If Ronald Neame was never likely to be considered an auteur he could usually be relied upon to give us some good solid entertainments of which "Hopscotch" was one. It's an amiable comedy-thriller with the emphasis more on the comedy than on the thrills with Walter Matthau as an ageing. Disgruntled CIA agent who 'retires' and then writes a 'tell all' book about the organization forcing him to go on the run.
Matthau never turned in a bad performance and more often than not turned in some pretty terrific ones. Here he's got the late, great Glenda Jackson as back up and although she gets star billing her's is more of a supporting role and something of a waste of her talents. Faring a lot better are Sam Waterston, Herbert Lom and especially Ned Beatty. If the film itself is no classic, (it's much too far-fetched for that), in it's daft way it is certainly entertaining.
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