A Spy Among Friends

A movie about the world of spies, not a spy movie.

Captivating and dynamic to the end; even in crescendo.

The central character Nicholas Elliott is wonderful. He is "the spy among friends". The friends are everyone else: the defector Philby, the commoner Ann from MI5, the impetuous yankee Angelton, the arrogants Sir... "More involved than he looks", he is the real spy, with a vision. He puts things in order; everyone learns from him.

The film is not about Philby; but how do you make things move forward, how do you manage a crisis... in british style.

A film about the great world of British espionage, with the imperial spy Elliott.

P. S. It's in small spaces because it's not an action movie. And it's not "in darkness" but in the shadows. Because the focus falls on the characters, it's a battle of intelligences.

I have to say I was initially sceptical given some of the bad reviews until I saw a pattern, most of the negative reviewers hadn't bother to finish it so I persevered and I'm glad I did. This show offers something that's missing from so many TV shows out there - an intelligent story told by actors with real talent. Sure the story jumps back and forth but if you actually pay attention and give it time the rewards are there. All are on fine form especially Damien Lewis who is superb.

If you like intelligent well crafted TV dramas that offer a twisty tale for grown up this might just be for you.

Based on the true story of a notorious British secret agent, watching A Spy Among Friends feels like a journey back in time to those classic '60s spy thrillers, with various plot threads that gradually weave into focus. Damian Lewis and Guy Pearce are excellent in their respective roles as conflicted old friends and Anna Maxwell Martin is superb as the sharp, dogged MI5 investigator trying to drill down to the truth. With locations including London, Beirut, Istanbul and Moscow, it takes a while to fathom what's going on. And it does a great job of exposing the smug superiority of the old boys' network that ruled MI6.

Written by Alexander Cary of Homeland fame, and also starring Damian Lewis of Homeland fame alongside Australia's own Guy Pearce, A Spy Amongst Friends tells the story of disgraced British double agent Kim Philly (Pearce) - by all accounts, one of the biggest intelligence coups of the Cold War, on either side - and his friendship with Nicholas Elliott (Brody, who is brilliant) and the defection of Philby to Russia. Elliott is being debriefed by British officials in the aftermath of that defection. This is one of those shows, similar to the early seasons of Homeland, where you need to pay very close attention to everything going on. A slow burn series, but a very good one.

If you want a Mission Impossible style bang fest or a Bond style romp this isn't your thing. If you need a plot recap after every ad break you lack the concentration for this.

But if you want a drama that engages, immerses, and makes you think then this will do the job.

Some reviewers have said it's slow, drab, tedious, the constant changing between timelines is distracting and that Mrs Thomas is an anachronism.

I think they're missing the point.

This is only 20 years after WWII, 20 years after these events government offices looked little different. Anyone who was in the Civil Service during that period will know the details are accurate.

The tension and mistrust between CIA, the Security Service, and SIS that followed the war, Blake, Burgess, and McClean is abundantly clear and so to the extent this hampered both their efforts.

One must also remember that this was only 2 years after the Cuban Missile crisis and the suspicions of East about West and the efforts and paranoia of intelligence and counter intelligence operations is very apparent.

This drama is a mind game that reflects the way that Philby manipulated his friends and acquaintances over decades. The constant reviewing of events by those involved akin to the thoughts of a cuckolded husband as he tries to spot what he has missed. The sense of betrayal almost palpable.

The drabness, the politeness, the ordinariness in stark contrast to the fatal impact of Philby on those he betrayed.

Pearce is exceptional as the idealistic Philby and there is an almost physical change as the realisation of his decisions and the realism of living in the Soviet Bloc hit home.

If he had been born half a century earlier Lewis could have been Elliot in reality. I couldn't make up my mind if he was an exceptional actor, or not acting at all he was that convincing.

And as for Maxwell-Martin, yes, Mrs Thomas was made up. My interpretation was her character aptly contrasted with the old boys club of Philby and Elliot and was created for this purpose. If SIS and the Security Service had had more like Mrs Thomas to challenge the status quo then perhaps the Soviet moles might not have burrowed so far into the establishment.

So stick with it. I thought it well worth a few hours of my time.