Mascarada

The title and its introductory headline tells the whole story: everyone here is a fake, and the only innocent ones are stupid enough not to see them through but to just follow their tricks like sheep into a slaughterhouse. Although the dialog to start with is excellent, but the intrigue is constantly getting weaker and cheaper, almost like turning into a bad James Bond copy yarn of tiresome exertions. The intrigue starts to falter when the lady enters the plot and the agent doesn't see what should have been obvious from the start: if there is anyone you cannot trust in a political thriller game, it's an acting woman. That's elementary. The circus people turn out to be surprisingly honest after all, and it's a pity that Tutte Lermkow had to be shot. Michel Piccoli delivers the ultimate comment to the dirty business: "I hope they all kill each other." At least they try, but they all turn out more or less professional failures.

I love this film. It was sold as yet another Bond-spoof (like Bond NEEDED spoofing) but was so much more.

In addition to more location work than was usual at the time, it boasted a roster of stars that was incredible.

Cliff Robertson was young then and had STYLE, Marisa Mell was all leggy and gorgeous, Jack Hawkins was in his element, Michel Piccoli was bizarrely menacing, Bill Fraser was normally associated with British sitcoms, but excelled here in a dramatic role. Then you had British stalwarts Charles Gray, John Le Mesurier, Felix Aylmer and Ernest Clark, all topped off with Tutte Lemkow.

Philip Green's music was fantastic and Basil Dearden's direction quirky and atmospheric.

The film takes a whole reel to lift off, but when it does, it's a classic.

But since seeing it at the cinema and couple of times on the telly in the Seventies, this minor epic has VANISHED. And to add salt to the wound, there are other, LESSER films with the same title (which is annoying if your satellite listings magazine only lists films' TITLES).

So where the hell IS IT??? I can find no trace of a DVD - or even a VHS. There is scant mention of it anywhere and even THIS esteemed service has little additional info.

Is it a "lost film"? Anyone?

Masquerade is an interesting film considering the energy situation today and the political atmosphere in those Moslem oil producing countries. The United Kingdom has been seeing country after country slip out from under their influence and this little country in North Africa is not going to be another if they can help it.

Young Christopher Witty is the king of said country, but as he is not 14 yet the country has been ruled by his uncle who has been cozying up to the Communist bloc. The uncle will rule in name as well as fact if the young king does not ascend the throne by whatever means.

Knowing that the UK government dispatches Lawrence Of Arabis type war hero from the second World War, Jack Hawkins to kidnap the young king and hold him until his majority. Hawkins in turn selects Cliff Robertson an American who worked for him during World War II.

Seems straightforward enough, but in the end everybody's got their own ideas of what to do with the kidnapped king. The only one not in it for anything is Robertson other than the salary he's been promised. All this intrigue going on around him and Robertson's just trying to stay alive and collect his dough.

Masquerade is a stylish little caper film that one can readily get into and doesn't tax us too much with too many unexpected twists. Hawkins is particularly good in this. Imagine Lawrence Of Arabis with back alimony problems. Casting Hawkins himself who was in Lawrence Of Arabia was someone's idea of an inside joke.

I'd check this out if you're a fan of Hawkins or Robertson.

"Masquerade" stars Cliff Robertson, Jack Hawkins, Charles Gray and several other excellent actors. With this cast, the film can't help be good....if it had a good script. Sadly, it doesn't have a decent script and characters simply defy beliavability.

Robertson plays David Frazer, an American who is somehow convinced to work for the British government. His job will be to keep watch over an obnoxious young man to is about to become the leader of his North African country. Why does the British government care? Well, they want a British company to secure the rights to the oil from this guy's nation.

While this plot doesn't sound bad at all, it is problematic because again and again and again, bad guys become good guys and vice-versa...to the point of absurdity. And all this plotting and scheming becomes tedious after a while and there really isn't any sort of a payoff by the end of the film. A big misfire.

There is some terrific writing in the script. The politics is sophisticated, and all these years later illuminating. The number of twists will keep you guessing. Hawkins is wonderful. All the British actors are.

However. Robertson is boring, not charismatic, not sexy, not funny . In the hands of a more appropriate actor this movie really could've been something.

From the film summary, you might be expecting more of a Ransom of Red Chief -type story , but it is not that . It is all about the adults and their shenanigans.

Good story marred by poor choice of lead actor and sluggish pacing, possibly the editor's fault.

Still, worth a watch.