If you fancy a night in watching a DVD, then take a look at the selection available at Island Libraries. At just £1.50 per night, they’re a great bargain. Ed
It’s a strange experience watching a film that allows so much of London to be explained as truly swinging at one point in history and rarely ever since.
The release on DVD of ‘The Ipcress File’ does reveal some interesting ideas visually, but hangs so heavily on ‘cinematically killing time’ throughout, that it is worth avoiding as an experience.
Interview with Caine far superior than film
Although it could be one of the first introductions to what would later become the music of Techno at the end of the eighties in the famous brain-washing scene towards the end. Nip this one in the bud immediately and ponder on why someone hasn’t produced a film purely of Michael Caine talking about the films he has made.
This DVD has a brief interview with the great man and it is far superior as an experience and causes ‘The Ipcress File’ to be elevated to the degree level that it actually isn’t at all.
Unremarkable film, fascinating interview
Michael Caine has made some remarkable films and it would seem that ‘The Ipcress Files’ isn’t one of them.
Yet hearing him speak about a rather uninteresting film is staggeringly fascinating and it could be for this reason alone to rent such a film from Ventnor Library.
People usually speak of cinema in a larger than life way and yet Mr Caine manages to convey his work as being not only realistic but as fascinatingly mysterious also.
A record of the time
The idea perhaps that what is explored in ‘The Ipcress File’ is realistic, could perhaps suggest that some ideas portrayed were indeed revolutionary at the time cinematically.
It did indeed seem that London was becoming such a cultural central point and the focus still at the end of the sixties, but ‘The Ipcress File’ is more a record of the time with some acting thrown in and is no way deserving of any more an accolade than a home movie.
Fascinating though, that Michael Caine speaking on any subject to just a camera is the most incredible experience and rarely has any film actor achieved so much acclaim deservedly.
Michael Caine surely could attempt such a project and it would seem that the release of the DVD of ‘The Ipcress File’ demonstrates that what people are fascinated by is purely Michael Caine.
Yet if there is anyone knowing of how to find him it could be filmed interview that everyone has been waiting for. Imagine Michael Caine explaining what occurred while making ‘The Swarm’ of even ‘Jaws 3’? That would be fascinating to hear.
