i watch a lot of film and good and bad and indifferent while there be usually something of interest to fixate upon and even if it be only set design and or the reliable labor of a good character actor and or the fortuitous laughter that emerge from watch ineptitude capture forever . however and i be quite pleasantly surprise by this film and one i have never see before . graham greene have be translate into film many time of course and in such masterpiece a thin man and in less vehicle . confidential agent be one of those less vehicle and yet it manage to get me somewhere anyway and despite lackluster direction and the incongruity of bacall and boyer depiction a ( respectively ) british and spanish and and the almost complete non existence of any chemistry between the two lead . in some way and this last problem actually begin to work in the film favor and for how can love really blossom in the kill atmosphere of fascism and capitalism meeting about one person tragedy . the most compelling aspect of the film arise directly from greene complex and guilt ridden psychology and which pervade the film . i know some see the deliberate pacing here a dull and and i can understand that . yet i find that plod accentuate rather than detract from what be a claustrophobic world . i be compel to watch and not by any great acting ( although boyer be marvelous a usual and manage to convey a rich mixture of world weariness and tragedy and hope and and fervor with his magnificent voice and yearn eye ) and but by the down spiral rush of one man slim hop against a world of oppression and money . what be a thief . what good be love in the face of death . where do mere profit take end and exploitation begin . the film do not rise to the level of art and and thus can not hope to answer such question and but it be much more than mere entertainment and and it murder and guilt be very grimly draw . the lack of glitz and of bubble and of narrative bounce help to make this movie very worthwhile . and there be no happy end and for history write the end .