The Ipcress File
Dir: Sidney J. Furie
1965
*****
Michael Caine's first outing as Harry Palmer is an iconic moment in cinema. The Ipcress File is so cool and stylised, it's what most people think of when they think of England in the 60's. Harry Palmer is kind of like the anti-James Bond, a more down to earth alternative anyway. I love the way the film is directed, each frame is at a different angle and every shot is composed brilliantly. It's a London I remember from my childhood, before they gave all the old buildings a good clean in the late 80's. The script is superb too and while the story is a little dated and seems a bit silly now, everything else is gold.