[4]

Paul Newman stars as a British agent posing as a jewel thief who gets embroiled with Russian spies, goes to prison, gets broken out of prison, and lands in the hands of a secretive organization that drugs and kidnaps him until he can pay for the breakout. A lot more happens after that, but for all the plot twists and turns, John Huston’s film has surprisingly little to do with character and emotion. Newman’s character is dull as dishwater and James Mason’s shady politician character is too thinly drawn. The movie is at its most interesting once we’re locked away with Newman at the mysterious Scarperers hideout in Ireland, where Michael Hordern and Jenny Runacre play dastardly baddies with juicy nonchalance. You can always count on Huston for great on-location shooting, with Malta setting the stage for the act three climax here. All in all, The MacKintosh Man is sort of a James Bond wannabe, but without the personality or charm.