bozsid

A great shame that Hollywood budget-conscious values of the era cut into this Orson Welles' film, and rendered what could have rivalled Citizen Kane into a small film easily passed over in his canon. But fortunately flashes of his brilliance can still be discerned. Even the inexperienced film-goer will tell the hand of genius is at work here.

This review will be similar in tone and feeling to another recent, and very positive one. In fact, that so reflects my own reaction to the episode that I can think of very little to add. I've quite enjoyed the program in general, but initially felt a teeny bit disappointed in myself for doing so. It's slowly grown on me, however, probably because things aren't necessarily tied up in a neat bow at the end (for example, with regard to Dimitri, and to the McCord children's being written with a fair degree of attention to just how complex such lives are likely to be). The acting is always competent, and sometimes, even of great calibre. Téa Leoni has long been a favourite, and in Madam Secretary she never fails to be convincing as essentially a woman of principle, but who is humanly subject to the myriad conflicts between ethics and political expediency. This episode had me sitting up with a jolt. My view is that the writers excelled themselves. My opinion may of course be because the plot lines have usually more to do with the world stage, and any departure from a norm is refreshing. Nevertheless, I defy anyone (who has congregated as a family under stressful circumstances) not to identify strongly with the finely-drawn bitterness, grief, anger and helplessness that the McCord clan has to confront here. A tour de force.