It's complicated... I really like the directing, acting and writing but, there are issues with the way it's shot that I just can't deny. As much as I love the storytelling and the fantastic performance but, there are also certain scenes that didn't need to exist.

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

It's the kind of movie you'll want to see a second time with someone who hasn't seen it yet, to remember what it was like to watch it for the first time.

Blistering performances.

A powerhouse cast (well, for the time) was put in play for "The High Commissioner" (as I saw it) or "Nobody Runs Forever." Rod Taylor (using his native Australian accent and making it sound phony) chases fugitive (for murder--allegedly) Christopher Plummer, who is now some bigwig politico in London. The catch? Plummer's character has a wonderful new idea for peace in the world and if he goes to jail it may be lost.Taylor and Plummer only scratch the surface. Dahlia Lavi, who seemed to be in every Bond-imitation going (especially the spoofs, since she had a flair for comedy) shows up with lots of decolletage; hers is the only character that gives the piece any life and she seems to have mistaken it for another comedy role. Clive Revill does a turn as a butler whose bona fides may be shaky, but though he has a few good double-takes he doesn't pull out all his stops. Camilla Sparv (who got lots of meaty roles about this time, and always seemed out of her depth in them) plays . . . well, a pretty face who keeps showing up.Unfortunately, the whole shebang is fairly run of the mill, slow and talky with it. Even the explosive climax takes its time to unfold, and it's telegraphed far too early in advance. I saw this in a double feature with Taylor's spy spoof "The Liquidator" and that seems to be the best way to approach it. Hung out to dry on its own, it doesn't amount to as much as it might have been.

NOBODY RUNS FOREVER is a fairly engaging and likeable little British thriler from 1968, virtually forgotten about today but worth taking a look at thanks to a genial performance from lead actor Rod Taylor, for once getting a chance to play an Aussie. He's flown over to the UK to arrest and take back to Australia a politician, played by Christopher Plummer in his usual slightly sleazy way. Taylor becomes Plummer's unwitting bodyguard when it becomes apparent that someone is determined to see him dead. This film boasts some fine fight and chase sequences, although it's a little slower in between during some of the romantic, sub-Bond style moments. The strong supporting cast includes a typically loathesome Derren Nesbitt, an alluring Daliah Lavi, Calvin Lockhart as a tough agent, and Clive Revill as Plummer's butler.

Based on a novel by John Cleary, this Cold War-era espionage drama offers the interesting pairing of Taylor and Plummer. Taylor is a rough-hewn, Australian policeman who also herds sheep on a spacious ranch. One day he's called in to government official McKern's office and ordered to fly to London to arrest the High Commissioner (Plummer) who has allegedly killed his first wife and changed his name nearly two decades prior. Taylor, sensing political motivations behind this move, is somewhat reluctant to do it, but duty compels him nonetheless. He arrives at Plummer's mansion just as a lavish reception is taking place. It turns out that Plummer is in the midst of highly sensitive and important peace talks and refuses to go back to Australia until they are resolved within a few days. However, even that becomes an issue when it becomes clear that someone else wants the talks ended and has determined, to that end, to bump off Plummer! Taylor then finds himself defending the life of the man he's come to arrest. Taylor gives a fine, well-nuanced performance and is permitted to speak in his own Australian dialect. He seems to be performing much of his own fight choreography and offers up a handsome, rough and tumble, yet gentle hero. Plummer, looking incredibly elegant and attractive, is much cooler and more refined. The two men make an intriguing duo. Palmer plays Plummer's present wife. In a departure from conventional casting, she is 15 years his senior (and the difference is noticeable.) She turns in an affecting performance, punctuated by her devotion to her husband. Sparv is Plummer's secretary. She isn't called upon to do much besides look lovely, which she does with much ease. A bit more interesting turn comes from Lavi as a sexually ravenous political mover and shaker. She looks positively stunning and has some of the highest hair ever piled up for the cinema screen. Rounding out the primary cast are Revill as a snooty butler, Lockhart as a nosy delegate and Tone (who appears in just one brief scene) as the American Ambassador. The film has that spotless, elegant feel of the era (driven home in more than a few unfortunate sequences set outdoors, but quite clearly taking place inside!) despite a relatively modest budget. Stock footage of Wimbledon is crudely inserted into one scene and the two lead males are often substituted with doubles in the outdoor and location sequences. The peace talks are kept vague, to say the least, and are mostly represented by a series of parties or gatherings in the hallways outside the conference area. Diversity of nations is shown almost at a "Mission: Impossible" level with no specifically mentioned nations and some African types wearing large headgear here and there. One attempted assassination has a very Hitchcockian feel to it, though it certainly isn't on the same level as his work in, say, "The Man Who Knew Too Much." Still, it's a generally engrossing story with a healthy dose of action and mystery, suspense even. The cast is uniformly solid and the ladies look terrific. Delerue delivers a pleasing musical score. This may come off as a little too sterile for everyone and the ending is rather a stretch, but fans of Cold War era thrillers and of the stars should enjoy it a lot.

One can't help but think that at some times the story is a little stretched. A high percentage of Taylor's dialogue is un-needed, which isn't to say he doesn't perform well.Taylor plays an outback police-sergeant sent by the Premier of New South Wales to place an indictment on the Australian Ambassador in London and bring him safely to custody. However, his arrival in London coincides the same time as the ambassador (chris plummer) seems to be making a breakthrough in middle-eastern diplomacy. Taylor is persuaded by Plummber to wait until the summit is completely before talking him back. However, predictably there are certain foreign powers at play who would not want to see the summit reach any peaceful negotiations. And so the ambassadors life is at risk. Of course, Taylor is there to make sure that he is brough safely back to Australia - to stand trial and face the allegations which even he begins to find a bit suspect.Yeah, rent it watch it on tv. It's enjoyable. Nothing brilliant. The end is particularly reminiscent of Sabotage, when you think of it.