Our Man in Casablanca (1966)

- Il nostro agente a Casablanca
- The Killer Lacks a Name
It does some things quite well, 19 November 2017

A dossier containing some sort of important information (I still have no idea what info everyone's looking for) is stolen in Casablanca. The good guys send in agent Brian Kervin (Lang Jeffries). He'll have to outwit, outsmart, and out-fight the usual sort of baddies, including one with a mechanical hand.

If you've seen Our Man in Casablanca (or whatever you want to call it), you may think I've overrated the film. And maybe I have. But in a crowded field of cheap Eurospy movies, this one has some things that make it stand out. First, the acting is a bit better than you'll usually find. Jeffries is more than capable and actually shows emotion - something you usually don't see. Baddie Paco Morán is as menacing as you're likely to run across. He's excellent. And Thea Fleming is absolutely outstanding. She would have been right at home in any Bond film. Second, the special effects here are better than usually found in a 60s Eurospy. I've already mentioned the mechanical hand. Sure, it can look silly, but no more so than some of the weaponry found in a Bond film. Third, though there are some slower moving parts of the film, Our Man in Casablanca does an excellent job with action. I was particularly impressed with the crop duster vs car sequence. Nicely shot and entertaining. Finally, the cinematography is often gorgeous. Morrocco never looked so good.

Obviously, it's not a great movie, but I enjoyed more than I disliked. I may be overstating it a bit, but I'm rating Our Man in Casablanca a 6/10.

6/10