Reilly: Ace of Spies

When the series first came out it captivated me and to this day I have not been able to find the complete series on either VHS or DVD. It is one of those TV mini-series that the Brits do so well and Sam Neill is just superb in the lead role. The VHS listed is the first episode and in case you are wondering it gets better. I do wish that now they are bringing out series like "Friends" and "Cheers" on DVD that they (whoever they are) would look into bringing out the complete series of this great piece of work. I'm afraid the quality of the picture might be poor (as I found out when I got "Piece of Cake") but it would be still worth it. Rating 876 out of 880!!!!

Sam Neil is "Reilly, Ace of Spies" in this excellent miniseries from 1983. And let me add, he's much better looking than the real master spy Sidney Reilly.

This miniseries covers Reilly'a antics in the early part of the century, and the stuff that made him the model for Ian Fleming's James Bond. Over time, he spied for something like four countries, working at various times for England as part of Scotland yard, the Secret Service Bureau, and the Secret Intelligence Service. In 1918, he was part of a plot to overthrow the Bolsheviks in Russia and apparently planned to hold position of leader over there! The series not only covers Reilly's spying exploits and his ruthlessness, but also his way with women. Sam Neill is fabulous as Reilly - attractive, charming, cold, calculating, and confident.

How much of Reilly's story is true is unknown, and perhaps it was expanded as dramatic license, but he is believed to be the first superspy, and there's no doubt that he was very successful at what he did.

There is a lot of history to be had in this miniseries, supported with great production values. Though the series was filmed in England, France, and Malta, one really believes one is in various Russian locales as well as other places. And the detail in the sets and costumes is fantastic.

The various stories can be somewhat confusing, but that's one of the things that makes it so engrossing. Real life can be messy. Sometimes your friends are, in reality, your enemies in the spy game. Sometimes going into a situation, goals change. Reilly stayed sharp throughout, ferreting out enemies and finding advantageous situations. A real master spy. An excellent, often exciting, often suspenseful, always interesting miniseries.

Back in 1983, my wife and myself watched a 12 part series on TV. My wife thought it was very good. I thought it was excellent. The leading roll was played by an actor named Sam Neil who played the master spy Sidney Reilly as if he were made for the part.

For two decades, I spoke about this series and spent the last of these years waiting for the DVD.

Well, we've viewed the four disk DVD set and I can tell you that Reilly Ace of Spies is even better than I remembered. My wife (a critical reviewer) was just as impressed... far more so than she was some two decades ago.

I won't go into a plot explanation of this series because you can read the bio of Sigmund Rosenblum (aka Sidney Reilly) in many movie reviews and several books. What I can say is that the series very closely parallels what was written about him.

Worthy of note is the acting of Sam Neil, who reached his acting peak in this initial major work.

Mr. Neil (not normally known for his dynamic theatrical presence) played his roll with a versatility that moved easily from calm sophistication to blistering intensity. Keep track of his eyes. They speak with a communicative clarity that he has rarely been equaled.

I'm giving this DVD series a never bestowed (by me) 10 out of 10. A Must see and a classic work.

"Reilly: Ace of Spies" is the most realistic treatment of international espionage that I've ever seen - probably, of course, because Reilly was a real person. His exploits are doubtless exaggerated here, but perhaps not too exaggerated. The scripts certainly seem realistic, and that's the important thing.

What the series does best is recreate the early 20th century in incredible detail. The lavish sets and costumes establish a wonderful period "look," while the dialogue and narration work well together to outline the era's politics, major concerns, and even technology. There's a lot of exposition, but it never feels dry.

Throughout the first half of the series, Reilly changes locations and missions frequently, ensuring that the episodes always feel fresh. The second half is dedicated entirely to Reilly's ambitions in Russia. I'm not sure which half I prefer - they're both satisfying in different ways.

My only problems with the series are minor ones. David Suchet is a great actor, but he's unmistakably European, and it bothers me to see him play a Chinese character in the second episode. I also think Margaret, Reilly's first wife, has a very drippy persona. That might be intentional, but nevertheless, I can only take her in small doses.

Otherwise, this is a faultless historical thriller. Sam Neil really is superb as Reilly; he manages to convey complex emotions while overall maintaining a tough-guy exterior. The supporting cast is solid, and the historical figures who appear, especially Lenin and Stalin, come across as convincing and extremely charismatic.

Perhaps the most interesting thing about this series is that Reilly often employs ruthless means to achieve his ends. This means that he's not always sympathetic; sometimes, the series allows you to hate its protagonist. That's pretty bold TV-making, in my opinion, and I quite respect it.

Like a great mystery book, this series is hard to put down (or stop watching). Some mystery series lull me to sleep. This one didn't. It is definitely slow-paced as they did series this way in the 80's and PBS allowed for longer series then and allowed the writers to take their time. Longer series (like this one at 12 episodes) allows for a more leisurely pace, allowing us to sink into the stories and plots and the characters! I haven't read the book Ace of Spies on which this series is based. But these TV episodes unfold in a chapter like pace which is great. All credit to the directors, the writer and the cast.

Sam Neill definitely looks like a Bond-study role. But the weight of an actor to carry a whole series like this on one's shoulders is tremendous, and Neill does an excellent job, being in almost every scene. And then to be surrounded by a great supporting cast surely helps too. Norman Rodway, Leo McKern, Hugh Fraser, Ian Charleson, John Castle, Peter Egan, Tom Bell, Lindsay Duncan, many of whom would have major roles of their own in other PBS British imported series. It is a bit odd to hear Kenneth Cranham's Lenin and David Burke's Stalin with English accents, but forgivable since none of the other actors as Russians try for any accent.

The usual attention to detail in this period piece, production designs, costumes, etc. all add to this excellent series.

If Thames TV/PBS tried to remake this today, it would be probably watered down to just a couple of episodes and the scenes would be cut to the quick edits and many of the smaller supporting characters would be totally eliminated and there would for sure be much more on screen violence and gore and lots of loud sound effects. So for me this version is more enjoyable. I highly recommend it.