Watch Garbo: The Spy For Free

Waste of time

To me, this movie is perfection.

How sad is this?

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties. It's a feast for the eyes. But what really makes this dramedy work is the acting.

Juan Pujol garcia, s Spaniard, aka Garbo, was a double agent, feeding information to Nazi handlers, who thought he was their agent based in England. He gave the Nazis, who thought he was their spy, information the British gave him to relay and thus was instrumental in misleading the Nazis so they thought the D-Day invasion was to take place in Pas de Calais rather than on the Normandy coast. The true story was interesting, told through interviews, snippets of movies and what appeared to be newsreel footage but the film jumped all over the place, back-and-forth in time and place, and too-loud music drowned out some parts. Fortunately subtitles were available and readable

Having learned about Juan Pujol Garcia quite some time ago, I was fascinated to find out that somebody had made a movie about him. Granted, this was not what I would expect (somebody else can surely make a true dramatic version of his incredible story), but I found this to be very entertaining. I admit I like quirky styles, so the offbeat interviewers identities hidden until halfway through the film, the odd music selections (which grew more likable as the movie progressed) and the numerous film clips interspersed with the rest of the story made for just my flavor. The humor is palpable and the movie is memorable on many levels. It would be great if more people knew of the incredible heroics of the secretive man from Catalan and his brave deeds.

Garbo was a Spanish secret agent during World War II who sold his independent services to the Nazis, while really working for the allies. His brilliantly imaginative approach to espionage was to invent dozens of fictional subordinate spies, then make up false information to feed to the Germans. This potentially interesting subject was spoiled by an odd attempt at a documentary that appears to have been intended to be artistic and funny, rather than informational. The film bounces back and forth between talking heads who remain unidentified until halfway through, and clips from old B movies. All this is accompanied by irrelevant, anachronistic music and silly science fiction sound effects. The overall result is unfocused, annoying, and almost unwatchable.

As a WW2 buff I am reasonably au fait with the deceptions around the Normandy landings. However that was not really relevant as the film provides enough information for any viewer.In a quirky film that teases you along it is a little gem and a great story - but true story. The director manges to in a sense bamboozle the viewer so what is true and what is mirage is not really explicit until one is gripped by the tale. The inter-cutting of news reels and fictional spy movies provides atmosphere and refreshes the memory on what a confused arena Europe was in the thirties and forties. I defy anyone not to be better informed and amused by this excellent film.