Page Eight (2011 TV Movie) User Reviews

Fantastic piece of television

[ego_2009 · 8/10 · 31 August 2011]

Bill Nighy, Rachel Weisz, and Michael Gambon in very good form, playing charmingly audacious characters. The Security Service, and the sense of 'England' that is built around it, are both portrayed in an amusingly artsy, lighting-a-cigarette-under-a-lamppost-to-the-tune-of-modern-jazz manner that some might might find annoying - but which I felt more to be endearing. And a refreshing contrast to the bleak picture of the world and it's intelligence services painted in other modern spy shows, 'Spooks' being the prime example.

The story seems to ramble a little, at first, and is not as tight or conventionally depicted as audiences might be used to, but it soon picks up - leading to a 'Johnny on the run' sequence that is as good as any other staple 'spy in hiding' romp in any TV espionage thriller of recent years, but one which is much more believable and down-to-earth. An unexpected conclusion left me praising Nighy's character for doing the right thing, in normal person terms, rather than 'the right thing' in the usual On Her Majesty's Secret Service terms that we're usually force-fed by spy drama - one of the many things that made the character and those around him seem less like a phantom, emotionless government spook, and more like a human being.

Well worth watching.

Powerful political thriller

[murray-morison · 8/10 · 8 October 2011]

The cast is strong and the writing adept, and this carries a fascinating film dealing with the tensions between politics and intelligence gathering. David Hare clearly has been disturbed by how closely our (British) politicians may have become involved with 'extraordinary rendition' and intelligence gathered from the use of torture by the Americans.

Bill Nighy leads as a cerebral senior intelligence officer dealing with a world where fellow spies are not all Oxbridge, even if the Prime Minister is. His neighbour seems to appear from nowhere, and in the form of the lovely Rachel Weisz. Can she be trusted? And what of his one time tutor and now boss, played convincingly by Michael Gambon? The early scene where the spies meet the politicians, in the form of the Home Secretary (Saskia Reeves) and her assistant, is pure Hare theatre. A wonderful script delivered with panache.

The tension builds slowly but relentlessly. Maybe the grasp of the world of spies does not have Le Carre's inside track, but Hare gives us a film well worth watching.

454th Review: An intelligent and competent political thriller

[intelearts · 8/10 · 12 September 2011]

Bill Nighy really could be turning into this generation's David Niven - with a more world-weary edge, mind you, but he has an immense charm without any swarm, and puts it to excellent use in Page Eight. He plays a civil servant and security analyst coming to the end of his career in the upper echelons of Whitehall who discovers that politics and war are not honourable affairs.

With an outstanding cast and an intelligent plot this remains a thriller - but one without the usual resort to unlikely battles and chases - it is very British, both in its tone and in its look - and what we get is a very nice thriller indeed.

If you like 60s cold war spies movies, and want a break from the Bourne type, then this will fit the bill very nicely. Intelligent, beautifully paced and acted, and all in all a nice break from action films to something more purposeful and, really, a satisfying watch.

Searingly Poignant Film

[gradyharp · 1 November 2011]

David Hare both wrote and directed this stylish, intensely intelligent suspense film (his other films include work on The Hours, The Reader, Damage, Plenty, etc). Few films have been made that depend on smart dialogue and intense acting instead of explosions, car chases, and other improbable acts of danger to make their point. Aided by a top-notch British cast, Hare has created a thinking person's drama and it is refreshingly poignant.

A contemporary spy film created for BBC, the action is set in both London and Cambridge. Johnny Worricker (Bill Nighy in one of his best roles to date) is an experienced MI5 officer whose boss and best friend Benedict Baron (Michael Gambon) dies of a myocardial infarction: he leaves a secret file for his friend. Both men have been married to the same woman (Alice Krige) and Worricker has a grown child from his marriage, an artist Julianne Felicity Jones) who has never quite forgiven her father for leaving her mother for another woman. The file is so important that it is under surveillance by the British Intelligence (Judy Davis et al) and the Prime Minister's office (Ralph Fiennes). Worricker lives in a flat opposite a beautiful but aloof girl Nancy Pierpan (Rachel Weisz) whose brother has been murdered in the Middle East. It is the silence about Nancy's brother's death that is at the core of the file Worricker holds and with some help from Nancy he traces the truth to the point of being threatened by MI5 to be fired. The film addresses contemporary intelligence issues and techniques and the associated moral dilemmas we face today. To reveal more would be to rob the viewer of the complexity of the story.

The strong supporting cast includes Marthe Kellar in a small but pivotal role, along with Tom Hughes, Kate Burdette, Ewen Bremmer and others. This is a tense drama, exceptionally well written and acted and a welcome change from the current barrage of action flicks.

Grady Harp

When you don't know the truth everything freezes and you can't move on.

[lastliberal-853-253708 · 7/10 · 5 January 2014]

When I see Bill Nighy, Rachel Weisz, and Ralph Fiennes in a cast, I know I have to check it out. I was not sorry I did. The three were together in at least one other great film - The Constant Gardener. Individually, there is seldom a really good film that doesn't have one of the three.

Of course the Golden Globes and BAFTA agree with me as they both gave the film a nomination.

The Prime Minster (Fiennes) seems to be up to his neck in deception. The meeting between Nighy and he was fascinating.

Page Eight was a positive surprise with good dialogue and an engaging story.

Your beliefs will dictate your appreciation

[robertasmith · 7/10 · 8 April 2021]

This is a good film with a fantastic cast. It's content seems to upset a lot of reviewers including at least one member of the IDF who says the murder of a protester would never happen. Well, it could and it has. This is not a left wing film but one that explores one version of the world we live in. The old boy establishment is still influential in British politics and our Civil Service. This film was made pre Trump and it explores the UK/USA relationship or a version of it. It is intelligently written and sensitively acted. The direction is a little slow burner but this is not an action hero movie. Bill Nighy is superb - one of his best performances although he rarely has a bad one. The only part for me that spoils it is his character. He is very much part of the establishment and one of the most senior members of MI5. It is highly doubtful that someone that senior would be getting as involved as he does and the film would have worked better for me had the character been slightly younger and lower down the pecking order. That apart it is highly believable. It is worth remembering that a UK ambassador was forced out of the diplomatic service when he revealed UK involvement in extraordinary rendition. The type of events depicted in the film have actually happened.

Slightly bleary story played greater by stylish actors

[BeneCumb · 7/10 · 8 February 2014]

Although many contemporary British films are full of chases-explosions-shootings, then, from time to time, spy films with slower pace find their decent place in the British filmography. Page Eight is a nice example of the latter, with the fine protagonist Johnny Worricker, MI5 analyst, stylishly performed by Bill Nighy, accompanied by several other British actors such as Ralph Fiennes, Rachel Weisz and Michael Gambon. The script, however, is uneven at times, with decrease in thrill, over-sophistication and unreasoned scenes, but calm atmosphere, witty lines and inclusion of art help to level them, nothing becomes annoying or ridiculous. The ending is expected, but pleasantly elaborate, and when the credits appear, one can ponder on and over human values and drawbacks related to the life dedicated on intelligence and politics.

in many ways the PERFECT modern spy thriller

[A_Different_Drummer · 10/10 · 11 March 2016]

This review written in 2016. The Bond franchise is still in play, barely, and upstart franchises like FF7 are slowly but surely taking over the traditional spy "caper." And then there is Page 8. Wow. Assuming, as a moviephile, you don't swoon merely on hearing the cast (Felicity Jones and Michael Gambon in supporting roles!) the story, the pacing, the direction, the dialog, the cinematography, the acting --- these are all a treat to be savoured.

This is of course the other side of the spy game, with a hero who boasts that he doesn't "do violence" and who when asked by an associate that he no longer trusts, why he picked a certain restaurant for the rendez-vous, proudly answers, "For the best reason of all, the food." Nighy in one of the best roles of his career also talks about life not being worth living without honour. Not many actors could make that line ring true. He does.

Astonishing, under-rated and to a large degree unappreciated.

And massively recommended.

Slick, Intelligent, But Unexciting

[Bangell153 · 6/10 · 29 August 2011]

Page Eight accumulates a terrific roster of talented actors and sets them to work in a mediocre, unexciting story. The result is simultaneously entertaining and dull - whilst you'll delight in the intelligent, witty, and perfectly-delivered dialogue, you'll not feel at all caught up in the story. The story is at times hard to follow, and overall feels very unimaginative and boring. Tension is never developed; at no point will you be anywhere close to the edge of your seat, because we're never presented with a real threat to the protagonist. The romance story never gets going properly for the duration of the tale, and none of the characters seem particularly motivated, resulting in a film that drives through a boring plot to a boring conclusion.

This is a film that won't entertain you with drama or suspense; this is a film that will show you a wonderfully-executed acting masterclass, where it doesn't feel as if anything is at stake. If the cast had been given a better story, this could have been an absolutely amazing thriller, but the opportunity is squandered.

An all-round enjoyable watch

[andrewl-williamson · 8/10 · 29 August 2011]

I'll assume you've read the plot summary, so I won't labour on explaining that. In a nutshell, Bill Nighy is playing an MI5 agent who's responsibility it is to uncover the deceit allegedly led by the British Prime Minister (Ralph Fiennes).

It opens with the quirky, upbeat jazz music and feels a bit 'Alfie-ish' as Nighy struts down the streets of London to his flat, and then we finally settle down into the story. The story is, and I hate to say it, a little thin around the edges and could do with a little more 'oomph' to get it those final couple of stars. If your expecting to see Nighy as the ass-kicking, hard-nut veteran version of James Bond then I'm afraid you'll be disappointed. This is about plot and character, not flamboyant action sequences. Speaking of character, there is plenty of that in this film; from Nighy himself to Ralph Fiennes and Michael Gambon- there are stars a plenty to keep the film alive, the acting is brilliantly good and there's a scene between Nighy and Fiennes which I particularly enjoyed, just simple dialogue between two great actors.

Yes it does feel a bit BBCish, but at the end of the day it is a BBC film so I can't really complain! So if you have an hour and 40 minutes to fill, I strongly recommend this film- it's mysterious (yet it probably could have been more so), fun (there are a handful of good laugh-provoking lines thrown in there), engaging and an all-round enjoyable watch. Enjoy.

Page Eight

[henry8-3 · 7/10 · 13 April 2021]

Nighy stars as an experienced intelligence officer in M. I.5 who is given a file by his friend and boss Gambon which suggests that Downing Street are aware of US torture sites. Nighy investigates.

Delightful, intelligent spy thriller with a first class, dry witty script from David Hare creating a wonderful lead character which Nighy carries off most elegantly, ably supported by an impressive cast. Very British - first of 3 TV movies.

Made for TV?

[kosmasp · 9/10 · 10 June 2013]

If you take a look at the cast, you should be wondering how this can be called a TV-movie. Starting with Bill Nighy, but not ending with Rachel Weisz. A great ensemble that does not only promise good acting, it also delivers it. Add a witty script, with some great ideas and you have an excellent movie. If you only add the "TV movie" sticker, I might as well have rated it higher.

But even without that added bonus "point", I can assure you, that if you like political dramas/thrillers, you will absolutely love this. Apart from conspiracy and other things, this neatly ties in everything and more. The story is far more complex than one might think at the beginning. Very well thought of and very well executed.

disappointing

[blanche-2 · 7/10 · 7 November 2011]

Johnny Worricker (Bill Nighy) is an long-serving MI5 officer whose best friend, Benedict Baron (Michael Gambon) is also his boss and the current husband of Worricker's ex-wife. Baron dies of a heart attack and leaves behind a file that could bring down the British government. Johnny then meets his beautiful next door neighbor (Rachel Weisz) who turns out to be a political activist whose brother was killed by the Israelis while he was waving a white flag. The incident was covered up.

Johnny needs to get at the truth of who knew what when, which will mean the end of his career. But he soldiers on and finds himself having to negotiate with the devil.

Set in London and Cambridge, PAGE EIGHT looks at today's world, at issues of trust, morality, security, and a new kind of intelligence post-9/11.

An absolutely magnificent cast stars in this: besides Nighy, Gambon, and Weisz, there is Judy Davis, Ralph Fiennes as the Prime Minister, and Marthe Keller. Needless to say, the acting is brilliant, with one exception, in my opinion, and that's Bill Nighy. His performance to me seemed extremely one-note.

What was missing for me wasn't the shoot-ups, the fire bombs, or action -- what was missing for me was the drama. The direction seemed to me to be too careful, and coupled with a too-careful script where the drama never really rips, it made for an experience during which nothing happened.

Normally this is my type of thing. I'm sorry to say for me this missed the boat. And with a cast like this, trust me, it was very disappointing.

Boring Political Thriller

[claudio_carvalho · 4/10 · 17 April 2014]

The MI5 analyst Johnny Worricker (Bill Nighy) receives from his boss and his friend since they studied at Cambridge, the Director General of MI5 Benedict Baron (Michael Gambon), a top secret report also distributed to Jill Tankard (Judy Davis) and to the Home Secretary Anthea Catcheside (Saskia Reeves). They have an internal meeting and Johnny highlights that on page eight, it is informed that the Prime Minister Alec Beasley (Ralph Fiennes) knows that the US Government is torturing prisoners in prisons around the world. Baron cannot disclose his source, but if the information is correct, the Prime Minister has not informed the MI5. Meanwhile Johnny befriends his next door neighbor, the political activist Nancy Pierpan (Rachel Weisz), whose brother was murdered by the Israeli army with a white flag. When Baron dies of heart attack at home with his wife, Johnny suspects that the death of his friend may not have been an accident. He also finds the file on Nancy's brother. Now Johnny has to decide his next move.

"Page Eight" is a boring and stylish British political thriller with a bad screenplay and good cast. The ambiguous relationship of Johnny and Nancy sounds weird since the inexpressive Bill Nighy is too old to be a wolf and shows no chemistry with Rachel Weisz. The slow pace and unnecessary subplots make painful to watch this movie in many moments. The conclusion is incredibly dull and senseless, with Johnny leaving his apartment behind with his art collection and traveling from London maybe to South America (the favorite destination of Londoners on the run) apparently broken after leaking the secret information to the BBC. My vote is four.

Title (Brazil): Not Available

The simplest review you'll ever read.......

[ethical_trader · 30 August 2011]

Slow paced yet clever enough to keep your interest - no need for shoot outs, car chases or fireball explosions because some 'producer' claims "It's what an audience wants!" ( I, for one, don't, unless it's a blood and gore war film). Touches of Le Carre without the seedy Lambeth safe house that seem to pop up in his novels. This is stylish and clever with excellent dialogue, therefore excellent performances from all of the major players. They believe in their characters and it shows,(apart from one 'minor player' that left me a bit annoyed at his wooden delivery - should have been easy to have re-shot that bit with another 'bit part actor'as it was only a short scene on the stairs, you'll spot the bit I mean). All in all, subtly understated, so more believable, and most importantly, a story with a grain of truth running through it that we will all identify with; unless you've lived on the moon for the past 15 years. Bravo, give us more of the same.

Heart of spies

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 1 April 2014]

The film starts of with a very snazzy title sequence and unveils a starry cast list led by Bill Nighy which will begin a trilogy of films dealing with this MI5 agent.

Johnny Worricker out art collecting, jazz loving analyst stumbles across important information on Page 8 of a dossier he has been given to read by his boss (Michael Gambon) who incidentally is also married to his ex wife. The dossier implicates the British government to unsavoury practises in the war on terror with the American government such as rendition and torture.

Johnny also becomes friendly with a neighbour in his flat (Rachel Weisz) who wants his help to get rid of a boring date and they become friendly but Weisz had a brother who was killed in the Middle East and she is too close to home for comfort.

The film is essentially a stage drama between different protagonists despite location shooting as they deal with themes and rules of espionage in the manner of a John Le Carre novel. The rules of the old is making way for the rules of the new and some are finding this hard to stomach.

Leading the charge on the war on terror is the Prime Minister (Ralph Fiennes) who enters the proceedings with a swagger surrounded by his henchmen. We have a Home Secretary wanting more draconian laws. It is clear the film is set during the New Labour administration and writer/director David Hare is a left winger who likes to take pot shots at the type of left he despises although in this case he has good cause to be critical.

At the end Worricker has upset the Prime Minister, the rules of the game in MI5 has suddenly changed and he finds himself wondering where to go next.

The film is well acted and tense in places but it is also too wordy and dense which means its not always as stylish as its tile sequence.

Strong on acting, weak on thrills

[Red-Barracuda · 6/10 · 18 June 2011]

A secret service intelligence analyst finds himself privy to information that could potentially bring down the government. At the same time he has to decide whether to trust a new neighbour who has politically troublesome secrets of her own.

Page Eight is a film strong in acting personnel but lacking in mystery or suspense. While the cast is very good, with Bill Nighly putting in a very good lead performance, the narrative isn't in truth terribly interesting. You always feel that the movie is going to kick into a higher gear with some compelling intrigue or some suspense but really the pace remains steady and the thrills are of the very understated variety. It's not exactly a bad thing for a political thriller to remain within the bounds of possibility of course and to not resort to pointless action scenes; so in this respect Page Eight deserves some respect for trying to keep things more believable. It's just that the plot line is basically weak. While the older guy getting off with the much younger woman thing is a little tired, and in the case of this movie this plot element could very easily have been removed entirely with no damage to the film overall.

Page Eight is a solid film for sure but it just seems too much like a TV production. Despite the great cast it's story is simply too ordinary, it could have done with a little more va va voom.

British to the core... or should I say snore?

[MarkCrozier · 6/10 · 19 March 2013]

I must say its pretty incredible just how different British films are from American ones.

This is a spy thriller, sort of a James Bond for people who don't like guns. There are some very well known Brit actors in it, including the ravishing Rachel Weisz, her of the remarkable eyebrows. I will freely admit she is the main reason I watched this. Unfortunately she is not required to do very much other than look sad and pretty, which she does incredibly well I might add.

This is one of the Brit films where there is lots of talking. Clever dialogue. Except it never sounds as if its anything real people would say. The only character who seems vaguely real is the journalist spy played by the chappie from Trainspotting.

Lead man Bill Nighy is a major problem. He's gone from character actor to leading man based on a growing fan base (I suspect largely among the ladies) but the fellow has all the expressiveness of a kitchen table.

He simply can't emote, whether he's talking to his daughter, his ex- wife, the woman who wants to take him down, his new girlfriend... it doesn't matter WHO he's talking to, he remains exactly the same. I mean, I understand stiff upper lip and all that, but for God's sake, this is acting, man. So act! You can only take so much stoicism.

And no, the fact that he collects art, likes jazz and sleeps with lots of women doesn't make him more interesting, because none of it is plausible!

Plus, there are plot elements that are baffling. He is supposedly left without a penny after his noble sacrifice, and yet he abandons his flat that is apparently stuffed with collectible artworks, selling only one and giving another away (along with his car) to his new girlfriend.

Why doesn't he sell all the paintings? What will become of his flat? It's as if the film makers expect us not to care. But we do care! As usual, they simply can't pull a good ending together. Too many loose strands are left untied.

I also sat through half of the recent remake of Smiley's People and found it similarly dull. The otherwise superb Gary Oldman was charged on that occasion with imitating a wooden mannequin. Is it a prerequisite before entering government service that you have to be a crushing bore with a Cambridge education? Given this evidence, it would appear so.

Come on chaps, let's give it a bit more spark and sizzle next time? And I don't think it needs to be James Bond, please God no. Just some more excitement. More war war and less jaw jaw, to paraphrase a famous Brit. Thanks ever so much!

Best film I've Watched In Years

[rkersh · 10/10 · 9 December 2011]

I have watched this TV Movie 10 times already and can watch it every few days without tiring of it. The performances/characters are so real and done so well, it truly is a Masterpiece. I guess it fit for me because of the age of the characters, the way the story was handled/written by Mr. Hare and the nature of the content. I was familiar with most of the actors in this film before I watched it and have been appreciating Bill Nighy's work for sometime now. Michael Gambon as well, but the antagonists and the lesser characters jump out. This is truly a situation where there are no little roles. The actors in this film portray relationships which are so real the film whets the appetite as it progresses from opening to end. It is very subtle and therefore juicy from a storyline standpoint. It is romantic and the intrigue is right on. I recommend this one wholeheartedly and I look forward to acquiring the DVD very soon.

Stuff About England

[modernmonstersdotnet · 7/10 · 21 September 2016]

A BBC2 movie with a dream casting, Page Eight is a quiet spy drama in the John Le Carré's vein, extremely well written, elegantly directed and, not surprisingly, supremely well acted. It is best enjoyed for its deadpan dialogues, wryly delivered by some of the best British thespians around. A small gem with not an ounce of violence but filled with menace and danger.

Johnny Worricker (Bill Nighy, who can load a seemingly innocuous line like "I've got a question" with chilling tension), is an old school MI5 analyst reporting to his Cambridge friend Benedict Baron (Michael Gambon, great in an old chap role he could play in his sleep) with whom he "shares a wife", Emma (Alice Krige, always gloriously venomous). She was pregnant with their daughter Julianne (Felicity Jones) when he left her for another woman and she married Baron. Julianne resents her father to have let her and her mother down and expresses her anger and resentment through troubled paintings, which Johnny, a fond art collector, does not appreciate. He lives a quiet, discreet life in an apartment which walls are covered with art, and listens to jazz. He doesn't believe in the Special Relationship with USA.

Two events disrupt this routine in rapid fire. He meets his neighbour, Nancy (Rachael Weisz, a guarantee of quality in herself), daughter of a Syrian activist and whose brother has been killed by the Israeli while waving a white flag, and a possible set up. His boss dies after presenting out of the blue a report to the Home Secretary (Saskia Reeves, whose great first line is "Let's start the bloody meeting!"). The report, from a secret American source, proves that USA have secret prison facilities abroad and its page eight establishes that the British Prime Minister (Ralph Fiennes, reptilian as ever) has knowledge of it.

The conundrum is the following: is the report wrong, in which case USA has left Great Britain in the dark, or is it true, in which case the PM has left his Home Secretary in the dark? Head of MI5 Jill Tankard (Judy Davies, not seen often enough) does not appreciate to be caught unbalanced and threatened Johnny to fire him if he does not return the top secret report he has in his possession. Will Johnny take a stance or yield to pressure? One won't tell, but the way he navigates this tricky waters makes for some very good, if subdued, espionage.

The job of an analyst is to know who to trust. The legacy of Johnny's friend and boss is "a matter of honour". Faced with spin doctors and treacherous politicians, he remains "an all-round decent person", the trait we love in British people even though it largely remains a mystery, like most of Angliana. Asked why he changed his mind at some point, he eludes "Oh you know, wind, caprice…" A feast of understatement, Page Eight is an all-round decent movie, well, more than decent, actually. No question.

In a word, Brilliant

[nowego · 9/10 · 25 September 2011]

Without a doubt I am a HUGE Bill Nighe fan, but that is not a hard thing to be considering his brilliance as an actor. I am yet to see a movie that he is in that has disappointed me. My only disappointment is that he is getting older and the roles he is going to take on are going to be more limited.

Bill Nighy, Rachel Weisz and numerous other favourites put in simply brilliant performances in this absolutely superb movie as only the British can do. Hollywood has nothing on this and they pale into comparison when they try.

While the story may not be as tight as some would like at first it soon picks up as Bill Nighe's character really goes the extra mile to do the right thing.

I simply laughed and cried thought-out this movie as it pulled at the heartstrings and cracked me up with its suppleties.

A must see movie and I gave it a 9.

Ralph Fiennes gets into the old Dick Cheney Kool-Aid

[The_late_Buddy_Ryan · 7/10 · 7 March 2014]

Intelligent BBC thriller with an amazing cast and a complex political plot that stalls and creaks a little from time to time. Playwright David Hare could've pitched this one as "Tinker Tailor" meets "Zero Dark Thirty," since the main storyline concerns two old-school British spooks (Bill Nighy and Michael Gambon) pushing back against a hawkish PM (Ralph Fiennes) who seems to have drunk quite a bit of the old Dick Cheney Kool-Aid. If you've seen "The Constant Gardener," you'll note that there's been some role reversal here. Now Bill Nighy's the quixotic truth seeker, Ralph Fiennes the ruthless pol. Rachel Weisz plays pretty much the same character in both—the activist who cozies up to a government insider for reasons more political than personal. The real-world background, though suitably horrendous—doctored intelligence, extraordinary rendition, CIA black sites, harsh interrogation—seems a few years out of date; too bad DH didn't hang on to this script until Edward Snowden gave him some juicy new material to work with. That said, there are some very effective scenes in which Nighy and Gambon confront the hostile minions of the Fiennes regime (including Judy Davis); it's all very offhand and subtle, no Aaron Sorkin–style speechifying. Good chemistry between Nighy and Rachel Weisz as they forge their quasi-romantic alliance, though the ending seemed a little inconsequential. David Hare's leftist slant on things—the Americans and the Israelis are the offscreen villains—will not be congenial to some viewers, I suspect. Hoping for a sequel starring Cumberbatch and Maxine Peake, maybe with a cameo by Jessica Chastain, that focuses on the iniquities of the NSA and the GCHQ

Canny, witty spy thriller with a light touch

[whitewc · 10/10 · 7 October 2011]

In a genre that gets grittier and darker by the year, and often seeks to bludgeon its audience with how current and perceptive about real events it is, Page Eight is a relief and an engrossing and suave, almost light-hearted ride. The story is tight and well-paced, centering almost exclusively on a single fact/event, and taking place over the course of just a week or so. No spoilers, but the ending is both off-kilter and just right (one of the better endings to a new film I've seen in a few years).

Viewed on paper, I suppose you could complain there isn't much new or surprising here. Surely, the events and situations are familiar, even topical. But the treatment is subtle and true, and the telling handled with an emphasis on character and the (slightly) off-beat. The dialog is electric and funny, full of nuance and innuendo, both humor and good humor, while retaining just enough menace and suspense. Bill Nighy and Rachel Weisz are not stretching themselves as actors here, but they turn in performances that are funny and felt, and above all believable. Fiennes and Gambon, in smaller roles, make vivid impressions that amply provide motivation to our heroes. I love the genre, and films like The Constant Gardener, Ronin, Children of Men, the Bourne trilogy, The Guard, Body of Lies, Blood Diamond, and especially the BBC TV series "Spooks" {AKA 'MI- 5'}. This compares closely & very favorably, especially the the last. I really enjoyed this film, and will watch it again soon.

A slow burner

[bowmanblue · 7/10 · 16 May 2014]

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/

one small point

[pvalley99 · 3/10 · 7 November 2011]

It's a wonderful cast wasted on a disappointing story. There are so many problems... the same old story lines of the British not being able to trust any of their allies, British cultural superiority, British dignity in righting a wrong committed by a wild card political bad man. And, of course, the hero giving up everything to right a wrong for a woman he just met... even though who ordered the "wrong" is a bit unclear. The film just plods along... terribly boring except when Michael Gambon and Judy Davis are on the screen. However, the most ridiculous and laughable part is the fantasy that the young, absolutely gorgeous Rachel Weisz, would have any romantic interest in skinny, old, dried-up Bill Nighy. As "charming" and "cerebral" as he is supposed to be, only a male writer, David Hare, could fantasize about a sexual match between these two individuals. As a matter of fact, it seems like all the women in this production were juicy, smart and beautiful beings next to the male corpses. Gag! Only Judy Davis' son had any flesh, blood and beauty. There ARE attractive older men, but not in this production. While it's true that there's no accounting for taste, this old man/young woman thing is so tired. When I try to picture Rachel and Bill in a lovers' embrace, it makes me a bit sick to the stomach.