. While in jail he convinces his captors.that he could be a double agent and work for them. He's tasked with going back to England to blow up a British airplane factory (for a hefty payday and a pardon for past crimes) and does so by telling the British he'll work for them as a double agent if they let him blow up the airplane factory (for a hefty payday and a pardon for past crimes). Plummer then returns to German having accomplished his mission, looking to collect his payday, but the tide is turning against the Germans at this point and he may not be able to collect his payday and must soon choose sides. The most interesting part of the film is that it's never makes clear where Plummer's true allegiances lie, which sets up a clever shot at the end of the film when he stares at himself in a mirror, highlighting the lack of clarity who we are really looking at. The film boasts a strong supporting cast that includes German love interest Romy Schneider, Yul Brynner as a monocle wearing Nazi, Trevor Howard as a MI6 agent, and even Bond alumni Gert "Goldfinger" Fröbe and Bond Girl Claudine Auger, Domino from "Thunderball." The film was also directed by veteran Bond director Terence Young ("Dr. No," "From Russia With Love," and "Thunderball"). However, on the downside, Plumber is disappointingly uncharismatic in the lead. Also, as interesting of a story premise the film has, it lacked any real drama, either on an emotional level between Plummer and Schneider or with any sort of inner conflict over his changing alligences, but also lacking with basic action or suspense with the factory bombing or the other espionage sequences, which all felt rather perfunctory and by the numbers. The film needed either more James Bond thrills or more "The Spy Who Came in From the Cold" drama. Instead, we're left with a bit of both and not enough of either. Still, the story and the cast are enough to carry the picture and make it worth watching.

Christopher Plummer a respected stage and screen actor won an Oscar for best supporting actor at the age of 82. A victim of the curse of Canadian actors who tend not to get Oscar nominated, he was only nominated for his first Oscar at the age of 80!With director Terence Young who also made Dr No and several actors who have appeared in Bond movies, I wonder if Christopher Plummer was auditioning for 007 in case Connery stepped down at short notice? The film has certain Bond elements, Triple Cross is based on true facts. Burglar and explosive expert Eddie Chapman is imprisoned in Jersey. When the Nazis invade the island, amoral Chapman requests to work for the Germans. However one Nazi suspects he has been put there by British intelligence. Chapman has guile, cunning, he charms the ladies, quick witted and thinks on his feet. Apparently Chapman used his position to trick the Nazis by giving them the wrong information.Unfortunately the film wastes its interesting premise and intriguing opening. It soon becomes rather confusing, not helped by choppy editing and flat storytelling. Some strong support by Yul Brynner, Gert Frobe and Trevor Howard. Brynner steals the film as a conflicted Nazi aristocrat.

When I saw the cast of this movie and the Director, I kind of expected to see a tale of intrigue and action. That is not achieved here. Still the film has it's moments. I think the problem here is the adaption of the real life story. It could have been adapted better for the screen than it is.Still, it is watchable though I think Christopher Plummer is the biggest weakness in the cast. He never seems to get totally into this effort. He seems too smug to really play this role properly. There are major connections here with the film Goldfinger as Gert Frobe played the Bond nemesis.This if the script had been done better has enough star power to be another "Great Escape" but misses making that level. Still, Yul Brenner playing a Nazi is one of the most interesting twist of role for him. The film opens with safes being blown up. It fails in the beginning to stimulate the viewer with an interesting story.Sometimes, the structure of a film loses the interest of the viewer. This film is a prime example of that.

I enjoyed this movie. It's got all the right moves. Humor, drama, action scenes, unexpected twists, charming actors. There probably are holes in the story, but it's such a fun, fast-acting movie that I was too busy enjoying it to care. Christopher Plummer is the lead in this film, and he gets a chance to be more than charming. He's downright sexy. And then there's Yul Brynner in breeches and jack boots. Yowwwww! I had a good time watching this film. I have no idea if the uniforms, the planes, the story, or any of it, is accurate to the period. And I don't care. Christopher Plummer with his shirt undone. Demolition experts demonstrating how to detonate things with a mixture of sugar and saltpeter. The great Trevor Howard wearing the world's worst beard. Yul Brynner in jackboots. Just what a war movie ought to be. Triple Cross is available in a Region 2 DVD, but not, as of 1/21/12, in a Region 1. If it were available in Region 1 format, I would snap up a copy so I could watch it often. I hope Christopher Plummer's recent Golden Globe and possible Oscar nomination for "Beginners" might stimulate folks to put out more of his films on DVDs, especially on Region 1 DVDs.