The 1983 British espionage film "The Jigsaw Man" should have been cause for rejoicing. It reunited Michael Caine and Laurence Olivier for the first time since their dual Oscar nominations for "Sleuth" a decade before. In the director's chair was Terence Young, who knew a thing or two about making good spy movies, having directed three early James Bond classics: "Dr. No", "From Russia with Love" and "Thunderball". The supporting cast featured an eclectic group of Bond movie veterans in roles ranging from substantial to blink-and-you'll-miss-'em: Anthony Dawson, Vladek Sheybal, Peter Burton, Michael Mediwin, Charles Gray and Richard Bradford among them. If that wasn't enough, the second unit director was Peter Hunt- yes, that Peter Hunt, the legendary Bond editor who went on to become a successful director beginning with the 1969 007 classic "On Her Majesty's Secret Service". (We assume that Hunt took a temporary "demotion" to second unit director just to enjoy the opportunity of reuniting with his mentor, Terence Young.) By now, dear reader, you will undoubtedly- and correctly- assumed that I'm about to insert a "however" into this review. The "however" pertains to the fact that virtually all of these talents are wasted in a dismal mess of a movie that was deemed so bad it became the first major British film to bypass cinemas and "premiere" on home video (VHS in those days, to be precise.)
What went wrong with "The Jigsaw Man"? The question we should ask is, "What didn't go wrong". Keep in mind the film was made during the Cold War. We are introduced to a character named Sergei Kuminsky in the film's opening scene, which is set in Moscow. As played by Richard Aylen, Kuminsky is a rough-around-the-edges sixty-something boor who happens to be British by birth, and who was once a prominent agent for MI6. However, he defected to the Soviets in spectacular fashion and bringing a treasure trove of top secret information with him. The character was clearly inspired by the real-life agent Kim Philby, whose defection to Russia resulted in the most notorious spy scandal the West had ever experienced. 'Lest there be any doubt about our cinematic defector being based on Philby, we learn that his British birth name is actually Philip Kimberley (get it?). Soon after we are introduced to Kimberley, he undergoes a dramatic transformation via extensive plastic surgery at the insistence of the KGB. He goes into the operating room looking like a typical out-of-shape older man and-presto!-he emerges looking exactly like Michael Caine! (It is never explained how a few hours of plastic surgery not only changes the man's facial appearance dramatically but also de-ages him and results in him losing quite a bit of weight in the process.) It's all in the line of duty because Kimberley's Russian masters intend to reinsert him back to England where he says he can retrieve some valuable intelligence documents that he stashed there years ago. However, once he arrives in London, Kimberley invokes a triple-cross by contacting his former bosses at MI6 and offering to retrieve the secret documents in return for safe passage to Switzerland and a deposit of five million Swiss francs into a bank account.
After convincing MI6 chief Admiral Sir Gerald Scaith (Laurence Olivier) that he is indeed his former employee, Kimberley goes about reuniting with his daughter Penelope (Susan George), who is understandably dubious that this unrecognizable man is actually her father. Once convinced, the two go about resuming a loving father and daughter relationship as though dad had just come back from overstaying on a long vacation. (She also seems nonplussed by the fact that dad now looks like Michael Caine!) There is a subplot involving Penelope and her lover, Jamie Fraser (Robert Powell), who may not be the man she thinks he is. There's no point in going on explaining all the confusing plot points in Jo Eisinger's screenplay, which was based on a novel by Dorothea Bennett. Suffice it to say that Kimberley's deceit is discovered by the Soviets and he and Penelope are constantly dodging assassination attempts. Meanwhile, the wily and sarcastic Scaith is determined to keep Kimberley alive until he can retrieve the hidden documents and hand them back to MI6. The film is packed with dopey action scenes and surrealistic situations. It all ends in wild yet boring car chase through a game preserve (!)
"The Jigsaw Man" is a mess from beginning to end. Much of the calamity was based on financial woes that beset the production. The producer announced he had literally run out of money, thus causing Caine and Olivier to leave the film until $4 million could be raised in order to complete the shoot. Yes, the film was one of those cobbled together messes that was financed in scattershot fashion by people who simply wanted to be involved in a movie production.Terence Young's direction is anything but inspired, but, rather perfunctory. Like everyone else associated with the film, he seemed to have one eye on his watch while filming. There are some nice moments between Caine and Olivier, who both rise above the material, but beyond that, the film is a lost cause.
The title "The Jigsaw Man" is designed to evoke a puzzle. In that respect, I can agree, as I've never been among those who are enthralled with the hobby of assembling puzzles. Let's face it: you spend a great deal of time assembling the pieces, then upon completion, dismantle the entire thing with nothing to show for the time spent. In that respect, the analogy to watching the film is appropriate.
Bad movie lovers can view the film on Amazon Prime.
