Confidential Agent (1945) User Reviews

Murky but atmospheric...Boyer and Bacall not quite credible...

[Doylenf · 6/10 · 24 May 2005]

Hollywood always has trouble translating the works of writers like Graham Greene and Ernest Hemingway to the screen. Something always gets lost in the transition--and in this case, that's not good because the plot is murky enough without losing some of the novel's detailed explanation of what's really going on.

LAUREN BACALL, poised and mature beyond her years as she was in all of her early Hollywood roles, is a bit miscast here as a British girl and seems to know it. Her performance is less credible than most of her chores opposite Bogart. On the other hand, CHARLES BOYER is impressive as a man on a mission who is eventually betrayed. As in all such spy thrillers, this one has a plot line that is better left undisclosed, but suffice it to say that there is plenty to ponder as you watch the story unfold, and some interesting work by a large supporting cast. Set at the time of the Spanish Civil War, it has plenty of plot to follow.

Wanda Hendrix has a nice bit as a Cockney lass and Katina Paxinou delivers the goods in a malicious role. Too bad the chemistry between Boyer and Bacall is not quite on par with the kind she had with Bogart because their romance never seems quite credible. Neverthelss, she does not deserve the panning her performance received when the film was first released on the heels of two successful films with Bogart.

A bit dull in the stretches, but atmospheric and worth watching as an interesting example of Warner Bros. noir, the sort of cloak and dagger atmosphere needed to give the story some punch.

Boyer and Bacall

[wes-connors · 7/10 · 13 July 2012]

"In October 1937, a man crossed the English Channel knowing that the success or failure of his confidential mission could mean victory or defeat for his people," according to the opening statement. The secret agent man is former Spanish composer and pianist Charles Boyer (a Luis Denard). Spain is divided by a Civil War and Mr. Boyer is acting against the Fascists. His mission is to obtain exclusive rights to precious coal, which is needed for the war. The forces of evil are positioned to obstruct Boyer at every turn...

Missing a train due to questions about his passport, Boyer gets a lift into London with coal tycoon's daughter Lauren Bacall (as Rose Cullen). The beautiful heiress smokes and drinks up a storm, while wondering if Boyer's comings and goings are those of a completely sane man. A romance tentatively develops. Boyer takes up residence with cool, calculating Katina Paxinou (as Maria Melandez) and meets sad-eyed contact Peter Lorre (as Contreras). Unsavory characters continue to block Boyer from his mission...

"Watch on the Rhine" (1943) and "Confidential Agent" are the only two feature film credits for director Herman Shumlin, unfortunately. He died in 1979 and certainly should have received more film projects, based on the evidence presented here. Having photographer James Wong Howe and editor George Amy on your crew helps, obviously. Shumlin subsequently focused on stage work, and met with considerable success...

This film was scolded for miscasting the French Boyer as a Spaniard and Ms. Bacall as a British socialite...

Boyer plays the character well, rolling with his regular accent. Bacall charts the same course, with less success. In only her second film, she would have benefited from a script explaining how her character grew up in New York. Bacall showed more rapport with Bogart than Boyer, but maintains great sex appeal. The supporting cast is superb. Dan Seymour (as Muckerji) has a great part. In a startling debut, Wanda Hendrix (as Else) go head-to-head with Ms. Paxinou for best supporting actress honors.

******* Confidential Agent (11/2/45) Herman Shumlin ~ Charles Boyer, Lauren Bacall, Katina Paxinou, Wanda Hendrix

Boyer and Bacall in England

[blanche-2 · 7/10 · 10 September 2006]

Charles Boyer is supposed to be Spanish, and he's come to London to buy coal in "Confidential Agent," a 1945 film also starring Lauren Bacall, Katina Paxinou, Peter Lorre, Dan Seymour, and Wanda Hendrix. Boyer is Luis Denard, and everyone is out to stop him except Bacall. His papers are stolen, he's accused of murder but he's determined to get coal for his people so that they can fight the Fascists.

This film has its good and not so good points. It rates high for atmosphere and for suspense, and it is highly entertaining. Bacall is incredibly beautiful, Boyer is passionate, Paxinou is mean, Lorre is slimy, Hendrix appropriately pathetic, and Seymour outrageously wonderful.

The not so good points: Bacall is supposed to be English, and Boyer Spanish. Uh, no. Boyer is terrific in his role even with the wrong accent, but Bacall is 100% American, not of the British upper class. The two have no chemistry. Conclusion: Bacall is somewhat miscast. Her acting isn't up to snuff either; she's better in other films. But she's an astonishing looking woman, and much can be forgiven.

Paxinou is nearly over the top and hateful. Dan Seymour almost steals the entire film as a hotel guest who studies human nature. It's a great part and his performance is perfect, while some of the direction of the other actors isn't as good. This was definitely a case of no small parts, only small actors. Seymour wasn't a small actor.

Definitely worth seeing even with its flaws.

Spain's Agony, and Britain's Indifference to Danger

[theowinthrop · 7/10 · 4 September 2006]

It could have been a better film. It does drag at points, and the central story shifts from Boyer completing his mission to Boyer avenging Wanda Hendrix's death, but Graham Greene is an author who is really hard to spoil. His stories are all morality tales, due to his own considerations of Catholicism, guilt and innocence (very relative terms in his world view), and the human condition.

Boyer is Luis Denard, a well-known concert pianist, who has sided with the Republicans in the Spanish Civil War. He has been sent to England to try to carry through an arms purchase deal that is desperately needed. Unfortunately for Denard he is literally on his own - everyone of his contacts turns out to be a willing turncoat for the Falagists of Spain. In particular Katina Paxinou (Mrs. Melendez) a grim boarding house keeper, and Peter Lorre (Mr. Contreras) a teacher of an "esperanto" type international language. Wanda Hendrix is the drudge of a girl (Else) who works for Mrs. Melendez. The local diplomat, Licata (Victor Francken) is already a willing associate of the Falangists.

The Brits (Holmes Herbert, Miles Mander, and best - if not worst - of the lot, George Coulouris) don't give much hope to Boyer's cause (which he soon grasps may be Britain's before long). Herbert and Mander just retreat behind the official policy of neutrality ordered by the Ramsay MacDonald's and Stanley Baldwin's governments during the Civil War. Coulouris here is a typical Col. Blimp type - always impeccable in his native English diction, he is sharp in showing his dislike for foreigners in general.

The one ray of hope is Lauren Bacall (Rose Cullen), here trying to play her role as well as she can - but she can't really. She's an aristocrat - the daughter of a Press lord. It was Bacall's second film, and (sad to say) almost sank her long career. She does act well, but the spark she showed in her first film was due to the dual effect of starring with Humphrey Bogart and being directed by Howard Hawks. Boyer is a fine actor, but he's not Bogie, and Herman Shumlin is not Hawks. Her next film returned her to Bogie and Hawks again, and her star resumed it's ascendancy.

It's a bleak film (as was the novel). Boyer's mission never succeeds, as he has too many hidden foes all over the place. But the villains are likewise also losers - frequently with their lives.

With Dan Seymour as a suspicious foreign tenant of Katina Paxinou (and the man who destroys her). It is well worth watching to catch the Warner's lot of character actors doing their best given the weakness in direction.

Quite underrated.

[alice liddell · 7/10 · 8 May 2000]

An underrated addition to the Graham Greene cinematic canon - its perceived faults can now be seen as virtues. Director Shumlin, theatrical director, frames his action with an oppressive rigidity appropriate to the material, and the seemingly inept compositions compellingly suggest unease. Both a dark thriller and a story of moral regeneration (for the female character! In a 40s thriller!), the film has an upright hero who turns mad and murderous (and possibly paedophiliac), brilliantly brings the faraway ideologies of the Spanish Civil War into jolting dangerous reality, has one horrific murder, an astonishing insights into class and capitalism, clever theatrical metaphors, a rare approximation of Greene's God, and an ending that is only happy if you know nothing about history.

"I don't seem to be able to do anything correctly"

[boscofl · 6/10 · 22 May 2020]

Of all the atmospheric and noirish potboilers turned out by Warner Brothers in the early to mid-40s the most abused is Confidential Agent (1945). Today it is most notorious for the miscasting of Lauren Bacall as a spoiled English socialite and the critical crucifixion she received by her contemporary reviewers. Of course, all of the main players are miscast as Spaniards and the warnings against fascism were already dated by 1945; these factors also contributing to the film's flop at the box office. While it is not a classic and probably an acquired taste the movie, to paraphrase Miss Bacall's character Rose Cullen, has its points: atmospheric direction, a great cast, and one of the cruelest murder scenes ever committed to celluloid.

Charles Boyer portrays Denard, Loyalist soldier and broken soul in the Spanish Civil War, who is sent to London to purchase coal for his cause. Seemingly everyone is against him on his mission as he is endlessly thwarted by fascists, collaborators, and snobby Brits. The only characters who aid him are Rose, the daughter of the Lord to whom Denard brings his business proposition, and Else (Wanda Hendrix), the pitiable young indentured servant working at the hotel he resides in. Even the weather is opposed to Denard has he is perpetually enveloped in a London fog.

Director Herman Shumlin invests the film with a great atmosphere of intrigue; full of swirling mist, dank sets, and some truly bizarre characters. One of the film's chief enjoyments is his willingness to let actors craft eccentric portrayals that constantly bewilder the beleaguered hero. Unfortunately he is unable to spur the narrative out of its lackadaisical pace; the film is bloated with scenes that run too long and could benefit from tighter editing. The tale is also undermined by the myriad of coincidences used to propel the plot as incidents do not flow organically. Perhaps also contributing to its box office failure is the story's negative depiction of the British as snobby, cold, and intolerant of "foreigners".

Charles Boyer is clearly miscast as Denard which goes with the territory in the studio era. A fan of classic cinema can overlook this but his weak and watery character is another matter. While a flawed hero is often the best hero Denard is so broken by the war and Boyer so plays up this angle that it is nearly impossible to believe any government would trust him with so crucial an assignment. He spends the film getting beat up and outwitted by everyone; even Rose slaps him at one point. Denard acts like he wants to be killed and whatever heroic actions he takes seem to be generated by this death wish. Boyer has some impressive moments when he finally takes a stand but overall it is difficult to become invested in him as a hero.

Lauren Bacall has been taken to task for this performance and I won't dwell on it. She isn't amateurish or dreadful as many have proclaimed; she is simply miscast. The script does her no favors, either, as Rose by her own admission isn't a very nice person. It is difficult to imagine any actress doing justice to this role but casting an English actress would have been a step in the right direction. However it should be noted that this performance nearly torpedoed her burgeoning career following the rave reviews for her screen debut in To Have and Have Not the year before.

Confidential Agent earns most of its points off the many wonderful supporting performances. Victor Francen is always a fascinating villain and he doesn't disappoint here with his understated menace. Another familiar performer of unpleasant roles, George Coulouris, is such a jackass you just want to sock him in the jaw. He keeps popping up throughout the film to harass Denard with no rhyme or reason. Dan Seymour is creepy, disturbing, and hilarious as the wonderfully bizarre "mass observer" Mr. Muckerji while Ian Wolfe is equally eccentric as the creator and teacher of a new world language. Delivering the most realistic and heartbreaking performance is Wanda Hendrix as the pathetic Else whose attachment to Denard leads to her horrific demise.

Special mention must go to Katina Paxinou as the most vile and evil cinematic villainess this side of Joan Crawford, Mrs Melandez. Miss Paxinou is frighteningly wicked as Boyer's duplicitous London contact and commits one of the most heinous acts of malevolence one will ever witness. Best of all she meets a very satisfying comeuppance before shuffling off the mortal coil. Peter Lorre is her accomplice but is disappointingly wasted in a weak role with a weak heart. Fortunately Miss Paxinou has enough venom for both of them.

Falsely advertised as a blistering love story by the film advertisements, Confidential Agent suffered a quick demise at the box office and disappeared from public consumption for years. While certainly no classic it has enough value to warrant a viewing and perhaps emerge as a "so bad it's good" vehicle in someone's affections (like mine).

Boyer Isn't Spanish and Bacall Isn't British, Yet...

[dmh7-1 · 8/10 · 2 August 2005]

I watch a lot of films, good, bad and indifferent; there is usually something of interest to fixate upon, even if it is only set design, or the reliable labor of a good character actor, or the fortuitous laughter that emerges from watching ineptitude captured forever.

However, I was quite pleasantly surprised by this film, one I had never seen before. Graham Greene has been translated into film many times of course, in such masterpieces as "Thin Man" and in lesser vehicles. "Confidential Agent" is one of those lesser vehicles, yet it manages to get me somewhere anyway, despite lackluster direction, the incongruity of Bacall and Boyer's depictions as (respectively) British and Spanish, and the almost complete non-existence of any chemistry between the two leads. In some ways, this last "problem" actually begins to work in the film's favor, for how can love really blossom in the killing atmosphere of fascism and capitalism meeting about one person's tragedy? The most compelling aspect of the film arises directly from Greene's complex and guilt-ridden psychology, which pervades the film. I know some see the deliberate pacing here as dull, and I can understand that. Yet I found that plodding accentuated rather than detracted from what is a claustrophobic world. I was compelled to watch, not by any great acting (although Boyer is marvelous as usual, managing to convey a rich mixture of world-weariness, tragedy, hope, and fervor with his magnificent voice and yearning eyes), but by the down-spiraling rush of one man's slim hopes against a world of oppression and money. What is a thief? What good is love in the face of death? Where does mere profit-taking end and exploitation begin? The film does not rise to the level of art, and thus cannot hope to answer such questions, but it is much more than mere entertainment, and its murders and guilts are very grimly drawn. The lack of glitz, of "bubble," of narrative "bounce" help to make this movie very worthwhile.

And there is no happy ending, for history wrote the ending.

Any old accent will do!

[David-240 · 7/10 · 28 August 2005]

This enjoyable minor noir boasts a top cast, and many memorable scenes. The big distraction is the complete disregard for authentic accents. The Spanish characters in the film are played by a Frenchman (Boyer), a Belgian (Francen), a Greek (Paxinou) and a Hungarian (Lorre)! And to top it all off Bacall is supposed to be an English aristocrat! Despite these absurdities, the performances are all very good - especially those of Paxinou and Lorre. But the scene in which Boyer, Paxinou and Lorre meet, and talk in wildly different accents, is a real hoot! And I guess, seeing as how they were alone, that they should actually have been speaking in Spanish anyway! It seems pretty weird that the Brothers Warner couldn't find any Spanish speaking actors in Los Angeles! Of course Hollywood has often had an "any old accent will do" policy - my other favorite is Greta Garbo (Swedish) as Mata Hari (Dutch), who falls in love with a Russian soldier played by a Mexican (Ramon Novarro). Maybe they should have got Novarro for "Confidential Agent" - he would have been great in Boyer's role or at least in Francen's (which would have saved greatly on the dark make-up budget).

Still He Muddles Through

[bkoganbing · 5/10 · 28 July 2012]

Lauren Bacall went to great lengths in her memoirs to come up with why she got such bad reviews in Confidential Agent. I put it down simply to she's way to American to cast well as the daughter of an English lord. Additionally as she says her director gave her no direction. A pity because Herman Shumlin the director had just come off doing Watch On The Rhine and this has similar subject matter.

Confidential Agent taken from a Graham Greene novel from 1939 and not one of his better ones. It casts Charles Boyer in the title role as just that, an agent for the Spanish government when it was clear it was already a losing cause. He's in a last minute attempt to stop English coal mine owners from consummating a deal with the new Falangist forces for coal. The miners just want to get back to work which won't make it an easy sell.

When you come right down to it Boyer is really inept. So much happens to him including his credentials being stolen that you wonder why they'd pick this guy. Still he muddles through some how.

One thing that the film has going for it is an incredible cast of character actors, most of whom have played villainous roles. Just the names of Peter Lorre, Victor Francen, George Coulouris, Katina Paxinou, Dan Seymour, Miles Mander and the nature of the story where Boyer does not know friend from foe for a lot of the film gives the story a boost. All these folks have essayed villainy well on the screen so you really can't tell who's good and who's evil.

One I will note is George Coulouris who in this film plays a real oaf and well. Usually he's smooth and evil, this was a new aspect to him and he carries it off well. And Katina Paxinou fresh from her Oscar for For Whom The Bells Toll lights the screen up with her brand of intensity.

But most of the time the story is slow and sluggish. Maybe Michael Curtiz could have gotten more from this cast. And Lauren Bacall got right back on track with The Big Sleep her next film.

Terrific Stuff

[htwhyppe · 8/10 · 20 January 2004]

Good old black and white Graham Greene based people in dangerous times doing heroic and mysterious things. Hardly a shot fired or a punch thrown and a hundred time more interesting than the glop that's being minted by Hollywood today. Bacall lights up the screen of course and Boyer is entirely engaging. They don't make movies like this any more.

intriguing spy genre

[SnoopyStyle · 6/10 · 30 August 2018]

In 1937, the Spanish Civil War rages. Luis Denard (Charles Boyer) is in Britain on a mission to buy coal for the Republican government. He's haunted by the war and his losses. He meets entitled rich girl Rose Cullen (Lauren Bacall) berating a customs officer upon arrival and immediately offers to drive her. Her father is the industrialist Lord Benditch from whom he needs to buy the coal. He is confronted by fascist agents. Even his contacts Contreras (Peter Lorre) and Mrs. Melandez have secretly sold out to the fascist side.

This is an adaptation of a Graham Greene novel. It seems to be taking it seriously but it lacks something. Boyer is a great actor but he doesn't have his dashing personality here. His character jumps at every bang and shrinks on the screen. The whole film is shrunk. Bacall starts out wrong and never fully recovers. Instead of a ditch, she could be simply frustrated at customs. She doesn't fit this upper class English snob. There is a heaviness to the sincerity in this film that leaves it a little tiring. Some of the best Graham Greene adaptations are located on foreign soil. This one is in foggy London which lacks the exoticism. Overall, it's missing something which I struggle to put a finger on. The final act is a good thriller but it seems to need an unhappy ending.

Accent goulash!

[planktonrules · 3/10 · 29 August 2016]

Often, in the good old days of classic Hollywood, folks were oddly cast and occasionally accents simply made no sense at all. A couple examples that come to mind are Barbara Stanwyck in "The Plough and the Stars" where she didn't even try to do the appropriate Irish accent and Katharine Hepburn with her pathetic attempt to be Chinese in "Dragon Seed"! Here in "Confidential Agent", A French actor (Charles Boyer) is supposed to be a Spaniard visiting Britain, where very, very few of the folks sound British! The silliest was Lauren Bacall...who sounds about at British as fondue. Overall, it's like accent goulash and certainly is a strike against the movie at the onset.

This film is set just before WWII begins. Luis (Boyer) is in Britain to try to raise money for the cause of the Spanish Republic (the folks who were fighting against Franco and the Nazis). However, throughout his mission, he's attacked, beaten up and shot at....so all in all, he's NOT a happy man! Along the way, he meets up with Rose (Bacall) and together they have less chemistry than most folks have with their proctologists! As a result, it's an amazingly dull film...one that sure could have been a lot better and had more energy. The only thing I DID like was Peter Lorre playing a wonderfully pusilanimous character who is about to be shot near the end...that was pretty good. Of course, Lorre is another actor wasn't the least bit British but was Slovakian!

By the way, the same studio (Warner) also made "Fallen Sparrow" with a similar sort of plot. It was far better and more effective....though that isn't saying much considering I only score "Confidential Agent" a 3...which is sad, as I love Boyer films normally.

Fragmented

[GManfred · 27 January 2018]

I didn't read the book but this must one of Graham Greene's weaker novels. Either that or the Director made a hash out of it, because there is simply too much plot here to make a coherent story. There are several subplots at work that detract from the main storyline - which, truth be told, doesn't seem that interesting or compelling to start with.

Not much chemistry between the two principals, and Bacall's is the weakest performance in the picture. There are lots of notable character actors who try their best; Peter Lorre, Victor Francen and Katina Paxinou, to name a few. Ultimately, I felt the plot was obscured and Charles Boyer was not a strong presence. I rated it on potential and on the sterling cast.

Beautiful Bacall and brooding Boyer

[PudgyPandaMan · 7/10 · 23 August 2008]

Bacall does well here - especially considering this is only her 2nd film. This one is often overshadowed because it falls between 2 great successes: "To Have and To Have Not" (1944) and "The Big Sleep" (1945), both of which paired her with Humphrey Bogart. Granted this one is not up to par to the other movies but I think through no fault of her own. I think there was some miscasting in having her portray a British upper-crust lady. No accent whatsoever. I think all the strange accents were distracting - Boyer was certainly no Spaniard. It was hard to keep straight which country people were from.

I really liked the black and white cinematography. Mood is used to great affect - I especially liked the fog scene. The lighting also does a great job of adding to the intrigue and tension.

Bacall is just gorgeous. Boyer just doesn't fit the romantic leading man role for me - so he and Bacall together was a little strange. Not great chemistry - and certainly no Bogie and Bacall magic. But I still really liked this picture. There is great tension and it moves along well enough. I must say I found the murder of the little girl quite bold for this period film.

Katina Paxinou and Peter Lorre stand out as supporting cast. Paxinou as the hotel keeper is absolutely villainous and evil in her portrayal. Her one scene where she laughs maniacally as Mr. Muckerji is leaving after exposing her as the child's murderer is quite disturbing. Lorre also does quite well in his slimy, snake portrayal of Conteras - a sleazy coward to the end. Wanda Bendrix also does quite well in portraying the child Else - especially considering this was her first picture and she was only 16 at the time (though she appears much younger). Turns out she later married Auie Murphy which proved to be a short lived, tempestuous marriage.

Mixed strong and weak points but worth seeing over all

[jcorelis-24336 · 7/10 · 27 April 2017]

Confidential Agent is a rather neglected film: it seems to be listed in very few film reference books, presumably because it was out of circulation for a long time. The story, from a book by Graham Greene, concerns a Spanish pianist turned anti-Fascist soldier in the Spanish Civil War (Charles Boyer) who comes to England on a secret mission to buy up a huge supply of coal with the dual purpose of using it to support the Republican side and denying it to Franco's forces; he's assisted by a spoiled rich girl he runs into (Lauren Bacall) who also falls in love with him.

It's easy to see what Warner's was hoping for from this film: by co-starring a solidly established male romantic lead (Boyer) with the hot new female sex symbol (Bacall, fresh from her sensation-making role with Bogart in The Big Sleep the previous year) in a patriotically anti-Fascist story while the war was still in progress, the studio might seem to have had all the bases covered. But in fact, the film is a very mixed bag.

On the negative side, Boyer struggles manfully with his role but never seems to really get inside his character. Bacall seems to be trying to portray a femme fatale of the sexy but ice-cold variety, but her performance (which the critics generally panned) comes off as just being wooden. And there's a complete lack of real chemistry between the two. The film also has a strained Hollywood happy ending, which seems tacked on.

But there are some virtues to set against this. The script is generally intelligent, and the complicated plot consistently clear. Several of the minor performances are memorable, especially Ian Wolfe and Dan Seymour as two quite different but equally amusing eccentrics, Peter Lorre is fine as his usual sniveling villain and Katina Paxou is excellent as the so-evil-she's-insane murderess. The best thing about the film, though, is the starkly noirish photography by great cinematographer James Wong Howe: those seriously interested in the art of cinema lighting will find much to admire.

All in all, not a classic, but worth seeing for its good points.

"Are you trying to make love to me?"

[utgard14 · 7/10 · 9 October 2016]

Somewhat underrated espionage tale, adapted from a Graham Greene novel, that stars Charles Boyer as a Spanish agent sent to England on a special mission. He meets lovely Lauren Bacall and tries to avoid being killed by fascist operatives. The primary complaint that I see about this film, judging from reviews here and elsewhere, is about the casting. Particularly that you have a Frenchman and a Hungarian playing Spaniards, an American playing a Brit, etc. with no effort to match the accents of someone from those countries. Honestly this doesn't bother me. It was standard for the era that an actor would speak in their own accent when playing someone from another country rather than wind up sounding like Speedy Gonzales or something. Bigger issues for me are Bacall's performance in the early scenes where she spits out her lines like she's angry at them and the lack of chemistry between her and Boyer. The latter hurts the film's romantic subplot but since that was a part that was of minor interest to me, it didn't impact my enjoyment much.

Any movie with a cast like this photographed by the great James Wong Howe can't be bad in my eyes. The supporting cast is especially good, featuring the always entertaining Peter Lorre, as well as Victor Francen, George Coulouris, Holmes Herbert, George Zucco, Miles Mander, and Dan Seymour looking considerably less fat than usual. Katina Paxinou makes for a vile villainess. Good work from Wanda Hendrix as a teenage hotel maid who pays a price for befriending Boyer. For her part, Bacall is pretty and, despite the issue I addressed before, she does get better as the movie goes along. But she is the weakest actor in the movie by far. Boyer is quite good as the nervous and befuddled hero. Perhaps not a perfect fit for the role but I think he does an admirable job. There is one scene involving him slapping another character that is a little unintentionally funny. Overall, it's an interesting picture with a noirish atmosphere and tension, particularly in one gripping scene with Paxinou and Hendrix.

Boyer, Bacall, & Lorre with Preposterous accents

[ksf-2 · 7/10 · 12 September 2012]

C Boyer and his THICK french accent is a Spaniard on a mission from his home country traveling to London during the Spanish Civil War. Lauren Bacall (Love. Her.) is supposed to be a British Lord's daughter, who becomes Boyer's sidekick. who knows WHAT accents P. Lorre & D. Seymour were supposed to have... interesting flick, in spite of the bad accents. the script kind of goes all over the place, kind of like The Big Sleep. Almost two hours, but fun to watch, except for when they smack the maid around over and over... was a little disturbing. A thin Dan Seymour (was Inspector Renard in To Have and Have Not) comes in to investigate. Written by Grahame Greene, who wrote TONS of stuff.. check it out!

Rising Damp

[alan-morton · 8/10 · 16 January 2004]

The novel is easily superior and the best parts of the film are direct translations from what Greene wrote; for instance the quiet but grim humour that breaks into the scenes with Boyer and Lorre, or the murdered-child obsession that takes over some of the plot. Where the film deviates from the novel, it tends to the ludicrous.

However I don't want to suggest that the film is bad in any way. It always looks the part and the story stays in the mind like a good 'un. Some of the minor characters were stock actors who could turn their hand to anything.

It's a dreadful shame that the film's not available on DVD.

Nice Black & White Classic Film

[whpratt1 · 7/10 · 4 October 2007]

Never realized that Charles Boyer, (Luis Denard) appeared with Lauren Bacall,(Rose Cullen) in a film together and enjoyed their great acting together. Even Peter Lorre, (Contreras) had a role in this film and had a bad misfortune in his bathroom that caused him to faint. This story deals with a Republican Courier, Luis Denard who visits England during the Spanish Civil War and tries to disrupt a coal mining contract that will cause great harm to other nations. Lauren Bacall, (Rose Cullen) comes to the aid of Luis Denard by picking him up and at the same time falling in love with him and then proceeds to help him escape from an angry crowd of English Mine Workers who threaten his life. The real bad guy in this film is Victor Francen, (Licata) "Beast with Five Fingers" who gives an outstanding performance. Great Classic 1945 film without Humphrey Bogart.

Engrossing film, but . . .

[byron-116 · 5/10 · 1 March 2020]

Even though I am a fan of its stars, I had never watched "Confidential Agent" prior to last night. It certainly is a good film noir with an engrossing story, but it was hard to accept Charles Boyer and Peter Lorre playing Spaniards, and young Lauren Bacall from the Bronx playing a British Socialite.... Top marks for Katina Paxinou pity that she hasn't appeared in more than a handful of Hollywood films.

Boyer gives Mrs Melandez a whack before she croaks of poison

[BillButlerB3 · 9/10 · 6 May 2006]

This film has scenes that come back to me at the strangest times -- that intense scene with Mr. Muckerji telling Mrs Melandez that someone he spoke with witnesses the girl being pushed out the window by a woman who fits HER description ---is one that rolls around -- the way she keeps referring to him by name --- in a Greek accent "Mr Muckerji" -- and then when Boyer discovers her having just taken poison and gives her one last smack up the side of the head before she dies --- its a delight! "Fools -- Fools -- all my life"...etc etc -- you get the point..I have to buy this one. I love Dan Seymour's acting -- he usually plays some plump foreign sultan or police chief and appeared in Casablanca and many great pictures.

I've been rethinking Charles Boyer as an actor...

[vincentlynch-moonoi · 7/10 · 15 May 2023]

...having not liked him very much for most of my long life. And, indeed, I am finding that he really was quite a wonderful actor. Then along comes this film. It didn't help! Although I can't really blame Boyer.

But for starters, this famous French actor with a strong accent (Boyer) is playing a Spanish patriot of their civil war. Well, that didn't work very well! Duh! Then we have Lauren Bacall, a sultry American playing a Brit. Well, that didn't work very well, either. But at least Boyer's acting here is very good. I can't say the same for Bacall, although I went back and forth with whether I could blame Bacall or the script Bacall was tethered to.

A couple of our other reviewers used the word "murky" to describe the plot. And that's very true for the first half of the film, and I was sorely tempted to give up on it a couple of times. And then, all of a sudden, things got better. Confusions about the story seemed to clear, and the performances improved. In particular there were a couple of scenes that were notable for performances by supporting actors. Peter Lorre's character was classic Lorre, and his heart attack scene was riveting. And then there was the Greek actress Katina Paxinou, whose role was crucial to the film but seemed depressingly monotonous...until her death scene...another riveting performance.

In addition to a generally better second half, the film was wrapped up well with some clever plot twists. So I'll squeeze a "7" rating out of this film, although it's a shaky "7".

Nothing much

[Anne_Sharp · 4/10 · 15 September 2000]

Yet another forgettable Warners foreign intrigue "thriller," this is rendered even less enjoyable by the irritating presence of Lauren Bacall, who, without Humphrey Bogart's tender attentions to humanize her, comes off as her usual shrill, shallow self. Even master gigolo Charles Boyer cannot feign romantic interest in her.

Wonderful and Could Have Been Even Better

[Handlinghandel · 8/10 · 2 May 2006]

It could have been better had it been directed by someone with more experience. Shumlin didn't do a bad job but it is not a great work of cinematic art.

It is, however, a beautiful movie. I have loved it since local channels used to show it. Graham Greene is one of my favorite writers of the last century. Some pretty bad movies were made from his novels and stories. (Many love "The Fallen Idol" but I am not among them. I think I saw "Brighton Rock" once many years ago and liked it but maybe I'm simply thinking fondly of the novel.) This is superbly cast. Charles Boyer does not, it's true, come across as Spanish. But he seems to have the perfect temperament for this character -- tired, wary, caring. Lauren Bacall is appealing as the British girl who falls for him. But the supporting players are the best: Katina Paxinou is excellent. Her performance is a little Grand Guignol, but I attribute that to the director. Peter Lorre, whom we first meet as he gives Boyer a lesson in an Esperanto-like universal language, is excellent -- as always.

And Wanda Hendrix could break the hardest heart. She comes across as a precocious early teenager. The character wants to be helpful. She does her best.

I recommend this movie highly. Not without reservations. The reservation is, primarily, that it is a little stolid. But the story and acting can scarcely be bettered.