• "All the excitement of a Bond movie" -NY Daily News
• Beautiful women, dangerous espionage, exotic adventure.

Plot Synopsis: The Secret Life of Ian Fleming follows the exciting life of a dashing young Ian Fleming, the mastermind behind the highly successful James Bond books and movies. As a womanizer and a hopeless romantic Fleming got himself expelled from Eton and other prestigious public schools before his mother, fed up, sent to work for Reuters,the news bureau. Whilst covering a show-trial of British engineers in Soviet Moscow, Fleming pulled his first Bond-like escapade, almost losing his life in the process. This caught the interest of Britain's dormant yet watchful military intelligence, later to become the highly acclaimed S.O.E. After Fleming's recruitment into His Majesty's Service, his exploits become increasingly fantastic. It is difficult to believe that this is not fiction! The Secret Life of Ian Fleming goes to prove, once again, the truth certainly is stranger than fiction. One Vodka Martini, shaken not stirred!

Customer Rating:
Summary: Interesting Look At The Life Of The Creator Of the Most Popular Secret Agent
Comment: Never had it crossed my mind that Ian Fleming himself was once an agent himself. After viewing this neat TV movie it doesn't surprise me how Fleming was inspired to create his literary hero, soon to become cinematic emblem.

The movie begins with the origin of young Ian Fleming, he was a son of rich parents, he never needed anything, and everything was at his disposal. As we see him transcend to young adulthood we see a very similar persona to that of 007. We see him as a womanizer and a man of wit and class. shortly in the film he is expelled from various private schools due to misadventures with women. His mother decides to put him in a military academy so he can learn a lesson...he ends up doing the same thing; finally his mother decides to put him in a news bureau known as Reuters. While working there he finally accommodates and begins to take his life a bit more seriously.

Trough the picture we see him transform from a young aristocrat into a secret agent spying on the Soviet Union; and the best part of all this is the actor they chose for the part, Jason Connery. Jason Connery is Sean Connery's son; Sean was the first theatrical actor to play 007. Here his son brings the exact class style and vulnerability of his father. Like they say like father like son.

Now the movie is not without being criticized, the movie in the end is more fantasy than fact. Sure many of the things mentioned in the film did occur according to his biographies and interviews but in the end the movie represents a fictionalized version of his life. now that does not mean the movie is not worth it, on the contraire it's highly worth it, due it's story, trauma and the amazing love story between Fleming and a fellow agent. Overall the movie is highly recommended. it's unfortunate that is only available on VHS; and not to mention that it has long since been out of print. I'm sure you can still find good copies here at Amazon for a fare price.

MY PERSONAL RAITNG: 3 ½ OUT OF 5

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Spymaker: The Secret Life of Ian Flemming
Comment: I really enjoyed seeing Kristin Scott Thomas in her early years acting, just as good as her later movies. Also thought the performance by Jason Connery was also very well done. It was a little dramatic at times and maybe sort of fictional at times, but enjoyable.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: The Secret Life of Ian Fleming
Comment: I got this from TV years ago. My old copy is falling apart. I worried that I wouldn't be able to find it.

Ian Fleming was a spy in real life. No James Bond collection could ever be complete without this little item. This movie showed how the author of the successful movie series got the inspiration to write the series. It is ironic that the real "James Bond" was a bird watcher and not a spy at all.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: Fun Movie
Comment: This is a movie that Bond fans have to see, and it is a nice collectable to own. Some of the things in the movie didn't happen, and it was more of a nod to the movies more so than the novels. One thing that is a running gag in the movie is a hat always being thrown on the hat rack, which never actually happens in the novels. So, a lot of people would believe that is what inspired it, but it is just a joke to the movie. Still, it is fun to watch and is very entertaining. The sad thing is, I have never heard of Jason Connery doing anything recently, which is a shame.

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Customer Rating:
Summary: The missing James Bond movie
Comment: Only available in VHS and out of print at that, this TV production casts Sean Connery's son, Jason, as Ian Fleming in what may or may not be a biographical portrayal. It has all the action of any of Connery's Bond films, as many beautiful women, and a touching love story on top of all that. Pity it's not available on DVD, but Bond fans are a different lot these days, and the widows haven't made a Bond film even close to Fleming's character in twenty years. This one would top off the Connery Bond set.

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