A Candidate for a Killing (1969)

I liked some parts of it and disliked others. This is an average spy thriller with many typical ingredients of the 1960's James Bond movies parodies. At times reminded me of the much superior Mario Bava's "Diabolik", probably because of many car chase and sea resort scenes and two sultry women in mini-skirts: Anita Ekberg and Margaret Lee. The protagonist is the often wooden actor John Richardson (the hero of the Hammer's kitsch movie "She" with Ursula Andress). He is a man that gets involved in a dangerous spy game when he is offered a huge amount of money by the ambiguous Fernando Rey (Luis Bunuel's favourite actor and prestigious international character actor) to impersonate a millionaire who happens to be persecuted by various gangs that try to chase and kill him. There is a subplot of international weapon-smuggling, money washing and other criminal activities based in Gibraltar between Afrika and Europe. The most appealing aspect of this movie is his interesting cast: Anita Ekberg looks great specially in the train scenes when she first meets the hero and she brings some genuine warm to an underwritten character that she seems to play with a certain detachment. Fernando Rey shows his usual professionalisms and it was also nice to see some good Spanish actors playing small parts. The direction and the plot are routine, but most of it is well filmed. However, the movie is slow paced and you feel often bored.