Review of Page Eight (2011) by Malcolm G — 24 May 2012

Brilliant. If you are a fan of spy-thrillers such as Tinker-Tailor-Soldier-Spy, then this is for you. There are no helicopter gunships, spectacular explosions, or high-tech weaponry. With this movie, the budget was spent on superb acting, a strong script, and near-perfect direction and production.

Bill Nighy plays the lead role as 2IC in British MI5. Rachel Weisz adds mystery to the mix, with Michael Gambon providing early color to the story before passing on to that great spy-station in the sky.

The movie is about what happens immediately following Gambon's death. Political mandarins and the MI5 hierarchy must deal with an intelligence report presented by Gambon shortly before his death. The contents of this report have far-reaching implications, nationally and internationally, in both the intelligence and political arenas. As the title suggests, the devil is in the detail - on Page Eight of the report.

The plot is sophisticated without being over-complicated and moves with good pace. The acting is as you would expect from such a talented cast. The direction and production is like all good direction and production - you don't notice it.

There are no melodramatic (pregnant) pauses, nor are there any of the those irrelevant sequences (usually involving gratuitous sex or violence) that directors sometimes use as fillers in movies which are short of plot.