Today’s quick review: Otley. Gerald Arthur Otley (Tom Courtenay) is pushed head-first into the world of espionage when he’s implicated in the murder of Lambert (Edward Hardwicke), an MI-5 agent who was engaged in double-dealing. Otley finds himself caught between two rival intelligence organizations who believe he had access to Lambert’s secrets. Trapped amid spies and killers, he turns to a mysterious woman (Romy Schneider) for help.
Otley is a British spy comedy about an ordinary man who gets wrapped up in an intelligence scandal. The movie follows its title character as he bounces between Hendrickson (James Villiers), one of Lambert’s associates, and Proudfoot (Freddie Jones), the head of a rival organization. Otley gets most of its comedy from the increasingly tangled situations Otley winds up in. Its light tone and intricate plot make it an amusing watch for the right viewer.
Otley’s greatest strength is Gerald himself. Gerald is easy to like, an easygoing man who wants nothing more than to return to his own humble life and leave the spy business behind. Affable, saracastic, and prone to petty theft, he is a fixed point within the shifting tides of the plot. Otley is a film the relies heavily on its lead, but Tom Courtenay is up to the task, and his natural performance will appeal to any fan of British humor.
Give Otley a try when you’re in the mood for a light adventure with a complicated plot. It is a modest film that relies on a simple dynamic for most of its humor, but that dynamic—Gerald in over his head—serves it well. Though not as outrageous as other comedies, Otley is a pleasant watch that will be a hidden gem for the right viewer. Those looking for sharper comedy, genuine espionage, or climactic action should look elsewhere.
For a similar case of mistaken identity, try Lucky Number Slevin, The Big Lebowski, or The Tourist. For a more ridiculous comedy about an unwitting man put in the middle of an intelligence operation, try The Man Who Knew Too Little. For a British crime comedy with a similar sense of humor, try Dead in a Week (Or Your Money Back).
6.3 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 to 7.0 for a charming lead and a suitably convoluted plot.