I use the term "baffling" not to describe a sense of confusion with the would-be labyrinthine plot, but bafflement at what the film was actually trying to achieve.
Elsewhere it's described as a picture for "thinking people", as if this is some cerebral showcase that only a niche audience would be able to comprehend. Yet it contains "twists" so heavily signposted and telegraphed that the (mis)assumption is that the characters are aware of this, and are playing some elaborate game with assumed identities, where pretending to be fooled is part of the set up.
The first twist with Caine's "death" is fine, a nice mix of straight intrigue and perverse theatricality... the unhinged, left-field acting choices of Caine, and, particularly, Olivier, something of a delight. But then it begins to all get a little strange. Caine comes back, disguised as a policeman, and Oliver is terrified of the prospect.
Now, Michael Caine is a fine actor, but a chameleon he is not - most notably in, say, 1997's Mandela and De Klerk - so only the truly incredulous would see the bald cap and cod accent of "Inspector Doppler" and NOT immediately realise it's Michael Caine dressed up. Yet somehow Oliver goes along with this transparent, obvious charade - and a later one where Caine "talks to two policemen at the door" - to the extent that the camp shenanigans seem like a game both men are playing. And not a "game" as in the game of masculine pride that is really going on, but some kind of game where two lovers are assuming roles, and going along with each others' incredibly transparent "tricks" in order to continue the fun.
When you realise that not only are they supposed to be genuinely fooled, but that also people see this bit of frivolous nonsense as an intellectual exercise, you realise that this is an "intelligent" film for people who don't actually know what an intelligent film actually is.
It's not, I would argue, one for a "thinking person", it's one where you have to switch your mind off, and just go along with an incredibly unlikely journey of two fine actors elevating shaky material. It's good stuff, as indicated by my (slightly too generous) rating, but ultimately hollow.
One last point of trivia, which had no bearing on my overall mark, but does bear mentioning - there are a great number of continuity clashes and errors in the film, with various hand placements/objects differing from shot to shot. Many of them have already been captured in the IMDb's "goofs" section, though I was planning to add more, before I realised what an exhausting prospect this would be, as there are so many. However, of special note is Caine - as Inspector Doppler, his back to the camera, with his hand raised with a pen in it to take notes - talking to Oliver on the stairs. It cuts to a shot with the side view of Caine, where his arms are at his side, and then raise to begin to take said notes... just one of many clashes of continuity that pepper an enticing, yet slight, two-hander. Or, as you may have it, a movie for "thinking people"... like many of the "twists" in the film, it's all a matter of perception.
Elsewhere it's described as a picture for "thinking people", as if this is some cerebral showcase that only a niche audience would be able to comprehend. Yet it contains "twists" so heavily signposted and telegraphed that the (mis)assumption is that the characters are aware of this, and are playing some elaborate game with assumed identities, where pretending to be fooled is part of the set up.
The first twist with Caine's "death" is fine, a nice mix of straight intrigue and perverse theatricality... the unhinged, left-field acting choices of Caine, and, particularly, Olivier, something of a delight. But then it begins to all get a little strange. Caine comes back, disguised as a policeman, and Oliver is terrified of the prospect.
Now, Michael Caine is a fine actor, but a chameleon he is not - most notably in, say, 1997's Mandela and De Klerk - so only the truly incredulous would see the bald cap and cod accent of "Inspector Doppler" and NOT immediately realise it's Michael Caine dressed up. Yet somehow Oliver goes along with this transparent, obvious charade - and a later one where Caine "talks to two policemen at the door" - to the extent that the camp shenanigans seem like a game both men are playing. And not a "game" as in the game of masculine pride that is really going on, but some kind of game where two lovers are assuming roles, and going along with each others' incredibly transparent "tricks" in order to continue the fun.
When you realise that not only are they supposed to be genuinely fooled, but that also people see this bit of frivolous nonsense as an intellectual exercise, you realise that this is an "intelligent" film for people who don't actually know what an intelligent film actually is.
It's not, I would argue, one for a "thinking person", it's one where you have to switch your mind off, and just go along with an incredibly unlikely journey of two fine actors elevating shaky material. It's good stuff, as indicated by my (slightly too generous) rating, but ultimately hollow.
One last point of trivia, which had no bearing on my overall mark, but does bear mentioning - there are a great number of continuity clashes and errors in the film, with various hand placements/objects differing from shot to shot. Many of them have already been captured in the IMDb's "goofs" section, though I was planning to add more, before I realised what an exhausting prospect this would be, as there are so many. However, of special note is Caine - as Inspector Doppler, his back to the camera, with his hand raised with a pen in it to take notes - talking to Oliver on the stairs. It cuts to a shot with the side view of Caine, where his arms are at his side, and then raise to begin to take said notes... just one of many clashes of continuity that pepper an enticing, yet slight, two-hander. Or, as you may have it, a movie for "thinking people"... like many of the "twists" in the film, it's all a matter of perception.