Fleming

A four-part mini-series about James Bond author Ian Fleming. Based on true events how his work during WW2 formed the basis for his later novels. Booze, beautiful women, money, casino's, secret missions, ... its all in this mini-series. In a sense it is truely his life during WW2, which resulted in the inspiration for his later Bond novels.

This mini-series also shows how the "30 Assault Unit" was Fleming's initiative, like the famous way in which the Germans were fooled in believing the Allied Forces would invade Greece instead of Sicily. This by using a dead body that was rigged with false intelligence.

It also shows the complex relationship that Fleming had with women, including his own mother. We also get an idea how Fleming came to know his later wife Ann O'Neill.

Excellent acting and stunning scenes make this mini-series a very attractive watch. It really gives the viewer an idea how high-society London was during the 1940's war years.

Overall, this show scores 7.5/10, thereby just making it an IMDb rating of 8 stars.

In the great tradition of excellent, professionally made British TV Series...

How good, how refreshing! Finally a production which entertains, informs and intrigues at the same time! Everything about this show is well done, the script (above all), the direction, the acting, the cinematography, the sound... There is absolutely nothing to complain about. It is interesting, the dialog (finally) is engaging, it is wonderful to hear the English language spoken so beautifully. Yes, it does not completely conform to historical fact, it has been a little dramatized for entertainment purposes, but who cares? It is and remains an excellent production.

I am certain Fleming would have loved this! Well done to all!

Dominic Cooper should be on the British honors list one day. He was terrific in his role as Ian Fleming, a British playboy who became a British spy during World War II. Ian Fleming was the author of the James Bond super spy novels. He had lived an interesting life himself. The four part series included Fleming's own playboy relationships with women bordering misogynistic. Lesley Manville was perfect as his mother. Anna Chancellor was terrific as the Officer Monday who would later be characterized as Miss Moneypenny. While the four part series was quite entertaining, you didn't want it to end too.

Ian Fleming (Dominic Cooper) is a disappointing playboy with a wealthy and well connected family. His brother is the shining star of his mother. He has a great love Muriel Wright (Annabelle Wallis), and a love affair with the married Ann O'Neill (Lara Pulver). His boss is Real Admiral John Godfrey (Samuel West), and assistant Second Officer Monday (Anna Chancellor).

Those who complain about the authenticity really miss the point of the series. His actual career is probably lost forever to time and state secrets. This is a marrying of Ian Fleming and James Bond. Quite frankly, I don't know why nobody has made feature movies about a semi-fictionalized Ian Fleming before. It's a great way to do a Bond movie while skirting the copyright. And you can use Fleming's name right up top maybe even 'The Man who would be Bond'.

This one does it as well as it can be done on TV. The action could be bigger. Dominic Cooper is a bratty playboy writer who turns into a brilliant intelligence officer struggling against the system. All the James Bond ideas are there intermingled with the real Ian Fleming. That's the charming part of this series.

From the very beginning, we're gently nudged towards the idea that the inspiration to Ian Fleming for James Bond was... Fleming himself. As fictional as that may be, and there are reasons to appreciate it for the entertainment value at least, young Fleming's routine gets old really really fast. The boozing, womanizing, good-for-nothing, but ultimately lovable scoundrel has been portrayed in many a production before. Nothing bad about Dominic Cooper's performance, and he does radiate a certain charm, but really... there's only so much dickish behavior one's charm can excuse.

Ultimately, I got bored by Fleming's antics and the repeated, sanitized sex scenes. The central plot never grasped me and frankly, I ended up not caring particularly much for any of the characters - least of all the titular one.

It's not a bad product per se. But not a very good one either.