Rating: ***
Release Date: 6/27/08
Cast: Anthony Hopkins, Nathalie Delon
Special Agent Philip Calvert (Anthony Hopkins) is assigned to investigate a series of missing boats carrying gold bullion in the Scottish Isles, and the bad guys aren't too keen on him nosing around. He finds an ally in the beautiful and cunning Charlotte (Nathalie Delon), but she is pure poison and can't be trusted.
It's a slow starter and the characters are neither interesting or likable. Calvert's snooty upper crust superior is meant to be played for laughs, but he's downright intolerable. Anthony Hopkins gives a fine performance in his first starring film role, and it's quite a shock seeing him so young. At the time, filmmakers were looking for someone to fill the James Bond vacuum, but Calvert wasn't it. Nathalie Delon is gorgeous and bears an uncanny resemblance to Florence Pugh. However, it's not the story or the characters that make the film worth watching. The cinematography is the real star of the show, and the aerial and underwater photography is stunning.
The James Bond influence can be felt throughout the production and it's a perfectly serviceable thriller. It's just light on thrills.