Reilly: Ace of Spies

Fabulous work by Neill, as usual, in this early work. This series, for the most part historically accurate, covers the almost unbelievable espionage/covert ops careers in history by a man virtually unknown until this series ran. Fascinating perspectives on the political machinations going on in Europe & Asia at the time, most of which Sidney Reilly was involved in at one time or another. This is almost never seen since its initial few runs on PBS, but if it comes back, do NOT miss it. I wish I had taped it now....

I would think that anyone who watches this series and then compares it to the last 10 years or so of James Bond films will easily be able to discern serious story telling from CGI cluttered inanity.

I was mesmerized by this series and IMMEDIATELY became a fan of Sam Neil.

The sets, the wardrobe, all first rate. The supporting cast, as is so often the case with these British entries, is superb.

The direction is better than on most big budget action films and really The best espionage story ever told.

While I did enjoy Sean Connery and the earliest of Bond films this is the real deal, and Sam Neil is, forever, the man who Ian Fleming called the real James Bond.

Leave it to the Brits to get it right.

Sex, murder, intrigue, moves and countermoves, all the stuff that really juicy mini-series are made of...and its a true story. The original introduction that ran with the PBS showing stated that Ian Fleming used Sidney Reilly as the basis of James Bond. Sidney, as played by the great Sam Neill certainly embodies all the trademark qualities of that later spy...a way with a gun and the ladies, a wry sense of humor and a cold, calculating methodolgy. The series covers the time period of the Great Game, when Europe, Russia and England tried to out move each other in access to the newly emerging oil fields of the Middle East. Echoes of that period - approximately (forgive my fading memory) 1895 to 1922 - are still bouncing around the world. Sam Neill is extraordinary as the first great professional spy who set the standard for those who came after, changing it from a gentleman's game to a deadly serious career path. I remember watching some news footage at the time of the fall of the Soviet Union. The reporter said that people were tearing down a statue of the founder of the KGB in front of its Headquarters. "Felix Derzhinsky in front of the Lubianka Prison!" I called out to the TV... I knew because of having watched its birth in Sidney Reilly... eventually, the news got it right. If you love history and great drama...this is for you.

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.

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.