I watched "Permission to Kill" because I have long thought Dirk Bogarde is one of the finest actors of his age. Sadly, however, the plot and slow pacing made this more an endurance contest as opposed for a showcase for his immense talents.
Alan Curtis (Bogarde) is a master manipulator. During the initial part of the story, he entraps a variety of people in order to force him in his latest project--to stop a dissident from returning to his home country. However, they resent him and it's doubtful that the plan will come off as Curtis has planned.
The big problem is that the film took forever for anything significant to happen. Instead, it was talky and ponderous...moving at a glacial pace and providing little in the way of fun or entertainment.
Plot summary
When the exiled leader of a free party decides to return to his own country, and attempts to remove the dictator currently in place there, several western governments are determined to stop him. A group is assembled, consisting of old friends, former lovers, and hired assassins in order to dissuade him from returning "before his time". This group is appalled at the lengths to which western intelligence will go to stop the man from returning, and they conspire together to allow him to leave. Their plans, however, are anticipated by western intelligence, which will stop at nothing to stop him, no matter who gets in the way.
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Movie Reviews
Despite being about espionage, the film is incredibly slow and a bit dull.
One of the best spy movies I've seen
Permission to Kill, filmed entirely in Austria, is actually one of the best spy films I have ever seen. That's because its plot isn't unbelieveable like in many such films but very realistic. Bekim Fehmiu, leader of the "National Freedom Party", is due to return to his dictator-controlled country but Dirk Bogarde, chief of "Western Intelligence Liaison", wants to stop him. In order to do that, he gathers all the old friends of Fehmiu, including Ava Gardner and Timothy Dalton... The point of the film is to show spying as a very dirty and dubious business, whose victims are especially people who have high ideas. I'm positive it's one of the most interesting Cyril Frankel films. Despite it's not an action movie there's one fantastic action scene - the escape of Timothy Dalton. He jumps out of the fast riding car and runs through the woods. Believe me it's very engaging. Speaking of Timothy Dalton I must say that he gives a marvellous performance, probably the best of all actors involved in the film. His acting is very enthusiastic but still very natural and convincing. I presume it's thanks to his long-lasting theatre experience, but of course You be the judge. Generally the film is a definite 'must see'. Grade 10/10.
The man who decided death
This movie is a classic spying movie, but with the "kitsch" touch of the 70's. It mixes a lot of elements that can disturb the main link of the script, but at the last moment it resolves very well the meaning of the movements of the characters. Dirk Bogarde is splendourous, such as always and the rest of the actors makes me feel that the movie is happening actually.