The Holcroft Covenant (1985) User Reviews

Finished watching and just felt like it was missing something

[r96sk · 6/10 · 23 November 2020]

Decent premise, but it's just a bit of a slow watch for me.

That's despite 'The Holcroft Covenant' having moments that either should be or are enjoyable, but in between lies iffy pacing and uninteresting characters. I also found the cinematography lacking, for instance they visit a fair few different countries and yet I never got a feeling for the film's world itself - just scene, cut, scene, cut etc.

Michael Caine is entertaining though, as he always seems to be. I enjoyed his performance, some of his humour early on is good. As for those around Caine, I liked Victoria Tennant, Bernard Hepton and Michael Lonsdale. It is a fairly solid cast, to be honest.

With that said, I finished watching and just felt like it was missing something. 2½*.

Average as well as confusing thriller by John Frankenheimer , based upon the complex Robert Ludlum novel

[ma-cortes · 5/10 · 3 December 2013]

The movie's opening title card read "Berlin 1945" , these opening scenes, set during the end of World War II, were shot in black-and-white, unlike the rest of the movie which was filmed in color ; the black-and-white opener reflected newsreels of the era . The picture is set approximately exactly forty years after the end of the Second World War. It's second after the film's opener read "New York 1985". There , the son named Noel Holcroft (Michael Caine replaced James Caan ; Caan walked off the production the day before filming started) of a German General becomes part of a mysterious conspiracy to gain hidden Nazi funds . As the amount of secret money in Noel Holcroft's inheritance was US $4 billion . Under the terms of the covenant Noel have to locate the sons (Anthony Andrews , Victoria Tennat , Mario Adorf) of his father's two associates so they can jointly activate their fathers' account. As the movie's MacGuffin was a World War II era large heavy metal case, embossed with Nazi insignia, and containing the The Holcroft Covenant . Noel efforts attempting to release the hidden fund that his father humanly set up to relieve the future sufferings of Holocausto survivors .

This exciting picture packs noisy action , confuse intrigue , thrills , plot twists and enjoyable outdoors from London , Zurich, Berlin , N.Y . among others ; being appropriately photographed by Gerry Fisher . Interesting and nail-biting screenplay written by the notorious George Axelrod and Edward Anhalt ; however resulting to be confusing and slow-moving . The film was made and released about seven years after its source novel of the same name by Robert Ludlum had been first published in 1978. This is second ever feature film adaptation of a Robert Ludlum novel and the third Ludlum adaption overall for any filmed production, as Clave: omega had debuted in theaters in 1983 whilst Rhinemann exchange (1977) had been made for television in 1977. The picture was the second of three 1980s features based on Ludlum novels, the decade ended with a tele-movie titled The Bourne Identity . This was one of a number of action-thrillers of the 1980s which featured a neo-Nazi story twist element ; others included Alistair MacLean's Bear Island (1979) and River of death (1989).

The cast is frankly excellent such as Michael Caine as Holcroft , and other heirs as Anthony Andrews playing Jonathan Tennyson and Victoria Tennant as his sister Helden Tennyson . Agreeable as well as experimented support cast such as the veteran as Lilli Palmer as Althene Holcroft , Mario Adorf as Erich Kessler and Bernard Hepton as Commander Leighton . Furthermore , second and final of two movies that actor Richard Münch made with director John Frankenheimer , as the first film had been The Train (1964) . And first of three movies that actor Michael Lonsdale made with director John Frankenheimer , the later films were Ronin (1998) and Riviera (1987).

Holcroft Covenant was middlingly directed by John Frankenheimer . At the beginning he worked for TV and turned to the cinema industry with The Young Stranger (1957) . Disappointed his with first feature film experience he came back to his successful television career directing a total of 152 live television shows in the 50s . He took another opportunity to change to the big screen , collaborating with Burt Lancaster in The Young Savages (1961) and Birdman of Alcatraz (62) ending up becoming a successful director well-known by his skills with actors and expressing on movies his views on important social deeds and philosophical events and film-making some classics as ¨The Manchurian candidate¨, ¨Seven days of May¨ and ¨The Train¨ and , in addition , ¨Grand Prix¨ including great car races . Holcroft covenant rating : Mediocre film and sometime embarrassing .

A watchable but not great thriller.

[ozthegreatat42330 · 5/10 · 26 January 2007]

All of the elements for a great thriller are there. An outstanding director, John Frankenheimer, An excellent source author, Robert Ludlum and a great leading man for thrillers, Michael Caine. What went wrong? The biggest problem I had with this film was the cinematography. The film was grainy and the sub-titles were very hard to read when the actors were speaking German. There were plenty of the usual Ludlum plot twists and misdirections, but somehow the feel of this film was not up to the usual standards of Frankenheimer or Caine. A lot of it is just too kinky for most people, but an accurate portrayal of Berlin during the cold war years. It would have faired better had it been released ten years earlier rather than later. It does deserve an E for effort.

Great action sequences let down by a bad screenplay

[christgla · 4 January 2002]

The Holcroft Covenant have as far I know only received bad reviews... Knowing that, I nonetheless bought the film on DVD out of curiosity. I've a fondness for bad movies and I have an affection for the espionage genre.

The Holcroft Covenant is based on the novel by Robert Ludlum . I've read a couple of his novels and they can be, if one is in the right sort of mood, exciting.

The thing one has to remember is that Ludlum's novels is about conspiracies and complicated plots and not about characters. They are plot driven. And that more than often does not make for a compelling movie experience. Somehow that was not taken into account when the transition from novel to screenplay was made.

When you go to the movies you want to care about the people in it. That's basically a film's measure of success. And thus The Holcroft Covenant fails.

But John Frankenheimer is not the one to blame. Based on the material he was given, he made a fairly interesting movie which showcases his talent as an action director. At times excellent, but not overwrought like most of the action movies are today. But apart form the scenery and the action-sequences, the films weak point lies in its characters.

They are neither very believable nor interesting enough to hold your attention. Even the star of the movie Michael Caine, a seasoned heavyweight in the espionage genre, seems out of sync in this one.

If you don't expect too much , you'll be moderately entertained. But knowing that the film is made by veteran craftsmen like John Frankenheimer and George Axelrod, one tends to be a bit disappointed.

All in all I gave The Holcroft Covenant 6 out 10

Kind regards, paul

Tis a Pity He's a Bore

[robert-temple-1 · 6/10 · 19 February 2009]

Michael Caine as a German-American? Gimme a break! This whole project is so desperately flawed that even Lilli Palmer cannot save it, though her performance as Caine's mother is the best in the film. You know something is wrong when you see the opening credits: there are just too many screenwriters, and even Edward Anhalt is in there. How many rewrites can a succession of people do to save a doomed script? Clearly not enough. This is an excellent yarn, taken from a Robert Ludlum book which must have been a gripping story. But what a mess they have made of it. John Frankenheimer was an excellent director who was what one could call 'uneven'. In other words, he did not always deliver an acceptable result, and here he fails. He tries and tries, but it is no use. Anthony Andrews gives a better than expected performance, manages to avoid being arch, and with his blonde appearance convinces us that he is a German with an Iron Cross for a heart. Victoria Tennant, such an under-valued actress, does a fine job. Michael Lonsdale is wholly convincing as a quietly dominant Swiss banker who never needs to raise his voice because money speaks for him. It all could have been so good, but when you decide to cast a London cockney as an American architect whose father was a Nazi general, well please ... Michael Caine has never been anything other than Michael Caine. You could call that being true to himself or you could call it lack of talent. Certainly when he is called upon in this film to cry, you know it is glycerine drops, and the idea of a barrow boy crying, come on. The trouble was that in the 1970s Michael Caine was the only 'bankable' British star, which certainly gave too much power to his agent, Dennis Sellinger. And I guess this carried over into the eighties. But by then he was a shadow of the chirpy cricket of the East End that rode the wave of the revolution in class consciousness right to the top. Talk about perfect timing, Caine became the icon of a social movement. But somebody forgot to tell him how to act. Later in life, Caine finally picked up the skills along the way, and dozens of movies were his RADA, so he ended up a good actor in the end. But this was 1985, when he was still hopeless at being anyone but the same Michael Caine we saw last time, and the time before, and the time before. And that is a bore. Yes, tis a pity.

Watchable

[TBJCSKCNRRQTreviews · 6/10 · 19 November 2009]

I have not read the novel(though I'd like to, as well as other books by Ludlum), so I cannot draw comparisons, but I do understand that this adaptation does not stick that closely to the source material. And this continues my running tradition of me getting the lesser of the films that Frankenheimer directed. Seriously, Ronin, Reindeer Games, and now this... on the plus side, Ambush was awesome, and Path to War was excellent. This one is fine, not great. Editing and cinematography are reasonable, and this does have a couple of sophisticated moments. The plot is interesting enough. This is well-paced, and there are exciting and tense scenes. The music helps to ensure that the mood is established, and it arguably tries too hard at times, revealing itself to be manipulative. Caine is impeccable, as usual, and the acting in general is quite good. The dialog holds numerous well-delivered lines that are marvelous, memorable and worth quoting. There is moderate to strong language in this, a little disturbing content and some mild violence. I recommend this to the biggest fans of John and Michael. 6/10

You wonder why the main character didn't just go to the police, the FBI or his embassy in this one.

[planktonrules · 4/10 · 4 May 2016]

In some ways, this film is reminiscent of "North By Northwest" because it, too, is about an ordinary guy who is tossed into the middle of some sort of dangerous intrigue and he has no real idea who to trust or even what's going on during most of the film. I am NOT saying that the quality of this film even approaches the quality of the older Hitchcock film...just noting the parallel.

When the film begins, there is a black and white prologue which is shocking to watch. Three Nazis are making some sort of a pack...after which the leader of the three kills the other two and then himself!! What IS this all about anyway? It was a wonderful way to pull in the viewer.

Next, the film jumps to the 1980s. Some schmuck, Noel Holcroft (Michael Caine) is doing what any good 'ol American is doing-- working and enjoying life. However, he's soon approached by some weird folks who tell him a weird tale about Noel's Nazi father. It seems he and two other Nazis were disenchanted by the party and felt horrible about the war crimes. So, they siphoned off a few billion so that years later it could be used to pay for the damage done by the Nazis. It seems that Noel is now the executor of this agreement and the letter he's given indicates that he needs to find the sons of the other two dead men from the beginning of the movie in order to get to these funds which are locked in a Swiss bank account. But he needs to find them...and folks suddenly start dying all around them...and it seems highly unlikely Noel will live very long-- especially since he has no idea who to trust. He also has no idea if this convoluted story is even true.

Because the story is MEANT to be confusing, I cannot fault the film for leaving me baffled repeatedly. What I can fault the movie for is having Noel behave so strangely. You would think if you were told this weird tale and folks started dying all around you that you'd go to the police or FBI or the local embassy. Yet, inexplicably, Noel gets pulled deeper and deeper in and even kills someone...even though he's not 100% sure if he's killing the right person! His weird acceptance of what folks tell him is mighty strange and is a shortcoming in the plot though late in the film he FINALLY starts to think. Additionally, I was totally confused by the casting of Michael Caine. After all, he was supposedly born in Germany but came to America as a young child and yet speaks like a Brit! And finally, in 1984 we are to buy into the idea of a new Fourth Reich!! This is a bit preposterous to say the least.

So it sounds like I didn't love the film...and that certainly is the case. But did I like any of it or would I recommend you see it? Not really...but I didn't hate it either. I clearly see this as one of the great director John Frankenheimer's biggest disappointments and could say the same for Robert Ludlum since it's his story. Also while I love Michael Caine, he was wrong for this film. Watchable but nothing more...and you definitely would have expected more from this film.

Entertaining Thriller.

[AaronCapenBanner · 7/10 · 22 September 2013]

Based on Robert Ludlum's novel, this film features Michael Caine as Noel Holcroft, an architect living in New York who is contacted by a Swiss banker and told that his late father(who had been a financial adviser to Hitler, but diverted funds to a Swiss Bank) has made him the executor of a vast trust worth over 4 billion dollars to be used to make reparations to Holocaust survivors. Noel accepts the position, but then finds himself the target of assassins who want that fortune for a different purpose altogether...a fourth Reich, and return of Nazi power.

Intriguing and compelling thriller may be far-fetched at times, but is well acted by all, and features good direction by John Frankenheimer, who creates a whirlwind feel to this international conspiracy tale.

"That's right mother. You can't stop me."

[lost-in-limbo · 4/10 · 12 March 2011]

After reading nothing more than bad reps, I can see why. I find director John Frankenheimer to be a very capable action director, but here he's lost in a sea of murky conspiracies (involving a fourth Reich) and idle performances (Victoria Tennant and Anthony Andrews are unconvincing) in this very lukewarm, but drearily complicated political thriller. The problem mainly was contributed to the confounded screenplay (a Robert Ludlum adaptation), which lacked probability; efficient enough thrills and consisted of one-note characters. For most part it's about globe trotting (some striking international scenery), Michael Caine looking like a fish out of water, meeting up with important figures, those involved reminding each other how much danger they are in and shady scheming being set in motion for this 4.5 billion dollar Nazi fund. Too bad it's not as exciting and gripping, as it might sound. It lumbers along in quite an repetitive manner, even though a committed Frankenheimer tries his best to inject some stylishly, go-for-broke action suspense; when he does (and this few and far between) it shows his great eye for details and precision with the camera (he loved the tilting camera). Nonetheless he can only work what he has and what the source material allows (one or two stirring moments occur). No one really stands out from the cast; but Bernard Hepton has some amusing dialogue exchanges with Caine and Lilly Palmer has a small role. A frustratingly, unsatisfying mystery thriller.

Flawed but fun Nazi thriller

[Leofwine_draca · 6/10 · 24 December 2017]

THE HOLCROFT COVENANT is lesser-known Robert Ludlum adaptation that sees Michael Caine playing the unsuspecting heir of a Nazi fortune who finds himself mired in conspiracy and murder. The film itself is rather episodic and has hardly any action and thus not much in the way of life, but the saving grace is the presence of director John Frankenheimer who directors with his customary skill and professionalism. He turns what could have been a farcical effort into something more than watchable, with enough twists to keep the viewer engaged with the on-screen proceedings. It's nice to see Caine playing a more ordinary hero than most while the supporting cast includes Anthony Andrews, who is very good playing against type, alongside Euro stalwarts like Mario Adorf and Michael Lonsdale. Cheesy and dated at times, and occasionally boring, THE HOLCROFT COVENANT is one to enjoy if you're in a more forgiving mood.

The secret shame of Michael Caine

[ytbufflo-1 · 2/10 · 25 January 2006]

As an avowed life-long fan of Mr. Caine, and a true fanatic for The Manchurian Candidate, I was willing to give this whole miserable mess a bit of slack, until I got about twenty minutes into another scene w/ Mr. Caine as Mr. Holcroft loudly reminding us of his character's seemingly endless stupidity. (Michael Caine as a noisy simpleton? Give me a big, fat Nazi break! Not even Michael Caine is that good of an actor.)

The idea that life in a Nazi thriller unfolds like a Pink Panther sequel without punchlines is too difficult to swallow. Some of the scenes actually seem to me as if they were outtakes or lighting checks that ended up in the final edit by accident. I don't think I would care so much except that it is my beloved Michael Caine I am talking about here. The screenwriter should have been shot instead of this movie. The whole thing would have been more successful and excusable as a light comedy starring Peter Sellers as the bumbling Holcroft, neatly missing numerous assassination attempts while managing to solve the entire mystery purely by accident.

The queasy merger of bad 80's costumes and completely uninspired cinematography is the only conspiracy worth noting in this absurd waste of talent and money. I think the whole awful eighties cocaine craze was rampant on this movie set, and that no-one could tell a terrible script from a silver spoon by the time the whole thing got into production. I agree with the earlier reviewer - save this for a Worst Films Night with some good friends after a few stiff drinks are had by all, and hope no friendships are ruined in the process.

Michael Caine Was Great in this Picture!

[whpratt1 · 10/10 · 20 March 2004]

Have not seen this film in years and just recently enjoyed viewing it once again. I always enjoy the acting of Michael Caine who played (Noel Holcroft),"Surrender",'87, who is an American working in NY on skycrapers and very successful and is drawn into the past horrors of Nazi rule in Europe. Noel gets involved very deeply with Victoria Tennant(Helden Tennyson),"Strangers Kiss,",83, and falls in love with her sexy charms. They both run through the "RED LIGHT" district in Europe through a carnival of FREAKS, which keeps the audience wondering just where this film is going to lead us and will Noel eventually obtain the BILLIONS of Dollars he is responsible to handle? Enjoyed the last and great acting of Lilli Palmer(Althene Holcroft),"Body & Soul",'47, who was formerly married to the late Rex Harrison, "My Fair Lady", fame on Broadway. Lilli gave an outstanding performance, however, Lilli Palmer will be greatly remembered for her long career in making outstanding Classic films. This film will keep your interest right to the very end, sit back and enjoy every moment, which keeps you on the very edge of your seat.

A Pleasant Little Waster

[inspectors71 · 6/10 · 22 August 2022]

John Frankenheimer made a lot of great to good movies. This one isn't one. The Holcroft Covenant is a mildly entertaining waster of time. It has interesting people, a plot that has pared down from one of Robert Ludlum's labyrinthine novels, and green European settings.

Yet, it is bland to the point of walking away. Michael Caine is a pair of comfortable shoes, Victoria Tennant is pretty, and the rest of the cast seem earnest enough.

It's an "almost" movie. Kind of like the story Harry Truman liked to tell about the black man in Independence, Missouri who Truman saw drinking a bottle of whiskey on a curb. Truman asked how he got the whiskey, and the man on the curb said from his employer.

Harry asked, "How is it?"

The black man said, "Almost."

"Almost?"

"Yessuh, if it was any worse, I wouldn't drink it, and if it was any better, he wouldn't have given it to me."

That's The Holcroft Covenant.

Almost.

How to make a good novel into a stinker !

[redx1708 · 1/10 · 15 January 2014]

The Holcroft covenant is from a time when Robert Ludlum still wrote very readable thrillers. And the book is actually one of his better efforts. The movie however is terrible. It's so full of clichés that some scenes are actually funny although I'm sure they weren't meant to be. For instance, at some point Caine sits in an almost empty church. In comes a woman with a scarf over her head and giant sunglasses, Places herself right behind him and in a whisper that can be heard miles away says "don't turn around". I almost fell off my seat laughing. They also shaved the plot Down to something thats neither here nor there, and the acting is simply awful with some of the corniest lines ever. "My sister, my lover, my spouse", and she goes "my Brother, my lover, my spouse". Really, are we supposed to take this seriously ? A complete Waste of time and Money. I'll give it one star for Caine crying at the end. So was I.

A low point in the career of Frankenheimer and Caine, and one of the worst spy films from its era too.

[barnabyrudge · 28 January 2003]

The Holcroft Covenant takes its cue from a bestseller by the prolific Robert Ludlum. I've read the book and it's pretty good, with lots of globe trotting adventures and some startling twists and turns. It also takes upwards of 600 pages to tell its complex tale. The film version misses out most of the events from the book, yet tries in vain to remain faithful to the key plot points.... however, any film which tries to tell a 600 page story in less than two hours is doomed before it even begins. There's no surprise that this film is a muddled, intractable, poorly developed misfire. The story involves an inheritance in Nazi money which falls into the hands of several German descendants in the 1980s. The money is supposed to be a sort of compensation payment for the suffering and misery caused by WWII, but some of the inheritors are evil people and intend to use the money for nefarious purposes. Michael Caine plays one of the inheritors, Noel Holcroft (hence the title), and he sets out to ensure that it is used for good causes, but he finds that various others will kill to keep him from getting his hands on his rightful share.

The film is a terrible mess, and it's only too apparent that those involved were in it for the money. Every single performance is lazy. Frankenheimer once made great movies like The Manchurian Cnadidate and The French Connection 2, but here he is guilty of directing a listless hodge-podge that bears no trace of originality or flair. Caine has made too many bad movies, but this ranks amongst the very worst. No questions about it: this is a surefire low point for just about everyone involved.

Surprisingly good spy movie

[HotToastyRag · 7/10 · 23 November 2017]

Picture this: Michael Caine in a spy movie involving a decades-old secret Nazi organization—and he doesn't even know how to shoot a gun! Usually, in his Harry Palmer films, or other similar spy movies, he's a former or current British agent and expertly handles the bad guys. In this one, he's caught unawares by everything and everyone; it's quite endearing.

In The Holcroft Covenant, Michael has inherited $4.5 billion from his late father, a secret Nazi. Along the way to receiving his inheritance and trying to do good with the money, he's advised by Victoria Tennant, Anthony Andrews, Lilli Palmer, and Mario Adorft, but who can he really trust? The film is chalk full of exciting action sequences, and, as is sometimes unusual for action movies, there's some pretty good acting in it as well. Michael Caine doesn't just run around and shoot people; he puts himself in the moment of the character and lets the audience know he's scared, hurt, nervous, or plotting.

My favorite scene is when he's held at gunpoint in a room full of villains. He manages to distract the gunman and turns the tables by pointing the gun at them, demanding that they do exactly what he says. Everyone's silent for a while, looking at him expectantly, until finally one woman asks, "What do you want us to do?" "The usual stuff," he replies, showing that even though he's holding a gun, he's really not a bad guy at heart.

DLM Warning: If you suffer from vertigo or dizzy spells, like my mom does, this movie might not your friend. Several times throughout the film, the camera is at a standstill and then tilts slightly with no warning, and it might make you sick. In other words, "Don't Look, Mom!" Kiddy Warning: Obviously, you have control over your own children. However, due to nudity, I wouldn't let my kids watch it.

forty years later..

[ksf-2 · 7/10 · 16 March 2023]

About forty years after the end of world war II, and hitler's third reich, a secret bank account is found. Michael caine is holcroft, the forgotten son of a german general clausen, one of the few nazis who had turned against hitler. They had put a huge sum of money into a swiss bank account to be used for reparations. There are two others who will help manage the fund, and who knows what they want? The three trustees need to stay alive long enought to find and activate the bank account. Pretty good spy thrilla! It has its flaws, and some of the twists and turns aren't so surprising. But it's a good spy movie. Caine himself explains that he came in at the last minute, so there wasn't much time to prepare. But it's not bad. Apparently, james caan had abandoned this film right at the start of filming, and caine came in to save the day. Caine was huge in the 1980s! Directed by frankenheimer... has won a bunch of emmies.

Oh Why Did They....

[krocheav · 3/10 · 6 January 2015]

This muddled movie offers another insight into what happens when rather good film makers overstay their talents.

The well known director, writers, and actors, all disappoint in a film that's terrible from start to finish. When a feature offers up the names of several writers (known for far better work) you could be forgiven for assuming that one of them, has been brought in to attempt to fix the mess of another - and here, it shows painfully. For a film from the mid eighties, it has the look of something made a decade earlier.

Michael Cain playing Michael Cain, at times looks as if he's not sure if he is working on the right set (or understands the script). Other main leads are equally unconvincing. The only notable performance comes from the always reliable Lilli Palmer, who's simply wasted in her role as Cains mother. In one sequence the terrible script (and director) has her hysterically crying about her poor 'shop window' after a car has plowed into it...leaving several innocent by-standers lying tragically 'crushed to death ' in front of her! James Cann, did himself a huge favor when he walked out on this one.

A marginally interesting original idea lurches from one unbelievable situation to the next within an unintentionally laughable screenplay adaptation. For those who don't want to take its serious plot seriously, it might pass with a push, but it'll be a big push. Sorry, but not this time. Local telecaster Gem Australia, who often run marvellous vintage classics put this to air as a very blotchy telecine transfer (as they unfortunately often do with some of their classics). It's poor when a HD Digital channel uses sub standard transfers. Looks like they just don't care. KenR.

Nazi Billions

[richardchatten · 7/10 · 18 November 2020]

You could always spot a Robert Ludlum novel from their distinctive titles. Possibly because their complicated, garrulous plots resist reduction to feature length only two adaptations hit the big screen during the mid-eighties, and John Frankenheimer - reunited with his scriptwriter from 'The Manchurian Candidate' - doesn't make the mess of this that a drunken Sam Peckinpah had made of 'The Osterman Weekend'.

Frankenheimer instead produced yet another smooth piece of hack work with an entertaining international cast (including Bernard Hepton in an unusually substantial role in a feature film and Lili Palmer making her screen swansong as Michael Caine's mother) and attractive locations with Caine tripping over so many corpses even the script loses count. The press conference where Caine also appears on a tv monitor in the foreground recalls the Frankenheimer of old. But you've already forgotten what you just saw even before it's over.

confusing, confusing, confusing

[ravitchn · 3/10 · 14 August 2016]

It is not clear whether the three Nazis who started the fund intended it really to be used for the victims of the Nazis or for the recreation of the Third Reich. One of the three inheritors of the Covenant and her brother are evidently pro-Nazi; the mother of the Caine character seems to think the Covenant was designed for pro-Nazi purposes, yet all this is unclear, even at the very end. Michael Caine wants to use the funds for victims of the Nazis but it is not clear whether anyone else wants this. I dislike films and novels of intrigue which leave the reader/viewer completely confused. This may be a literary technique but for me it is a gross deficiency.

Ok if you just watch it for enjoyment.

[iris-45156 · 7/10 · 7 April 2022]

I watched this film without analysis just for enjoyment. Now reading other reviews I can see why viewers were confused, annoyed and disturbed etc. I thought Michael Caine did a good job as a hapless, though successful, man being thrown into something which he was not equipped to deal with. That is till he shot a kidnapper driving towards him right between the eyes, whaaaaat? Yes there were silly things like carrying around a list of 1000 neo Nazis who would form the third Reich. Not to mention the banker saying they had looked "everywhere' for it. And Tennant busily assembling a gun incorrectly whilst reciting all the training she received in order to survive.

A load of rubbish

[MOscarbradley · 2/10 · 19 October 2017]

By the time John Frankenhimer made "The Holcroft Covenant" his star had already waned. It's a terrible picture and it's hard to believe it was directed by the same man who made "The Manchurian Candidate". It's another Nazi conspiracy thriller adapted from a Robert Ludlum novel by three of the best writers in the business, (George Axelrod, Edward Anhalt and John Hopkins), so what went wrong? Well for starters it could be a case of too many cooks for there isn't a believable line of dialogue in the entire film which zooms all over the place at great speed but goes absolutely nowhere; the budget obviously allowed for some nifty location shooting and Gerry Fisher's cinematography is one of the film's few saving graces.

It's also preposterously plotted and atrociously acted. Michael Caine, (dreadful), is the lead and Anthony Andrews, Victoria Tennant, Michael Lonsdale and Lilli Palmer are among the others who are wasted in this rubbish. That fine British character actor Bernard Hepton manages to come out of it smelling of roses which is really something of a miracle. Of course, perhaps it was meant to be a comedy but if it was it isn't a particularly funny one.

Great film, great directing, great plot, and very well acted.

[georgeddodge · 9/10 · 10 December 2013]

This movie intrigued me right from the beginning, with unusual twists and turns with a surprise ending.

Very well directed and written, and the music carries it well too.

Being a big fan of Michael Cain, he did not disappoint and fit the role perfectly. No one could have done it better.

The DVD is in my collection, and I watch it often. It's always enjoyable and despicable as well.

It's the personification of evil versus good.

I would recommend this movie to anyone except children.

Enjoy! I always do.

.

Really Bad

[timhayes-41155 · 1/10 · 7 February 2017]

This movie is bad. Really really bad. The Music is bad. The music sounds like a mellotron organ synthesizer. These type of organ synthesizers use audio tapes to create weird, other world sounds. The Beetles used them, however, the noise from this organ is definitely not the Beatles. The directing is bad. Logical segue between scenes is awkward. Sometimes it seems as if the actors are just waiting off screen to step on the set. The plot is bad. Naked German women. I enjoyed it, but why? The script is worse than bad. Michael Caine's character travels all over the world. He just shows up in a different city out of thin air. All of this comes together to make a once in a lifetime tour de force dud. However, there was one gratifying scene. Victoria Tennant's character shooting herself at the very end. The best part of the movie. I am sure that everyone involved in this movie would like to have their name removed from the credits, unfortunately, it's to late.

Chintzy, murky mystery thriller with marginal performances.

[Poseidon-3 · 7 January 2009]

A sprawling and lengthy Robert Ludlum novel was filtered down into this two-hour adaptation. Caine plays a foreign-born American (something that is repeated throughout in order to explain his accent!) architect who discovers that he has been placed in charge of a couple of billion dollars, set aside by his late Nazi father and two other officers, as a way of making latter day reparations to the Jewish family decimated by the Holocaust. In order to activate the funds, he must track down the sons of the other two men who were part of the covenant and gather them at the Swiss bank where they will sign their names and release the money. Caine has barely been informed of the situation before assassins have begun trying to kill him and when they fail in their attempts, his mother Palmer starts to feel the heat as well. He meets up with various mysterious types such as Munch and Hepton as he tries to unravel what's happening. Caine teams up with Andrews, one of the sons, and Andrews' sister Tennant and they seek out the third child, with danger lurking at practically every turn. Eventually, Caine discovers that, not only can he not be sure of whom to trust, but also that the money may not even have been intended for the purpose specified! Caine is, of course, miscast in a role intended for James Caan, but he makes the best of it. He had played in many espionage and spy films during his career. One of his strongest scenes occurs at the very end as he is reacting to an occurrence. Tennant gives a typically bland and uninvolving performance with only an occasional kink in the storyline to keep her from practically vanishing. Andrews brings a welcome touch of flair to his haughty character. Palmer lends some dignity to her role (her last), though she has to contend with some big hair and some even bigger eyeglasses. Though there is a certain degree of interest in the premise and some of the action sequences are captivating, overall this is a sub-par film. It has a fairly tacky look to it, despite the location shooting and it's overlaid with an overbearing and dated-sounding synthesized score. Attempts to inject sex into the story only come off as desperate (though the one big "shocker" was indeed contained in the novel, albeit in a slightly different context than what's shown here.) Beyond that, the plot, as distilled from the larger novel, makes precious little sense and relies on contrivance and an unbelievable amount of convenient globe-trotting. It's disheartening to hear director Frankenheimer, the man behind "The Birdman of Alcatraz," "The Manchurian Candidate" and "The Train" among others, singing the praises of this below average movie on the DVD commentary, though it's understandable that he, if anyone, should like it. It's not completely uninteresting. It's just not particularly good.