Thursday, August 12, 2021

The Jigsaw Man (1983)

An excellent spy drama. Kimberley, a former MI6 chief now Soviet defector in Moscow is tasked with retrieving a stolen document in England, he is given a new identity and face using plastic surgery and becomes Michael Caine! Kimberley immediately gives his KGB handlers the slip and contacts the head of MI6 Sir Gerald (Laurence Olivier), he wants to exchange the document for cash.

Kimberley also contacts his daughter Penelope (Susan George) and uses her help to stay hidden, and recover from an attempted assassination by the KGB. Sir Gerald knows that Kimberley is the man behind the new identity and a game of cat and mouse begins with rival spy boss Sir James (Charles Grey) and top agent Fraser (Robert Powell) who has been sleeping with Penelope.

A fairly complicated plot line ends up with a highly enjoyable and strange car chase through a safari park. The budget was fairly low and it shows, the film is very reminiscent of TV dramas of the time like The Professionals - and that is no bad thing.