One of the best British movies ever made is on BBC Two this weekend | Films | Entertainment | EUROtoday

While Sir Sean Connery’s James Bond romanticised the world of Cold War espionage, Sir Michael Caine’s spy movies offered a extra grounded and correct portrayal of the intelligence companies.

Based on Len Deighton’s 1962 novel of the identical title, The Ipcress File starred Caine as Harry Palmer, an agent on the Ministry of Defence tasked with investigating the disappearances of some main scientists.

The actor’s portrayal of a British Intelligence Officer as a daily man in glasses who cooks for himself at house was a stark distinction to Ian Fleming’s suave 007.

Interestingly sufficient, the movie was produced by Bond’s Harry Saltzman, with 007 manufacturing designer Ken Adam and composer John Barry additionally engaged on it.

The first of Caine’s 5 Harry Palmer spy motion pictures was critically acclaimed and a field workplace success. Meanwhile, it might go on to win three BAFTAs, together with Best British Film, and in 1999 got here 59th within the BFI’s checklist of the 100 greatest British movies of the twentieth century.

The Ipcress File is on BBC Two this Saturday afternoon at 2:45pm.