London Spy

I honestly have to say I was pleasantly surprised by this. I didn't have the highest expectations because the spy genre isn't my favorite, I think it can be corny, predictable, and forced. This show is exactly the opposite of that. I do think you have to be patient with it. There a subtleness that can be mistaken for something else if you don't look at the big picture. It's really beautifully acted and shot. It provided thrill, suspense, a little humor, without being contrived. It is truly a gem. The chemistry between Danny and Alex is wonderful and very engaging in the sense that you relate with both of them so much. You want to know about Alex, the way Danny does, because there's something intriguing about his stoic but awkward nature. You sympathize with Danny, the feeling of being lost is not foreign to many of us. I watched the first episode a couple days ago and I have not been able to get it off my mind.

As a gay person who consumed a lot of Japanese yaoi (pseudo-gay manga and anime with some soft to hard sex scenes) and mystery narratives, I was shocked when I watched this BBC short series for the first time. The whole plot is like that of a typical Japanese yaoi or mystery story: it is very much driven by the emotions and the perspective of the protagonist who tries to figure out what his (deceased?) boyfriend Alex was hiding or who tried to kill (?) him. Even the very disturbing encounter with Alex mother is so well staged and told that it took my breath away. The dimly mysterious atmosphere and the constant 'not- knowing' of Danny AND the viewer is very exiting and leaves one wanting to know all the secrets hid behind a curtain of lies.

The title of this fantastic series, "London Spy", may be just a little misleading. If you are looking for a well written, edge of your seat, spy story, you've found it here. "London Spy" is an atmospheric, very stylistic, story of the human condition and spies. However, the international intrigue angle of this series is secondary to, but tightly woven through, a love story between Danny and Alex. They meet briefly, by chance, when Alex is on his early morning jog and Danny is at the end of a long night of partying. It is a metaphor for the opposite ends of life, and the world, from which they will come together. Their awkward relationship is a departure from their entrenched and established lives up to that point. Danny is a party boy at the end of a misspent youth and Alex is an overachiever at the end of a youthful, self-imposed, isolation. Together, they find solace in their unlikely love for one another.

I won't talk about the plot here and give away the well written suspense devices but I will say that something happens between Alex and Danny that calls into question Alex's true identity, his intentions, and his sincerity. Things become inexplicable and unpredictable. And for reasons unknown, everyone; Danny's best friend, Alex's mother, the police, everyone, seems invested in convincing Danny that Alex, and their relationship, is a fraud. Danny finds a coded thumb drive among Alex's belongings that seems to hold answers to something; possibly everything. But he does not have the code and therefore can't read it. What ensues from here is a labyrinthine journey through the world of hidden powers, unlikely loyalties, and Danny's questionable past.

These five episodes are brilliantly written, filmed, and the performances are off the charts amazing. Ben Wishaw is just quite frankly one of the most talented and interesting actors working today. He is in every scene. And as brilliant as his construction of a character is, his ability to step aside and "listen" through a scene demonstrates a talent that is truly unique. Charlotte Rampling, with saddest and most seductive eyes in film, is still statuesque and formidable, and gives one of the best performances of her long and storied career. Her voice lilts with soothing assurance as her words cut you off at the knees. Jim Broadbent? Nuf said. Riccardo Scarmarcio, as a heartless male escort, is as alluring as he is repellent. His one scene in episode 4 is hypnotic. Samantha Spiro as a London police detective shows American actresses how to be powerful and threatening without adopting superficial mannish affectations. She is fierce and effective. You do not want to be interrogated by this woman. Mark Gatiss as a record producer, drug provider, orgy organizer, out of Danny's past is as skeevy as they come. He does not have one redeeming quality and he plays it without a micron of shame. Who ever plays a villain this well?

This screenplay by Tom Rob Smith is well written and the cast and director Jakob Verbruggen, pull it all together into a compelling and riveting story. How this story line is parsed out, clues rationed, and then knitted together at the end is fantastic. The cinematography is just manic in the best possible way. The camera swirls around the actors like a shark around a swimmer, pans from mouth to mouth in a conversation literally carrying the dialogue across open space from character to character, pulls in so tight that at times the only image on the screen is the contour of a cheekbone or a speaking mouth. The necktie scene in the opening of episode 2 is powerful because of how beautifully it's filmed.

I have only one complaint . The fifth episode goes a little weak, and has "The End" written all over it. As in, no season 2. This mini series does cater to a fairly narrow audience I guess. There is nothing vulgar or obscene about it but it does contain and imply some rather exotic sexual practices "enjoyed" by both straight and gay people alike. But in this case, by gay people. That may be a bridge too far for some but the quality of this work and the story line of this project more than justifies it. And it never seems out of balance or exploitative. See, again here, I don't want to give away why. You just have to see it for yourself and trust. It is well worth the journey.

There's absolutely no denying this is another example of a wonderfully made British drama production. It is beautifully filmed. The acting marvelous. The directing and editing probably won awards. The subject not one that could even have been tackled a generation ago.

But ...

But, although my wife and I were mesmerized by the first three episodes and absolutely enthralled by the production and couldn't wait for the next one, during the fourth episode I started to get one of those "oh-oh" feelings that the whole plot was just going off the rails. It just felt like the writer wasn't too sure where to do with the whole thing and how to resolve what he started and just making it up minute to minute.

During the final episode that fear was confirmed as the two of us just sat there in silence enduring what we were now committed to watching as we'd made it through the first part of the series. At the end of the episode, I just turned it off in disbelief and my wife summed it up with something like, "what a waste of time that was." So much potential with what started out so promisingly but it all spiraled its way downhill in a painful fizzle for the final 45 minutes. So disappointed. In some ways, the final episode reminded me of bad science fiction it was so silly.

Look, IF you've started watching it and wonder what is happening, by all means finish it. However, if you are reading these reviews prior to seeing episode 1 then both of us would suggest you don't waste your time as you will find yourself let down when it reaches the end.

London Spy is about a guy who meets another guy, fell in love and decided that this is the person he can spend rest of his life with. Until the other person ends up murdered. After his dreams being shattered, he found out that there was a lot which he did not know about his boyfriend, who happens to be a spy. Also, he has to clear his name as a suspect. He refused the stories being fed to him and took it upon himself to fight the unknown resisting forces to find the truth about how the man he loved so much ended up dead.

I love to watch Ben Whishaw on screen. I can watch anything he is in. In this five-part series, he played the part of an innocent lover of a spy with amazing finesse. On top of that, you'll get to see Charlotte Rampling's mysterious portrayal of a mother who just lost her son. Also, special mention should be given to Jim Broadbent for playing a Man Friday to the lead character.

The series follows Ben while he tries to find out who killed his lover and why. He is so unsure of what is going on but he is sure of one thing, Alex (his lover, played by Edward Holcroft) loved him more than anything. This gives him the courage to tackle anything which comes between him and finding the truth. One thing which I had a problem with was his amazing abilities to fill the holes in the stories. Many times it feels like he would come up with a connection between things on his own just like that.

Nevertheless, the series is an amazing watch. It has a lot of twists and turns but mostly what I loved were intense conversations between crucial characters.