The Next Man
Encyclopedia
The Next Man is a 1976 American political action thriller film starring Sean Connery
, Adolfo Celi
, Cornelia Sharpe and Charles Cioffi
. Critical reaction at its opening was not positive. Music for the film features New York
guitarist Frederic Hand
.
, support Israeli membership in OPEC
and sell Saudi oil to needy nations. The object of his plan is to protect third-world nations from the threat of Cold War
ideology. Khalil's radical agenda and idealism however finds few friends and he is soon the target of multiple assassination attempts by Arab terrorist groups.
They send Nicole Scott (Sharpe) to infiltrate Adull-Mushan's entourage, seduce him and await further instructions. However, she develops strong feelings for him in reality and the completion of the plan is jeopardized.
on reviewing the film on November 17, 1976 criticized the understanding of the plot remarking that "When good directors work with bad material, Pauline Kael once said, what happens is that they shove art into the crevices of dreck. That would do as a description of "The Next Man," a movie with an impenetrable plot".
However he commented that the film has some scenes that worked and were positive, particularly those between Sean Connery, as the minister of state for Saudi Arabia, and Cornelia Sharpe, who plays a professional international assassin, although the plot lacked details to understand these characters more fully. Ebert was most impressed by Cornelia Sharpe's performance as Nicole Scott in which she plays an attractive character that Connery can easily fall in love with, describing her as a "cool beauty".
Vincent Canby
of The New York Times
described the film as a "suspense melodrama made by people whose talent for filmmaking and knowledge of international affairs would both fit comfortably into the left nostril of a small bee". Like Ebert, he identified flaws in the plot understanding, remarking that "The Next Man is obsessed with political assassination but it never really identifies its villains, preferring, instead, to cop out by playing on natural paranoia that assumes that everyone everywhere is on the take from someone somewhere. This attitude is too easy to represent true cynicism". He also criticised the movement of locations in the film which added to the confusing nature of the plot commenting "The Next Man moves rootlessly around the world like a fretful tourist, from New York
to the Middle East, the south of France
, London
, Ireland
, Bavaria
, and the Bahamas, though nothing much happens in any one of these places that couldn't as easily happen somewhere else".
Variety
were not impressed by the film either commenting that "The Next Man emerges more a slick travesty with political overtones than the cynical suspense meller it was designed to be".
Producer Martin Bregman received an official protest from the Saudi government after the film was released.
Sean Connery
Sir Thomas Sean Connery , better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards and three Golden Globes Sir Thomas Sean Connery (born 25 August 1930), better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy...
, Adolfo Celi
Adolfo Celi
Adolfo Celi was an Italian film actor and director.-Life and career:Born in Messina, Sicily, Celi appeared in nearly 100 movies, specializing in international villains. His most famous role was as Emilio Largo in the 1965 James Bond movie Thunderball...
, Cornelia Sharpe and Charles Cioffi
Charles Cioffi
Charles Cioffi , also credited as Charles M. Cioffi, is an American movie and television actor.-Biography:He was born in New York City and attended Michigan State University, where he became a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity....
. Critical reaction at its opening was not positive. Music for the film features New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
guitarist Frederic Hand
Frederic Hand
Frederic Hand is a guitarist and composer who lives in the New York City area.His versatile performances range from early music to jazz to his own compositions, and he has been a guest artist at the Mostly Mozart Festival, the Marlboro Music Festival, with the New York Philharmonic, the Waverly...
.
Plot
The film is set during the Arab oil embargo of 1976. Khalil Abdull-Muhsen (Connery), is the Saudi Arabian minister of state who proposes to recognize IsraelIsrael
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
, support Israeli membership in OPEC
OPEC
OPEC is an intergovernmental organization of twelve developing countries made up of Algeria, Angola, Ecuador, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya, Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela. OPEC has maintained its headquarters in Vienna since 1965, and hosts regular meetings...
and sell Saudi oil to needy nations. The object of his plan is to protect third-world nations from the threat of Cold War
Cold War
The Cold War was the continuing state from roughly 1946 to 1991 of political conflict, military tension, proxy wars, and economic competition between the Communist World—primarily the Soviet Union and its satellite states and allies—and the powers of the Western world, primarily the United States...
ideology. Khalil's radical agenda and idealism however finds few friends and he is soon the target of multiple assassination attempts by Arab terrorist groups.
They send Nicole Scott (Sharpe) to infiltrate Adull-Mushan's entourage, seduce him and await further instructions. However, she develops strong feelings for him in reality and the completion of the plan is jeopardized.
Cast
- Sean ConnerySean ConnerySir Thomas Sean Connery , better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy Award, two BAFTA Awards and three Golden Globes Sir Thomas Sean Connery (born 25 August 1930), better known as Sean Connery, is a Scottish actor and producer who has won an Academy...
as Khalil Abdul-Muhsen - Cornelia Sharpe as Nicole Scott
- Albert Paulsen as Hamid
- Adolfo CeliAdolfo CeliAdolfo Celi was an Italian film actor and director.-Life and career:Born in Messina, Sicily, Celi appeared in nearly 100 movies, specializing in international villains. His most famous role was as Emilio Largo in the 1965 James Bond movie Thunderball...
as Al Sharif - Marco St. JohnMarco St. JohnMarco St. John is an American actor who has starred in many films and on television. He is best known for his role as the perverted truck driver in the 1991 hit film Thelma & Louise. St. John is also well known in the horror fan community for playing Sheriff Tucker in the 1985 horror film Friday...
as Justin - Ted Beniades as Frank Dedario
- Charles CioffiCharles CioffiCharles Cioffi , also credited as Charles M. Cioffi, is an American movie and television actor.-Biography:He was born in New York City and attended Michigan State University, where he became a member of the Sigma Chi Fraternity....
as Fouad
Reception
The film on its release was not received particularly well by critics. Roger EbertRoger Ebert
Roger Joseph Ebert is an American film critic and screenwriter. He is the first film critic to win a Pulitzer Prize for Criticism.Ebert is known for his film review column and for the television programs Sneak Previews, At the Movies with Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, and Siskel and Ebert and The...
on reviewing the film on November 17, 1976 criticized the understanding of the plot remarking that "When good directors work with bad material, Pauline Kael once said, what happens is that they shove art into the crevices of dreck. That would do as a description of "The Next Man," a movie with an impenetrable plot".
However he commented that the film has some scenes that worked and were positive, particularly those between Sean Connery, as the minister of state for Saudi Arabia, and Cornelia Sharpe, who plays a professional international assassin, although the plot lacked details to understand these characters more fully. Ebert was most impressed by Cornelia Sharpe's performance as Nicole Scott in which she plays an attractive character that Connery can easily fall in love with, describing her as a "cool beauty".
Vincent Canby
Vincent Canby
Vincent Canby was an American film critic who became the chief film critic for The New York Times in 1969 and reviewed more than 1000 films during his tenure there.-Life and career:...
of The New York Times
The New York Times
The New York Times is an American daily newspaper founded and continuously published in New York City since 1851. The New York Times has won 106 Pulitzer Prizes, the most of any news organization...
described the film as a "suspense melodrama made by people whose talent for filmmaking and knowledge of international affairs would both fit comfortably into the left nostril of a small bee". Like Ebert, he identified flaws in the plot understanding, remarking that "The Next Man is obsessed with political assassination but it never really identifies its villains, preferring, instead, to cop out by playing on natural paranoia that assumes that everyone everywhere is on the take from someone somewhere. This attitude is too easy to represent true cynicism". He also criticised the movement of locations in the film which added to the confusing nature of the plot commenting "The Next Man moves rootlessly around the world like a fretful tourist, from New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
to the Middle East, the south of France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
, London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, Bavaria
Bavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
, and the Bahamas, though nothing much happens in any one of these places that couldn't as easily happen somewhere else".
Variety
Variety (magazine)
Variety is an American weekly entertainment-trade magazine founded in New York City, New York, in 1905 by Sime Silverman. With the rise of the importance of the motion-picture industry, Daily Variety, a daily edition based in Los Angeles, California, was founded by Silverman in 1933. In 1998, the...
were not impressed by the film either commenting that "The Next Man emerges more a slick travesty with political overtones than the cynical suspense meller it was designed to be".
Producer Martin Bregman received an official protest from the Saudi government after the film was released.