It's 1941 and Athens is about to fall to the Nazis. Journalist Mike Morrison (Robert Mitchum) has just arrived. The last plane is leaving in six hours. He's casually taking a bath when he's visited by Dr. Stergiou. Stergiou gives him a list of Greek patriots willing to cooperate with British intelligence. With the list only in his memory, he becomes a target for the invading Nazis, their collaborators, and communists.
The movie needs to start with more anxiety. He has six hours and he's lackadaisical. I know it's meant to set him up as a cool rogue cad. Instead, it makes him look careless. That's no slight to Mitchum. He's acting the every bit of his movie stardom. This is an exceedingly dangerous situation and he should be selling that more. The tension does ramp up over time but it could never excel. Indeed, he says that he's made a big circle back to where he started. That's how one feels about this movie. It moves and it moves but it feels like it's moving in a circle.
The movie needs to start with more anxiety. He has six hours and he's lackadaisical. I know it's meant to set him up as a cool rogue cad. Instead, it makes him look careless. That's no slight to Mitchum. He's acting the every bit of his movie stardom. This is an exceedingly dangerous situation and he should be selling that more. The tension does ramp up over time but it could never excel. Indeed, he says that he's made a big circle back to where he started. That's how one feels about this movie. It moves and it moves but it feels like it's moving in a circle.