At best a meandering plot, lame, listless and robotic performances abound. Richard Chamberlain's daughter, to whom he hasn't spoken a word in 2 years, is ensconced in a cult, 40 odd members of which have committed a simultaneous murder/suicide in Switzerland and Canada. Chamberlain needs to find both his daughter, and answers to the riddle of the cult. Trouble is, so does just about everybody else on both sides of the Atlantic. Half a dozen or more strings of the plot are left dangling, and complicated with a series of flashbacks to fill in background to the cult and it's members. After 3 laborious hours the answers are suddenly snapped together in a conclusion which is 1% surprise and 99% relief for the viewer. If you're the sort of person who has to find out how a movie ends once you've started watching it, which was my mistake, believe your initial feelings and turn off quickly. If you are of stronger will than I am, enjoy some of the laughable acting, direction, script etc for 20 minutes or so, and then do something positive, like re-arrange your sock drawer!
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Philby-219 December 1999
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Sputtosi30 March 2003Lately, I saw a re-run of this riveting TV movie .
It's a very captivating sad story based on actual facts that happened in Switzerland, in France and in Canada a few years ago. This compelling drama is starring RICHARD CHAMBERLAIN (Torn Birds) along with the best crop of the German talent: Helmut Griem (Cabaret) Chistoph.M.Orth (Eden) Michael Mendl( Amen) Susanna Simon as a first timer.
The story relates the hopeless journey of a rich Westerner (Chamberlain) through his journey to find his daughter who disappeared between Montréal and Zurich to a mysterious sect called the Order of the Solar Temple ( inspired by the Medieval Templars) . This very peculiar sect recruits his followers on the basis of wealth, high education and physical beauty for the women. The father's itinerary takes him to a wild chase, where everybody remains silent, from Montréal to Zurich. One day, by a twist of fate someone takes him on the lead of his missing daughter. But what he discovered about his daughter is devastating.
The story is well directed by Roger Cardinal who gave the movie a sense of urgency by keeping the audience on their toes at all time. Add to this, the magistral music of composer Philippe Leduc and you have a powerful drama that everybody should see to make sure that the errors of the past never happen again.
I recommend this movie and I gave it 8/10.