good back-story, and good acting

Expected more

Let me be very fair here, this is not the best movie in my opinion. But, this movie is fun, it has purpose and is very enjoyable to watch.

The movie's neither hopeful in contrived ways, nor hopeless in different contrived ways. Somehow it manages to be wonderful

There's a fair amount of fun and humor in this entertaining spy comedy/drama. Director Dick Clement has a firm grasp on his material and with the assistance of a very ingratiating cast of players, he has presented us with a most agreeable movie. I particularly liked Norman Rossiter as a cheery villain – now that's a really grand idea which I think I'll use myself in my next Michaela Morris novel. Anyway, all the double-crossing remains credible without ever becoming merely confusing. There are also some wonderful set-pieces such as the hair-breadth escapes and the comic chase with the driving instructor. The director's use of his real locations is exemplary, the pace is fast, and the movie actually revels in atmosphere and style. At times, it's edge-of-the-seat exciting! The director also maintains a very judicious balance between comedy and drama, often using one (for example, the cheery badinage with Rossiter) to augment and deepen the other. Other pluses include a zippy music score, A-1 photography and some really fascinating locations.

Tom Courtney is perfect as Gerald Arthur Otley, from Martin Waddell's series of books about a wannabe antiques dealer who makes what living he can fobbing off small items of stolen merchandise . . . but who always stumbles into involvement with some arm of the British secret service.Otley blunders his way across four hilarious novels by author Waddell, and the movie is a pretty good version of the first, even with those aggravating changes movies always seem obliged to make. In this one the small-time deal in antiques crashes a friend's party and slips a small object d'art into his pocket, not knowing it contains a miniature tape-recorder with a recording a lot of people will kill to possess. Among the changes in the story is a very funny chase sequence when Otley is taking his driving test, with an increasingly desperate driving instructor (James Cossins).For the rest of the cast, Romy Schneider is a lovely Imogen (though the character is called Grace in the book and seems to be designed with Diana Rigg in mind--how perfect she would have been!) James Villiers, Edward Hardwicke, Alan Badel and Leonard Rossiter all lend their usual level of professionalism to the proceedings. Dump the lovely Schneider and you have the makings of a great Shakespeare flick. Not only that, then-child actor Kenneth Cranham has a funny little bit. And Indiana Jones' favorite Nazi, Ronald Lacy has a good but small part as a hypchonriacal hit-man. And the Likely Lads' James Bolam. They've plugged every part with a rising talent. The great Freddie Jones is particularly amusing as the fey leader of a news agency-cum-spy ring. The episodes between Courtney and Jones are the best in the movie.And yet the "Otley" movie as a whole never seems quite as good as the sum of its parts. It's like a series of sketches all featuring Courtney's Otley. There's Otley taking his driving exam. There's Otley humping pig swill on Leonard Rossiter's farm. Part of this is Martin Waddell's fault. His Otley books do read like a series of events held together as a narrative by Otley's wonderfully understated first-person description of the ever deeper holes he finds himself in. Losing the narration for the movie, they have the same problem prevalent with P.G. Wodehouse or Jerome K. Jerome adaptations, in that the narration is often the best part. They also try to cash in on the "swinging London" craze current at the time. Well, frankly, so did Waddell, though for whatever reason he made it clear that, at least to the secret service, Otley himself had far right-wing proclivities (which is good news to right-wing readers like me, who have so few heroes of my ilk in fiction).Still, as with about seventy-five percent of cases, the book is better, though it requires some thought, which movies do not. And for those movie goers who can read, chasing down the scarce OTLEY novel will lead to a worthwhile experience, though its price is steep on the second-hand market.Too bad. I'd have given it 10/10 with Diana Rigg.

Droll British spy comedy from the creators of 'The Likely Lads' and 'Porridge' - Dick Clement and Ian La Frenais. Tom Courtenay ( in probably his best film role since 'Billy Liar' ) is 'Gerald Arthur Otley', a light-fingered, Portobello Road-based antiques dealer. When we first see him he is in bed with his landlady, who then evicts him not only for being behind with the rent but also for selling her furniture. Otley searches for somewhere to spend Saturday night. His friend 'Lambert' ( the recently deceased Edward Hardwicke ) lets him doss down on his sofa. Gerald wakes up on the grass near Gatwick Airport on Monday morning. Worse, the police want him for questioning in connection with Lambert's murder. He runs from one problem into another - Hendrickson ( James Villiers ) and the lovely Imogen ( Romy Schneider ) grab him because they think he has secret information concerning a shady news outfit named I.C.S. which is in the market for secrets...Based on a book by Martin Waddell, and directed by Clement ( his first film ), 'Otley' is great fun, boasting an impressive British cast ( with the exception of Schneider ). Courtenay throws off the one liners with an almost Groucho Marx-like expertise. For instance, when his friend 'Jean' ( Phyllida Law ) refuses him a bed for the night on the grounds that "the dog is in heat!". He retorts: "She's got nothing to fear from me!". He is no Bond, of course, but manages to scrape through every predicament he's in. There's a great guest appearance from the irreplaceable Leonard Rossiter as an assassin who, when he is not killing people, runs a chicken farm and coach service! Freddie Jones minces about as camp intelligence boss 'Philip Proudfoot', Alan Badel is suave as 'Alec Hadrian', and James Bolam is hilarious as Otley's friend 'Albert'. Schneider is given competition in the glamour department by Fiona Lewis, cast as Albert's wife 'Lin', whom Otley has a thing for. Blink and you'll miss Robin Askwith and Kenneth Cranham! The sparky opening theme - 'Homeless Bones' - is sung by Don Partridge and is as far removed from Shirley Bassey's 'Goldfinger' as is possible to imagine.Funniest moment - Otley's driving test. Killers give chase and Otley tries to throw them off, causing chaos on the streets of London. The instructor ( the brilliant James Cossins ) is petrified as his client drives like Stirling Moss! Clement and La Frenais returned to espionage three years later for 'Catch Me A Spy' which starred Kirk Douglas and had Courtenay in a small role.'Otley' is not currently on D.V.D. which is strange as it really should be.

A dry-humored spoof starring Tom Courtenay as a not so bright English bloke who finds himself way over his head in espionage after the murder of a friend. Courtenay, who can't even drive a car much less handle a gun, is on the lam from the police, the government and shady spy Romy Schneider. Directed by the efficient Dick Clement and featuring a really fun performance by Courtenay (he's really never been this loose), this nearly forgotten gem is a real buried treasure. Courtenay has terrific chemistry with Schneider and the supporting cast includes kinky Freddie Jones, creepy James Villars and sleazy Alan Badel. There's suspense, a lot of laughs and some great music by Stanley Myers. The gritty cinematography is by Austin Dempster, who also shot the other Courtenay spy film A DANDY IN ASPIC.