The Cold War espionage thriller follows the moves of British anti-hero spy Charlie Muffin (Hemmings) who has fallen on hard times since the forced retirement of Sir Archibald Willoughby, his previous boss at the U.K. secret service (played by Sir Ralph Richardson). His new boss, Sir Henry Cuthbertson (Ian Richardson), who epitomizes the haughty upper class British imperialist, hardly attempts to conceal his disdain for the under-educated agent who quite obviously doesn't stem from the "right class". Right at the start of the film, we witness how Charlie has evidently been deemed expendable and accordingly gets set up to be caught or killed during a joint mission in East Germany â this despite Muffin essentially having been responsible for the mission's success. Cuthbertson's lap-dog agents Snare and Harrison â who are both totally lacking in experience and as arrogant as their boss â are shocked and embarrassed to see Muffin returning alive and well.
Once home in the UK, Muffin's humiliation doesn't end, as he gets demoted and put on leave, which he spends with his wife Edith (Linden), but not until after a hilarious take on the obligatory spy agentâsecretary-receptionist affair.
Next, a classic yet utterly unpredictable spy story unfolds around British and U.S. attempts to facilitate a safe defection of high-ranking Soviet General Valery Kalenin (Braun). CIA Director Garson Ruttgers (Wanamaker) proves not much smarter and ultimately equally officious and presumptuous as his British counterpart, though in a distinctly â satirically â American way. After Harrison and Snare's spectacular downfalls at the task (one ends up dead trying to escape and the other captured), Ruttgers' aide Braley (Rimmer), a chubby, good-hearted but docile sideshow official, is assigned to join Muffin on a trip to Prague, to liaise with Kalenin.
Will Kalenin's defection succeed? Will Charlie once again be set up? Will he be able to escape alive and well this time? It is not until the very last minutes of the film that we find out.
Who is surprised to see him return safely from the mission?
Snare and Harrison