Our Man in Havana
1960 Directed by Carol Reed
Synopsis
Is a light hearted and satirical tale of political espionage and intrigue in pre-Castro Cuba.
Cast
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A very clever plot, interesting situations, solid development and stylish directing was tarnished by, and this truly pains me say, weak performances. Lines fell flat, the emoting was bland, I felt no charm, character, charisma or chemistry between anyone on screen, cardboard cutouts could've gotten the same message across. The story itself was engrossing enough that I still would recommend this film to anyone, but where "The Third Man" (which the type of caliber this film could've been) is a daiquiri "Our Man in Havana" is a Slurpee with a shot of rum.
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That Carol Reed sure had an eye for shooting locations.
This is film has a fair amount of similarities to The Third Man: a Graham/Reed joint, wonderful locale, multi-cultural cast, intrigue and a protagonist in over his head. But that world was a lot more sinister and the stakes were much higher. Vienna and Europe as a whole were still broken and Harry Lime was causing a lot of human suffering. Here, this is Cold War shenanigans where each side is clueless- even the jokers in charge.
Ultimately, this is a fairly dry British comedy with a top-notch cast and creators. It's pretty light stuff and a lot of fun to watch. The only drawback is that it's perhaps a little too light to feel dangerous and not funny enough to be a straight comedy.
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The obvious comparison, but a bit like a friendlier, funnier The Tailor of Panama. Guinness is great, as is his supporting cast—with the exception of the daughter.
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When people think of cold war comedy films, they usually think of Stanley Kubrick's 1964 classic "Dr Strangelove". However, four years before, director Carol Reed and writer Graham Green, the team that produced "The Third Man", released a comedic adaptation of Green's novel "Our Man in Havana".
Starring Alec Guinness as James Wormold, a vacuum cleaner salesman in pre-revolutionary Cuba who is recruited by British intelligence to be their "man in Havana." After failing to complete his mission of recruiting other officers in Cuba, Worlmold instead invents "recruits" and collects their paychecks, while sending them sketches of "secret weapons" he "found" in Cuba. When one of his supposedly fake secret agents is "killed", Wormold must find who is after him.… -
One of the less-lauded of Carol Reed's collaborations with Graham Greene, this film deserves to be more broadly seen -- with an amazing cast including Alec Guinness, Noel Coward, Burl Ives, Maureen O'Hara, Ernie Kovacs, and Ralph Richardson. It plays like a wry Ealing comedy version of Greene's usual espionage cynicism.
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Nice.
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A very clever plot, interesting situations, solid development and stylish directing was tarnished by, and this truly pains me say, weak performances. Lines fell flat, the emoting was bland, I felt no charm, character, charisma or chemistry between anyone on screen, cardboard cutouts could've gotten the same message across. The story itself was engrossing enough that I still would recommend this film to anyone, but where "The Third Man" (which the type of caliber this film could've been) is a daiquiri "Our Man in Havana" is a Slurpee with a shot of rum.
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Great post-noir/spy/wrong man genre film. Guinness is wonderful. Reed seems best when directing in another country. Solid supporting cast, exotic location, ridiculous/interesting story, all make this a fun film.
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Sticking fairly closely to the book, a good spy spoof full of immense actiness from the old school. Noel Coward, though. Get some mustard on him!
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That Carol Reed sure had an eye for shooting locations.
This is film has a fair amount of similarities to The Third Man: a Graham/Reed joint, wonderful locale, multi-cultural cast, intrigue and a protagonist in over his head. But that world was a lot more sinister and the stakes were much higher. Vienna and Europe as a whole were still broken and Harry Lime was causing a lot of human suffering. Here, this is Cold War shenanigans where each side is clueless- even the jokers in charge.
Ultimately, this is a fairly dry British comedy with a top-notch cast and creators. It's pretty light stuff and a lot of fun to watch. The only drawback is that it's perhaps a little too light to feel dangerous and not funny enough to be a straight comedy.
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Guinness is so winning as the unwitting vacuum cleaner salesman-turned-British spy in 1950s Cuba. Flatter and more straightforward - though both films are generally satisfying - than The Third Man, the film in Reed's canon this one most closely resembles. Graham Green's script is sharply written, retain in full his talent for wit. Oswald Morris, the great cinematographer of Lolita, gives the film a look not unlike that film, but in a wider aspect ratio.