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Fresh and Exciting

Absolutely brilliant

A Disappointing Continuation

All of these films share one commonality, that being a kind of emotional center that humanizes a cast of monsters.

Some reviewers – but not all, seem to have missed the point of this film. "The Tamarind Seed" is not a spy movie. There is no espionage, passing of secrets, skulduggery, clandestine meetings, secret codes and passwords, or any of the myriad other things that usually make up spy and espionage thrillers. Rather, this is a film about a planned defection from the Soviet Union to the West. And, it centers around a chance meeting that blossoms into a friendship, then a deep romance and love. It does have touches of the espionage character on the edges – the Soviet Union and England each concerned about their person giving away secrets to the other, and about possibly getting information from the other. But there's never any of that activity in the film. And, Omar Sharif's character, Colonel Feodor Sverdlov. even makes that a point in his discussions with Judith Farrow (played by Julie Andrews). The other touch of espionage has to do with a mole in British intelligence somewhere. And there's somewhat of a humorous and satirical take on that, in that when the traitor's wife finds out, she decides to help protect her husband because she yearns for him to get a promising embassy posting. So, she too becomes a traitor. This is a new take on what people will do out of greed and the lust for power and prestige. It's quite interesting. The story is a good one – not at all implausible. And who says it must be plausible? It's refreshingly different in that the focus of the two lead characters is on them, their friendship, love, and what their future life may be. It's not about espionage because they're not in this for that reason. They want out of the business and any association with it. The frankness of discussions in the plot helps establish that in the minds of the audience. Still, I found myself wondering if he was on the up and up or really being straightforward with her. Just enough for some intrigue about how this would play out, and therefore keeping me very interested in the film. As I said, no skulduggery, suspenseful moments or intense situations are here – until near the very end when things come to a head. This is a good film and look at a subject that grabbed the headlines in the world for nearly half a century – defections of Soviet agents, athletes, artists and scientists. Too few of such films were made, and the public awareness of that time and those situations has dimmed. So, "The Tamarind Seed" has some historical value as well, with its look at that subject and the times. The acting and supporting cast are all very good. The cinematography and other technical aspects, direction and editing are very good. It's a nice movie to see a couple of performers who starred in and made some great films in the mid-20th century.

It's been years since I saw this film so have forgotten many of the plot details, but this beautiful romance has lingered in my mind for three decades. It's a movie with everything...intriguing suspense thriller plot, beautiful exotic Caribbean setting, and especially of course the compelling love story of two sympathetic characters from opposite sides of the Cold War.The tale begins with a British Home Office assistant, Judith Farrow, who has gone to Barbados to recover from a failed love affair. During her tropical holiday, she meets Feodore Sverdlov, a handsome Soviet air attaché in Paris. They visit the colorful island sights together and fall in love. This paradise romance is, however, complicated by their respective positions with governments on opposite sides of the Cold War. Thus, these two individuals of integrity are forced into deception (alleged spy recruiting) in order to disguise their relationship. Perhaps Sverdlov will even be inspired toward defection? Above all, their ill advised love can only spell danger.For me, this movie is made memorable by its two stars, Julie Andrews and Omar Sharif. This is my absolute favorite Julie Andrews film. She is at her most radiant here portraying Judith, a beautiful, intelligent, lonely, vulnerable, yet quietly strong woman. She is quite magnificent in her role even without the usual musical aspects. Omar Sharif plays surely Russia's most magnetic, handsome, and compelling diplomat. His dark brown eyes alone would thaw the Cold War! It is absolutely believable that these two principled, intelligent individuals would fall in love. They are perfect on screen together, mature yet captivating.The film reflects its era, with the dominance of Cold War issues the subject for most plots involving international intrigue. Here, however, the Russian star is refreshingly not the enemy or the villain of the piece, but rather instead its romantic, noble, and conflicted hero. The pair reveal their own moral views, sometimes contrary to their country's official positions. Julie Andrews appeared earlier in Torn Curtain, the 1966 Hitchcock Cold War thriller which also starred Paul Newman, but I much preferred this movie since it focuses more on character portrayal and romance.No, not a James Bond action adventure or a spy thriller really, more rather an exotic and dangerous romance with some intricate, suspenseful plot details. A high recommendation for this wonderful old fashioned movie...a perfectly cast, touching & intelligent jewel, and a film which unfortunately appears to be little known these days.

Saw this film only recently, and was surprised by its complexity. Was enthralled. Julie Andrews plays a very upright British type involved in situations that are inevitably comprimising. It is a pleasure to watch this very romantic thriller.

I'm a huge Julie Andrews fan, which was why I saw this movie. I now understand spy storylines much better than I did when I watched it, so if I saw it again, I may be able to actually follow the plot. It does drag, which is always a pet pieve of mine, but the romance between Julie and Omar Sharrif is the heart of the film and lets you see that the Cold War was between governments, not necessarily people. The ending makes up for almost everything else, as most good endings tend to do, and it was just what the characters and audience wanted. If you want a lot of action, this may not be the right movie, but if you want a romance masquerading as a spy thriller, this is your film.