Review of Coplan prend des risques

If you're looking for a flashy and colorful mid-1960's spy film, forget about this one: the drab black & white cinematography, coupled with the fuzzy print I saw, make "The Spy I Love" look like it was made in the early 1950s, if not even earlier. However, the movie has its interesting points: the plot, heavy on detection and step-by-step progression, requires your attention to follow it; there are some exciting fight scenes that emphasize Coplan's judo techniques; and there is one, just one, action sequence - set mostly atop a train - that is as ambitious and audacious as anything you can find in the majority of the Bond films. Besides the unappealing look, the other major negative aspect of this movie is the frequently unpleasant treatment of Virna Lisi's character; her blink-and-you'll-miss-it-fast falling in love with Coplan is inexplicable. **1/2 out of 4.