J.G. Ballard's satirical novel, 'The Singapore Grip', is set in the last days of British rule, and follows a group of corrupt, complacent colonials as the threat of Japanese invasion draws close. Logically, it should be both fun and angry; but this television adaptation falls flat, in spite of a starry cast (Charles Dance turns up only to die more or less in the first scene). Perhaps it would have been better had it solely followed the perspective of the young man who comes in from Britain and tries to make sense of the world he has found; instead, we see a lot of the action from the point of view of the ghastly character played by David Morrisey, who is somewhat amusing, but too shallow to carry the story. The focus on a small group of expats also means that Singapore fails to come alive as a living, breathing city, populated by millions of people who aren't British. The narrative arc makes good dramatic sense; nontheless, there's a sparkle that's missing.
