So a largely overlooked British political spy drama starring a man normally cast in character parts. Can it be any good? Well, frankly, when has a largely overlooked British spy film not been?
Let's start with the actors:
The cast is stellar. Nighy is his usual mumbling self, but with a straight back and a certainty about his person, fitting him and the film, adding to his highly intelligent demeanour. He is also obtuse in a most entertaining manner, towards most of his superiors. Sometimes open, sometimes more hidden. Always entertaining, and extremely British.
Fiennes plays
the PM almost hateful, with an aggressive glare in most of his very few scenes. All the more dramatic effect when Nighy is able to make him have a brief
moment of uncertainty and lose his footing.
The dialogue is spectacular, particular judging by todays depressing standards. The tete-a-tete early on between Michael Gambon and Saskia Reeves, particularly brilliant.
Director David Hare is
very good at creating a suspicious viewer, making you doubt the sincerity of
every character, including the protagonist (or maybe I'm just paranoid). He also leaves a couple of new
questions every time one is answered, upping the ante, and keeping the chase, and the conversations, interesting.
Generally
there are so many subtleties here, it makes you miss the times when that was a
thing. From the look on Leonas face as Nighy kisses her on the cheek before
leaving, to the importance of jazz. It adds to the authenticity of all the older
men and women on cast, that there is an abundance of words not often used anymore. Also fitting the worlds view on Nighy's character to a t. Hare
also refuses to avoid more boring subjects, like the details of a reorganization,
when it is relevant to the story. Kudos.
A new touch
for a spy movie, is the self-irony some of the characters have when it comes to
what it does to relationships, also a nice backdrop for a joke or two. Hare has
no difficulties portraying the toll a job like that would take on a man either.
Not only by the often used divorces and estranged children (present here as
well), but by the dialogue and acting as well.
There is a small problem here, and that is the relationship between Nighy and Rachel Weisz. It seems a bit too fast, particularly due to his complete distrust in her following their first encounter. The haste with
which he befriends her, trusts her and ultimately becomes a traitor for her, is
simply not very believable. And that hurts this film more than most, due to the
minute details elsewhere in script and direction.
The last
few rounds before the ending does take a couple of shortcuts (I would have
loved for this film to be three hours), but as it should with an old and weary
spy, there is always room for one more twist. Isn’t there?
I do love British spies, and when the dialogue is astute and the casting sublime, I would say I am somewhat smitten, despite the one flaw
8/10
