Review of Triple Cross

Interesting if somewhat lifeless WWII espionage tale that's loosely based on a true story and has hints of James Bond. Christopher Plummer plays a British criminal who's caught pulling a heist in Nazi Germany. While in jail he convinces his captors.that he could be a double agent and work for them. He's tasked with going back to England to blow up a British airplane factory (for a hefty payday and a pardon for past crimes) and does so by telling the British he'll work for them as a double agent if they let him blow up the airplane factory (for a hefty payday and a pardon for past crimes). Plummer then returns to German having accomplished his mission, looking to collect his payday, but the tide is turning against the Germans at this point and he may not be able to collect his payday and must soon choose sides. The most interesting part of the film is that it's never makes clear where Plummer's true allegiances lie, which sets up a clever shot at the end of the film when he stares at himself in a mirror, highlighting the lack of clarity who we are really looking at. The film boasts a strong supporting cast that includes German love interest Romy Schneider, Yul Brynner as a monocle wearing Nazi, Trevor Howard as a MI6 agent, and even Bond alumni Gert "Goldfinger" Fröbe and Bond Girl Claudine Auger, Domino from "Thunderball." The film was also directed by veteran Bond director Terence Young ("Dr. No," "From Russia With Love," and "Thunderball"). However, on the downside, Plumber is disappointingly uncharismatic in the lead. Also, as interesting of a story premise the film has, it lacked any real drama, either on an emotional level between Plummer and Schneider or with any sort of inner conflict over his changing alligences, but also lacking with basic action or suspense with the factory bombing or the other espionage sequences, which all felt rather perfunctory and by the numbers. The film needed either more James Bond thrills or more "The Spy Who Came in From the Cold" drama. Instead, we're left with a bit of both and not enough of either. Still, the story and the cast are enough to carry the picture and make it worth watching.