Libramedi Intense, gripping, stylish and poignant

Myron Clemons A film of deceptively outspoken contemporary relevance, this is cinema at its most alert, alarming and alive.

Quiet Muffin This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

Cissy Évelyne It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

ildimo1877 Being one of the less familiar entries in the Lumet canon, The Deadly Affair is a superior John Le Carré spy cold war drama, based on his first published novel "Call for the Dead". The author's ability to infuse his characters with the necessary humanity, the flaws and melancholy of living in a world rapidly evolving beyond their control always does it for me and the same happens here. Mr. Lumet captures cold war London, describes the routine of decidedly unglamorous government agents (think 007 in reverse), tormented by nymphomaniac wives, sleepiness (…) and, typical of Le Carre, confronted with the emotional frustration of questioning old friendships. Few abrupt "Roeg-ish" cuttings aside, this one gains from its splendid Freddie Young photography, the exceptional production design and the jazzy Quincy Jones soundtrack. Performances vary from the (usual) delight in watching Mason, to the magnetic (Signoret) and the downright awkward – Ms. Andersson (Bergman's one time muse) may be a wisely twisted choice but acts unconvincingly hysterical. Genre fans expected.

bob-1070 I caught this on TCM and figured with a cast that included James Mason and Simone Signoret and direction by Sidney Lumet, it would be worth watching. I was wrong. It is ponderously slow, with uninteresting characters and a plot that is even less interesting. There is absolutely no reason to care about the "suicide" victim in the story, and even less reason to care if James Mason solves the crime. And since we didn't care, my wife and I turned it off halfway through. I'm a huge fan of Cinematographer Freddie Young, but the photography here is drab and desaturated -- it's no doubt the "look" the filmmakers wanted, but it's not a pleasure to look at. Plus, there's a subplot about Mason's nymphomaniac wife which has nothing to do with anything, other than to make Mason an even less likable protagonist. IMO, there's a reason this isn't available on DVD: it's terrible!

blanche-2 James Mason, Maximillian Schell, and Simone Signoret star in "The Deadly Affair," a 1966 Sidney Lumet film based on the John LeCarre novel, "Call for the Dead." It's a George Smiley story, but the character names are changed because of rights issues.James Mason is Charles Dobbs, a British agent who wants to know why a government employee committed suicide after he received security clearance. The government had received an anonymous letter about him having ties to Communism. Dobbs interviews him and learns that the man was interested in Communism as a young man only and gives him clearance. He then learns the man committed suicide. Not satisfied with the verdict, Dobbs leaves his job in order to investigate further. Meanwhile, he has problems at home with his sex addict wife (Harriet Andersson), who is involved in an affair with an old friend from the war (Schell).This is a very dark drama set in England, which looks mighty bleak in this film. Mason plays the world-weary Dobbs very well. Signoret is excellent as the victim's wife, a concentration camp survivor. She's an intriguing character, but in the end, it's not a very big role.Mason is ably supported by Harry Andrews, Kenneth Haigh, and Robert Flemyng. The climax of the film takes place at a strong performance of Edward II, in which Lynn Redgrave has a role. Corin Redgrave also appears in the movie.Good drama - if I had more familiarity with George Smiley, I could say more. I don't. I can't.

mar9tin Made from John le Carre's first novel Call for the Dead, somewhat altered, it has an annoying Bossa Nova sound track and Harriet Andersson as an unconvincing spouse, not in the novel, which like Astrid Gilberto seems extraneous, both designed to sex it up ala the contemporaneous A Man and a Woman. Mason, called Dobbs, instead of Smiley here, seems uncomfortable with it all, not to mention too old for her. It is otherwise an excellent example of the British noir film. The cinematography is very good also. I am at a loss to understand the reference to Marlene Dietrich, unless it is an allusion to homosexuality, but it makes 10 lines here.