| in many ways the PERFECT modern spy thriller (by A_Different_Drummer) |
| 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 <more> |
| Best film I've Watched In Years (by rkersh) |
| 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 <more> |
| Canny, witty spy thriller with a light touch (by whitewc) |
| 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. <more> |
| Excellent spy drama in a post 9-11 world (by ochichornye) |
| Hard on the heels of a complete dud 'Glorious 39' , Bill Nighe stars in a worthy, modern successor of John le Carre's seventies cold war dramas.If you prefer action, noise and explosions, you won't like this film. If you prefer drama to confirm your own political convictions, you won't necessarily like this film. If you prefer complex plots that make you sit on the edge of your seat, good acting and atmosphere, you will probably like this film.The script is sharp, believable and occasionally witty, even if not all the threads are followed to their logical conclusion. <more> |
| In a word, Brilliant (by nowego) |
| 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 <more> |
| Witty, clever -- with some actual meat on its bones (by flowwalker) |
| I found Page Eight to be both witty and serious. I found it refreshing that it pursued ugly truths and lies of the United States and Great Britain that get at the heart of who both countries truly are at the moment, and have been for some time. There was so much mental dodging and weaving and swordplay going on between most of the protagonists that I'm not sure if I got its main point correctly -- but I felt that, ultimately, it celebrated old principles of honesty and honor, while tripping down current roads of subterfuge quite lightly and adroitly. I loved the ultimate honoring of heart <more> |
| An all-round enjoyable watch (by andrewl-williamson) |
| 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 <more> |
| Fantastic piece of television (by ego_2009) |
| 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 <more> |
| 454th Review: An intelligent and competent political thriller (by intelearts) |
| 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 <more> |