Ipcress File

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Joe Cole, Lucy Boynton and Tom Hollander light up this Cold War classic. TV review by Adam Sweeting.

It’s more than likely that the breakout star from the show is going to be Lucy Boynton, playing Palmer’s spy colleague Jean Courtney. A glacially beautiful blonde, the exquisitely-styled Courtney could show Sixties supermodels Twiggy and Jean Shrimpton a clean pair of heels, while possessing such espionage-friendly qualities as penetrating intuition and icy sang-froid. But he also happens to be academically brilliant and equipped with razor-sharp instincts which leave him well equipped for the back-stabbing skulduggery of secret intelligence work. Sidney J Furie’s 1965 film The Ipcress File is a much-loved benchmark of its period.

Joe Cole gives a fine performance as Harry Palmer, but the Cold War backdrop feels uncomfortable in the current climate.

That said, the timing of the show is a tricky obstacle. Meanwhile, Lucy Boynton, in the expanded role of fellow spy Jean Courtney, was bogged down by a script slightly heavy-handed with its feminist messaging. It’s a fine performance, if a little detached for an everyman hero.

1965 film The Ipcress File has been adapted for the small screen, with Ashley Thomas starring alongside Peaky Blinders' Joe Cole as CIA agent Paul Maddox.

But the classic film is there and it's just making sure that you respect it, and I made sure not to dismiss it. For me, it's a classic, iconic film and it's was about making sure that we add to that. She's like, 'This is me.' He's like, 'This is me.' And then that's out the way and they deal with each other on a human, professional level. There are some things I can lean on experience-wise, but it's also about stripping away my own ego and approaching each character with a clean slate, and being open to learn and take on the experience of that character. It was his confidence, both in himself and for his people, as well, and his grasp of language, his intelligence. I had a conversation with [director] James [Watkins] and he was like, 'We're going to develop the character.

British-American actress Lucy Poynton plays the character of Jean opposite Peaky Blinders star and leading man Joe Cole as Harry Palmer. But who is she, who is ...

Lucy Poynton may be British-American, but thinks of herself as "painfully British," as she once told The Times. She has a passion for reading and often posts book recommendations to her fans on social media. Rami Malek played Freddie Mercury in the film which scooped up four Oscars at the 2019 ceremony. British-American actress Lucy Poynton plays the character of Jean opposite Peaky Blinders star and leading man Joe Cole as Harry Palmer. But who is she, who is her hugely famous partner?

Filming for The Ipcress files took place in Liverpool, Cheshire and Croatia last year. Michael Caine when he starred as Harry Palmer in the 1965 film ...

Which really helped, because we were doing stuff involving Helsinki and Berlin. So we even had the weather on our side, which is not usually the case at all. "So you’ve got the Austro-Hungarian Empire of Zagreb and that area. It was right in the middle of various lockdowns, but it was a nice experience filming there." But for those who can't wait, there is some bad news as The Ipcress File won't be available to binge-watch until the final episode airs next month. With his sly wit and understated integrity clashing against the establishment, working-class spy Harry Palmer is more relevant than ever." I didn’t realise there were so many different influences in one place.

The Ipcress File adaptation starring Peaky Blinders actor Joe Cole as Harry Palmer landed on ITV on Sunday night but one aspect of the spy thriller has ...

And a fourth said: "The cars, graphics, camera angles and style. And another adding: "Jeez they're using the camera the way it was used in the Caine version chill out folks. And a third added: "#TheIpcressFile Quite liking it so far.

Speaking exclusively to RadioTimes.com, The Ipcress File's Ashley Thomas (who plays CIA agent Paul Maddox) unpacked a major reveal about his character.

And so he identifies that in her and she identifies that in him [and] I think they have that common ground which allows them to really have something in common, and I think that's what makes it fun, with those two having interactions like they have... I think there is a flirtatious attraction there and they're having fun, they're two young professionals. He doesn't drink alcohol, and I think he takes his job very seriously...