dierregi
Elderly, womanizer British gentleman, somehow involved with spying, attracts young, beautiful woman who needs his help (The Russia House). Despite the huge age gap, she finds him attractive (The Russia House). He is unsure if he can trust her, because spying is a risky business, but she is a hot piece of a**, therefore worth the risk (The Russia House).In a top secret document, the gentleman discovers dirty business involving British Prime Minister and USA allied (The Ghost Writer). The document contains information about alleged torture of war prisoners. Unmasking the dirt may cause the gentleman serious problems, but he goes ahead (The Ghost Writer). He chooses the woman over his country, moves abroad and lives happily hereafter (The Russia House).To drag along the story a bit longer, a totally irrelevant sub-plot is added. The gentleman has a snobbish, single daughter, who got pregnant after one-week liaison with a "conceptual artist" (very important point, the "conceptual artist"... of course, such a spirited, upper class girl could not possibly get impregnated by a waiter). Since this is a liberal, "gauche-caviar" tale, more dirt is thrown to the direction of Israel, thanks to the Syrian, dove-eyed, beautiful, but emotionally damaged female lead. It must be made crystal clear that the "baddies" are the demoniac triad of USA-British Prime Minister-Israel and the "goodies" are everybody else, inclusive of the Muslim, scarf-wearing secretary.1 point is compulsory, 1 point to the atmospheric photography
NateWatchesCoolMovies
The BBC has, over the past few years, quietly slipped out made for TV movies concerning the adventures of ageing ex MI-5 agent Johnny Worricker (Bill Nighy). Now, while they are lower budget and only air on cable (after which they nonchalantly lurk on netflix for a little bit) they are really well produced films that utilize some of the best actors in the business, and definitely deserve more attention than they've been getting. Page Eight is my favorite of of the series, and plays like a slow burning cloak and dagger yarn with shades of Le Carré and just a subtle hint of the 007 aesthetic. This is a story where the espionage lies not in fast cars, gunfights and action set pieces, but in terse conversation, shadowy political intrigue and laconic confrontation. Nighy, who never misses a beat in his work and really blows the mind with both skill and versatility, plays Johnny with a dimming rogues charisma and warmhearted sensibility. He navigates the many people in his life including his daughter (Felicity Jones has a terrific scene with him), ex wife (Alice Krige), old boss (Michael Gambon), and cranky MI-5 colleague (Judy Davis). The plot thickens when a bereaved girl (Rachel Weisz) who suffered the loss of family member in the middle east conflict, comes to Johnny for help. She believes her relative came across a document with some grim implications regarding Britain's involvement over there, and seeks the truth. Johnny dusts off the old spy game manual and does some sleuthing, arousing suspicion of some people in high places, including the sleazy Prime Minister himself (a dry, nasty Ralph Fiennes). The factual plot line is supported by the human element from Weisz and Nighy, each looking for both answers and redemption in their own right. It's a nice little package of a film with a wickedly pleasing finale, and solid work from every actor across the board.
Tom Siebert
Top notch BBC production from playwright David Hare, who writes and directs this cerebral spy thriller. It features an amazing cast led by Bill Nighy in top form. supported by two genuine movie stars, Rachel Weisz and Ralph Fiennes, as well as a collection of superb supporting British acting talent. There's not a lot of action; this is the thinking wo/man's spy film, with much character development of people who think and analyze for a living. But Hare's gift for dialog makes for a smart and sly script, and Nighy has a field day with his weathered, cynical, intelligent intelligence man. The suspense comes from an ongoing and escalating battle of the wits, not gunplay or fight scenes, so if you want James Bond with explosions and girls in bikinis, you'll be let down. But if you like thoughtful wannabe John LeCarre-ish stuff, you'll probably enjoy this a lot.
bowmanblue
Page Eight is about an MI5 analyst who's boss dies and leaves him a rather sensitive file that some in the British hierarchy would rather never sees the light of day.If you've seen Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy then it's basically the same thing - a spy thriller that tries to portray the more 'realistic' side of espionage. By this I mean the side of spying that isn't shown in James Bond. Don't expect any beautiful bikini-clad babes in Page Eight, or even a car chase with a car than can turn into a boat. What you have here is a political thriller where 'battles' are carried out with words and briefcases, rather than Walter PPKs.Page Eight has a great cast - anything with Bill Nighy, Ralph Fiennes and Michael Gambon are always going to carry a certain level of kudos with them.Is it any good? Yes, it does the job. It's probably worth a watch if you're happy with slower-paced thrillers. Gary Oldman's Tinker, Tailor is probably a superior vessel and Page Eight does come across like a film which was written by a Guardian reader, i.e. very left wing, but it's still not a bad watch.http://thewrongtreemoviereviews.blogspot.co.uk/
AD
