Don't Want to Play THE GAME

Article first published as THE GAME Review on Seat42F.

BBC America begins airing the six-part period spy drama THE GAME this week. Set in 1970s Cold War Britain, it features a cat-and-mouse game of espionage between the KGB and MI5, racing against time to stop deep conspiracies full of hidden cells and double-agents. It is created and written by Toby Whitehouse of Being Human fame.

I used a number of tired clichés in that first paragraph, but there’s really no other way to describe this program. This genre has become quite crowded with copycats, and while Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and others might be excellent period pieces with beautiful sets and costumes and intelligent, twisty writing, the seventh time you see something in that vein, it loses its magic.

There is nothing wrong with THE GAME itself. It’s a well-made, stylistically terrific, smart drama. The characters are interesting, the pacing is slow, as it often is in these British-made programs, but moves along with enough surprises to stay interesting. The acting is wonderful and the writing is fine. The settings make it visually engaging, and the color palette sets an appropriate tone for the story being told. I’m really not finding any specific aspect to complain about.

Except, the entire time I was watching the first part, I kept feeling like I’d already seen this before. The names and faces blur together enough that I don’t know exactly what will come next, but I do know the general direction things are going in and that some characters will shift allegiances or be exposed as villains or die. Like a dozen other series and miniseries that have aired in the past few years, and even before that, THE GAME follows an extremely familiar pattern and cadence that lacks originality and freshness. Because of this, it’s more boring than it should be.

I feel like British spy dramas have become that country’s version of the American crime procedural (or the British crime procedural, for that matter). Every “new” version is just a slight variation on a relatively strict formula. It’s a formula that works extremely well or the producers wouldn’t keep making it, but those that produce this sort of thing do not do nearly enough to set their piece apart from any other. THE GAME is as guilty of this as any other recent example that springs to mind. That’s why I’m going to skip watching this one and stick to something more serial, like FX’s The Americans, and unless you haven’t seen one of these in awhile, I recommend you do the same.

For those interested, THE GAME stars Tom Hughes (Page Eight) as Joe Lambe, a young malcontent who may or may not have a soul left. Joe’s plot makes up the framework story, as viewers see glimpses of him accompanied by an attractive woman meeting with KGB agents on the coast. Obviously, this meeting goes awry. The audience won’t know where Joe’s true loyalties lie any time soon. Is he trying to defect to the Soviets? Is he tricking them for Queen and country? Does he return to his home to serve as a double agent or to stop a nefarious scheme? It’s impossible to tell yet.

Joe’s boss is Daddy (Brian Cox, Braveheart). Well respected in the department, savvy and paranoid, Daddy is the type of leader you’d expect to see in a secret group within MI5, played by an actor with the gravitas to handle the role, a definite plus for THE GAME, if not an unusual one. Will Daddy’s skills be sharp enough to figure out the secrets behind Operation Glass, or has he aged out of his usefulness? Will his pride or his suspicion be his undoing?

THE GAME airs Wednesdays at 10 p.m. ET on BBC America.

DVD Review: ‘The Lady Vanishes’

Article first published as DVD Review: ‘The Lady Vanishes’ on Blogcritics.

In 1938, Alfred Hitchcock made a film based on the novel The Wheel Spins. It was remade in 1979 starring Cybill Sheperd, Angela Lansbury, and Elliott Gould.

Recently, the BBC and Masterpiece created a new version of this story, The Lady Vanishes, this one reportedly more closely hewing to the novel than the previous two, and released it on DVD.

This version stars Tuppence Middleton (Spies of Warsaw) as Iris Carr. A carefree socialite, she hangs around a hotel after her friends leave and ends up riding back to London on a train car with assorted strangers. She finds a friendly face in fellow Englishperson Miss Froy (Selina Cadell, Doc Martin), but after Iris wakes from a nap, Miss Froy seems to have disappeared. Iris grows more and more upset as she can’t find a witness to support her story that Miss Froy even exists, other passengers presumably lying, and a bout of what might have been sunstroke leaves her own testimony circumspect.

There is a diverse contingent of players on the train, a confined setting for the story that adds a feeling of claustrophobia to the mix. The Baroness (Benedikte Hansen, Borgen) could be the villain responsible for the drama, if indeed Miss Froy has been abducted, or she could be an innocent rich person that serves as a target for Iris’ delusion. Young, dashing Max Hare (Tom Hughes, Silk) would like to believe Iris, whom he takes an instant liking to, but even his chivalry can’t erase doubts as Iris’ claims seem to fall apart. There is also a Professor (Alex Jennings, Whitechapel), a Doctor (Jesper Christensen, Arvingerne), a Reverend (Pip Torrens, Fleming), his wife (Sandy McDade, Lark Rise to Candleford), and others who come into play, some with their own motivations, and some who remain more mysterious.

The main point of The Lady Vanishes seems to be to let viewers question reality and build tension. If everyone else is lying, why would they do so? Might Iris be as crazy as some accuse her of? Is Miss Froy alive or dead or made up? There are more questions than answers for most of the piece, which should be enough to keep viewers watching, if for no other reasons than to see how it ends up. It’s frustrating to watch, but that only mirrors Iris’ own feelings, so the tone does succeed in letting us relate to the protagonist quite well.

The 90-minute thriller is fine for television, but falls short for the cinema. The pacing is too slow and the emergency too tame, with decent, but not mind-blowing, acting. What this makes for is something that will feel familiar to fans of British period pieces and PBS, albeit moving into a slightly different genre than most of their productions, satisfying a particular, niche audience, but perhaps not appealing to the public at large.

The film’s production values aren’t particularly memorable. The train looks well-detailed, but with its muted, dark colors, it’s not a stand-out set, nor are the costumes lavish enough to really admire. Not being a student of this period, it’s hard for me to determine how realistic the program is, but I do find myself racking my brain, having a hard time coming up with elements to discuss, as the overall feelings is one of blandness.

That’s likely the biggest downfall with The Lady Vanishes. Athough I was interested while watching it, I wasn’t overly impressed enough to do so again anytime soon. It also didn’t stand out as something I would spend any time thinking of after the fact. It’s quick and forgettable, slightly interesting, but mostly dull.

It doesn’t help that there are no extras on this bare-bones DVD release. Perhaps if there were some clue as to why the producers thought a remake was necessary, or a discussion of the choices made, that might spark something more than a first impression leaves. Sadly, no audio commentaries or behind-the-scenes looks are included to serve this purpose, with only the film on the disc.

The Lady Vanishes is available now.

DVD Review: ‘Silk – Series One’

Article first published as DVD Review: ‘Silk – Series One’ on Blogcritics.

“Taking silk” is a phrase in the British legal field to describe what happens when a barrister achieves the rank of Queen’s (or King’s) Counsel, which typically happens only after at least 15 years experience. The phrase comes from the silk robes these professionals don. It’s also the name of a current British drama that not so long ago aired on BBC America. Silk – Series One, consisting of the first six episodes, has recently been released on DVD.

Created by Peter Moffat (Criminal Justice), who served the bar and so has first-hand knowledge of this world, Silk is the story of a small group of barristers in London. Their competition for promotion is fierce, and the pressure to succeed is intense. This series attempts to realistically portray what it’s like to be in such a contest, and is pretty entertaining in the process.

Martha Costello (Maxine Peake, Shameless) is a smart, ambitious lawyer with a great reputation, who really wants to take the silk. To do so, she is plenty willing to take on last-minute cases, which the chambers’ tricky senior clerk, Billy Lamb (Neil Stuke, Reggie Perrin), throws her way, especially those that will look extra good to the people who will be evaluating her, showcasing her range.

Martha is saddled with training Nick Slade (Tom Hughes, Cemetery Junction), so needless to say, she’s quite busy, having to set a good example for him and make sure he’s learning something while still doing her job. Plus, messy personal issues crop up at inconvenient times, too.

Martha’s chief rival is the funny, but ruthless, Clive Reader (Rupert Penry-Jones, Whitechapel). Not only does Clive make Martha’s job harder, but he soon beds Niamh Cranitch (Natalie Dormer, Game of Thrones), his own pupil, so he’s not the most likeable guy. Clive often succeeds, as any good foe must, but he also has his own share of setbacks, such as when the man he must interview for turns out be a person Clive should stay well away from.

The main challenge that Silk faces is staying believable. The players do tend to be pretty easy to sort into ‘good’ or ‘bad’ categories, which isn’t nearly as interesting as complex parts with layers would be. Martha is a hero and Clive is a villain. There is also sometimes a bit of hokiness in the lengths certain people will go to to achieve their goals, though that is typical of much on television.

What the series does well, though, is raise moral and ethical quandaries. How can the barristers represent someone they detest or argue a case they don’t believe in? Is the judicial system flawed and should it be changed? Are there parts of it that must be upheld no matter what, and are more important than any individual trial? And if the methods of catching a criminal aren’t on the level, should that perp escape punishment? Several of the episodes leave viewers with much to consider after.

The story does culminate in a very exciting, messy finale, in which the fates of several main characters are up in the air. Because of bribery and deception, it’s not easy to get it all sorted out.

A second series has already aired in Britain, with a third commissioned, so there will be closure of these threads for anyone worried about such things.

There’s a single extra on this DVD going behind the scenes of the show. This is far too light, and will disappoint pretty much anyone that likes to look beyond the installments themselves. I’m not sure why a modern series which is still making fresh episodes would be released in such a barren set, but the lack of bonuses is definitely the biggest drawback.

Silk Series One is available now.