Really Surprised!

Simple and well acted, it has tension enough to knot the stomach.

In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.

It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

Roger Moore hits the swinging 60s as Gary Fenn, an advertising executive, a Lothario and a charmer.A promotion for a major client backfires as the photo of his model gets switched. He now has to find a Hungarian model Marla Kugash (Claudia Lange). It is all a rouse to smoke Kugash out into the open so she could be killed.Kugash's aunt is part of a shadowy group which is out to cause riots and destabilise the existing world order so they can take over themselves. Kugash knows too much of their plans which includes assassinating a visiting African dignitary.This spy comedy caper quickly becomes too silly. Despite some action scenes such as a helicopter chase scene, it is also rather inert. Although comparisons are made with James Bond, a role Moore would later fill, this films has more of The Avengers dash about it. However the shenanigans between Kugash and Fenn gets tedious and the plot is convoluted. Moore does turn on his easy charm though.

While this has been likened to a James Bond adventure (which star Roger Moore was still four years away from first tackling), it actually plays more like a tenth-rate copy of an Alfred Hitchcock suspenser – and, specifically, NORTH BY NORTHWEST (1959)-meets-THE MAN WHO KNEW TOO MUCH (1956).In fact, Moore is an advertising executive who unwittingly runs into a person involved in deadly political games – model Claudie Lange (who, amusingly, is depicted as being constantly famished!). Incidentally, her equally attractive aunt (Martha Hyer) is revealed to be the chief villainess of the piece (along with Bond-Moore's future superior 'M' himself, Bernard Lee!) intent on assassinating a visiting South African leader – as always in the most public of places (in this case, Hyde Park) and synchronized to take place during the customary 21-gun salute. Two other very obvious borrowings from NORTH BY NORTHWEST are a helicopter chase (imitating the legendary crop-dusting sequence) and the rather funny disruption of a church wedding recalling the auction scene in the Hitchcock classic where Cary Grant was similarly drawing attention to himself in order to stall his pursuers! Also in the cast are Alexis Kanner as a would-be decadent lord who actually advocates peace and ultimately emerges to be on the side of the good guys, as well as Hammer regular Francis Matthews playing a hit-man for Hyer {sic}. Moore having just come off "The Saint" (a series in which director Rakoff was also involved), this still has that bland TV look to it – despite the rather incongruous Swinging London backdrop. The film includes mild dollops of style, wit, sexiness, action and suspense – all of which were prime features of NORTH BY NORTHWEST in particular, but which were also part and parcel of the Bond saga. In the long run, taken on its own merits, CROSSPLOT is a harmless time-waster but one that has added value if seen as a transition between Moore's trademark personae i.e. Simon Templar aka "The Saint" and James Bond aka 007.

I must confess that I watched this movie with the sound down, whilst chatting on the phone, but the helicopter chase across the English countryside was fabulous.Roger Moore was driving a vintage/veteran car across farmland, and the chopper was skimming across the wheat fields, only two or three feet from the ground.Most impressive!The opening of the movie was reminiscent of 28 Days later, in that there was a curiously quiet Westminster Bridge, with the Houses of Parliamnet and Big Ben in view. This was evidently very early on a midsummer morning for it to be so bereft of people and traffic, but to be so well lit. Only watchable for the helicopter sequence, which should be a classic.

'Crossplot' was Roger Moore's first attempt to return to the big screen after seven years in television as Simon Templar. Unfortunately, it all went wrong. The budget of the film proved to be much too small as for an action picture. It was also too old-fashioned and in a way too much television-like since entire crew consisted of 'The Saint' personnel. The result is a movie which today can be only suggested for Roger Moore fans. I'm one of them and so I enjoyed watching the film really much. The acting is pretty good. Moore is doing good job, trying to eliminate as many elements for which he was recognizable as the Saint as it's possible, but still it feels a lot like another 'saintly' adventure. The script is very predictable and its only great moments are when Moore is let to show his light sense of humour and prove that he does really great in such genres as for instance the 'romantic comedy'. The opening sequence (my favourite) is very much like if it was taken from all those 'lovely' Cary Grant movies from the 50s, with Moore at his best, having fun while playing a sort of a less distinguished Brett Sinclair. The film's weakness seems to be that it's not sure if it's a serious thriller, action picture or maybe a comedy. There are too many 'romantic' and 'funny' moments in it as for a true action film but on the other hand 'Crossplot's' script seems to be seriously dramatized since at least three people are to die during the film. Hm, not the best thing, but still worth seeing for Roger Moore fans.