This movie has good production values and masquerades as a political thriller when in fact it is pure propaganda. It has some good actors and the camera work and cutting suggests a sense of movement and suspense, but when you find out what it's all about you see there is no story there. Not only is the story absent and the characters unconvincing, it contains a nasty anti-Israel, anti-American subtext. We are asked to believe that a desiccated, boring, old Brit secret service agent (Nighy) has claimed the moral high ground and sacrificed his career and pension to please a pretty girl (Weisz) and expose his PM as a collaborator with the evil Israelis and Americans. Who are the enemies here? Certainly not the terrorists, they hardly receive any notice except a bit of hand-wringing over the possibility of their mistreatment. This flick is aimed at a liberal audience outraged at the conduct of the war on terror of Tony Blair and George W. Bush.
Now, lately, we have seen a turnaround: with Obama as President there appears to be far less concern about secret facilities where terrorists are supposedly tortured, and there seems to be little concern about drone attacks which under W. would have outraged the haughty BBC audience. Of course Israel is always on the agenda, any attempt to defend herself against barbarians brings her under attack from the enlightened snobs at the Beeb. Political thrillers are supposed to be about the fight against the bad guys, not trashing allies.
Now, lately, we have seen a turnaround: with Obama as President there appears to be far less concern about secret facilities where terrorists are supposedly tortured, and there seems to be little concern about drone attacks which under W. would have outraged the haughty BBC audience. Of course Israel is always on the agenda, any attempt to defend herself against barbarians brings her under attack from the enlightened snobs at the Beeb. Political thrillers are supposed to be about the fight against the bad guys, not trashing allies.