Spy/Master

I managed to see the first episode at a preview event in Bucharest and even managed to ask a few questions to the producers and screenwriter. Please keep in mind that this review covers only the first episode.

First of all, this is a nice step forward for Romanian television. Not only is it a show with a decent budget, not cobbled together by asking a bunch of yogurt companies and supermarket chains for financing, but the production value is only one of the aspects where it's evident that a lot of care was taken. The series has broader appeal by having a broad European/American setting with actors speaking English and German in addition to Romanian (viewers who are not comfortable with subtitles won't be completely left out)

The story doesn't take huge risks, but it works within the formula very well. There's no pretension here, it is what it advertises, a John Le Carre-like spy thriller with a snappy pace (helped by the non-linear structure that the producers and screenwriter fought to keep) and a clear end goal.

This show is directed in Romania, Germany and Hungary, and there were two completely different teams involved, so you will notice doubles in roles which are usually singular, such as DOP, costume designer, production etc. The only time I saw something similar was Cloud Atlas, although that movie had three directors, while this show pulled the feat with only one.

The acting is fine, a notch above usual Romanian HBO productions, and miles ahead the porn level of acting you can see on Romanian cable tv dramas. Claudiu Bleont in particular is doing a biopic-style transformation into Ceausescu, a much appreciated departure from his days of starring in Seagal movies. The actress that plays his wife, Elena, was present for the Q&A, so it was interesting to hear that they had some level of "method acting" going on, without chewing the scenery.

There is little digital trickery involved in recreating the 70s Eastern Europe and US (the producer said that they used about 70 vfx shots per episode if I remember correctly), but they were quite clever in location scouting and production design, so rest assured, the end result is convincing and won't pull you out.

All in all, the first episode is a great pitch for the show, so give it a change if you are interested in a spy thriller that takes place behind the Iron Curtain during the Cold War, from an Eastern perspective, one which you won't get by watching a show made in the West.

At first, I was a bit confused by the switching from one language to another, but with the subs turned on, it all became clear. I'm not a fan of subtitles, but for me, they were essential and didn't detract too much from the suspense of the storyline.

It's a great spy series and compelling viewing. The characters are believable and well-rounded, the story is interesting and different, and the dialogue excellent - delivered in a great deadpan style that suited the atmosphere.

The whole series knitted together nicely, and it is refreshing to see new-to-me actors doing a great job. The period atmosphere and the settings made the whole thing believable. I particularly liked the fact that the characters were able to project the nervousness of that moment in time.

Loved it and can't recommend it highly enough.

It's a good show, but it has some glaring flaws.

Don't get me wrong, it's ultimately an interesting show, with a story that is gripping and has its fair share of tension and suspense. Most of the settings (although most are indoor) are visually believable, costumes are ok for the most part. The characters, for the most part, seem believable, but with some exceptions.

I am Romanian and it's obvious to me that no Romanian screenwriters were involved. The Romanian language dialogue is stilted, artificial, no Romanian talks that way, especially those that lived in the period the show takes place. No Romanian uses those turns of phrase, those expressions, that manner of talking overall. How can I explain it? It's like the actors are reading through literal Romanian subtitles from an American movie. At some point it gets a bit grating to my ears.

Moving onto the authenticity and historical parallels, it is also obvious that the character of Victor Godeanu is inspired by Ion Mihai Pacepa, a real life high ranking Communist official who defected to the US. Although Pacepa was a member of Ceausescu's inner circle, I feel the closeness between the Godeanu character and the Ceausescu's couple is a bit exaggerated, compared to the real life counterparts. Then again, this is a work of fiction and I guess this is warranted. Also, I am adamant that no one called either of the Ceausescus by their first names except themselves one to another.

Moving on to the portrayal of the Ceausescus themselves. Elvira Deatcu does a decent job capturing Elena's mannerisms and her domineering presence over everyone she meets and over Nicolae himself. Her entitlement as well. The only thing I think that could have been emphasized more is her lack of education, manners or culture. In real life, she was barely literate and her speech was littered with gramatical and morphological errors.

As for Nicolae, I think his portrayal is my least favorite thing about this show. Not necessarily because how he was written, but I think actor Claudiu Bleont (a very good actor otherwise) does not do a very good job. Real life Nicolae Ceausescu had a number of speech impediments. In real life, apart from his rather poor command of the Romanian language (just like his wife's), he could not properly pronounce the "R" sound. The show captured this aspect, but the actor's delivery is very inconsistent, this impediment disppearing completely in some scenes or even lines in the same scene, but where he does capture this speech impediment, the delivery is a charicature. It's Elmer Fudd-ish and grating to a Romanian ear. I would also mention real life Ceausescu's minor stutter but cannot blame the show's crew for this. The Romanian Communist Party were very, very careful about the portrayal of Ceausescu in the media, so sources of him actually espousing this are extremely rare.

As a conclusion, I am always very excited when quality Romanian (or involving Romanians) films and shows come out and especially when they have an international reach. Despite everything I have written above, Spy/Master is a good show, worth watching and I hope we can see more of the actors in the future.

First of all, before watching Spy/Master you should read "Red Horizons" by Ion Mihai Pacepa. Then, you will understand better the Spy/Master. I don't usually leave reviews, but I really liked the story, and definitely it's a lesson of history.

Fictional in a sense, but also inspired by true events, Spy/Master is probably one of the best versions of Pacepa defecting to United States. For many of us he is hero, but for others he is a traitor. The lead actor, Alex Secareanu, is doing a great job. I also like the acting of Ana Ularu. She's one of the best Romanian actress.

There are also some mistakes in the movie production, like the scene shot near the North Station Railway from Bucharest, those trains/ wagons are pretty much from actual days, not from the 70s.

Wonderful to watch something European - in spirit and in the setting. It's even better to hear Romanian (and German) spoken and not yet more American English - not that I understand it but it's very refreshing and adds a real cold war touch to the whole thing.

The production quality is high, and you feel transported back to the 70s where everything seems just a little bleak and tasteless in an authentic way.

The plot is relatively simple, and sometimes the details are a tad far-fetched. It has American producers and this shows in places where the suave Europeaness gives way to some more brash action and plot vehicles.

In that sense it probably deserves only a 7, but because of the overall classic and classy feel (and because they speak Romanian) I'll give it an 8.