Review of Page Eight (2011) by Thomas W — 13 Oct 2011

Smart, sleek and stylish suspense film from the BBC/Masterpiece Classics. While I enjoyed what I saw, I wish the end had lived-up to the build-up. It wasn't a typical "let-down" that we oftentimes see in film; but it felt a little-less-important that everything we had seen up-to-that-point.

I have read that it is "lean" ... and it is as there is very little fat that needs trimming from it. A respectable cast is led by Bill Nighy (Pirates of the Caribbean, Love Actually, The Constant Gardener) as Johnny Worricker, a long-time M15 officer, who is given a top secret/highly important/classifed file from his best friend/oldest friend/longtime colleague, Benedict Baron, played by Michael Gambon (Sleepy Hollow, Harry Potter's Dumbledore in the latter films, Gosford Park) who soon suffers a fatal heart attack leaving Johnny unsure what to do with the "toxic" information that had been handed to him.

Rachel Weisz (The Constant Gardener, Constantine, The Mummy) plays Johnny's neighbor with questionable political ties to his government and Syria and Ralph Fiennes (The Constant Gardener, Harry Potter's Voldemort, The English Patient) stars as Britain's PM.

A relatively extensive supporting cast keeps the viewer guessing as to who will figure more into the plot than expected ... and they all do a fine job (they are British so it's a given). Page Eight is taut and tense and it has a crisp, quick pacing to it.

It is one I enjoyed ... probably because I knew nothing of it going into it. It tackles some current/relevant topics to today's Britian involving top-secret spying and national intelligence while employing some of England's top onscreen talent.