Page Eight

I was in the mood for a spy thriller. I selected Page Eight, a BBC TV movie with a really great cast. It stars Bill Nighy, Rachel Weisz, and Tom Hughes. Page Eight is an excellent movie that develops slowly and maintains this slow pace throughout, but I seem to like such dramas. So, what is the story?

Long-time military intelligence analyst Johnny Worricker (Nighy) is a passionate man, about his art collection, jazz records and the many women he has wooed—some of whom he’s married, though none for very long. His boss, the Director General of MI5 (Gambon) is married to one of Johnny’s ex-wives, but as his best friend, the director general is the longest sustained relationship he’s ever had. In fact, Johnny’s made an art out of steering clear of true intimacy with anybody—including his former wives and daughter—and never discussing matters involving faith or politics. He may be alone, but he sleeps through the night.

After an explosive report containing damming implications involving higher-ups within the UK administration makes its way to his department it, ironically, falls on Johnny’s shoulders to either make a stand and do the right thing or play it safe and do nothing. Nothing is what he would normally do. To make matters more complicated his neighbor (Weisz), a mysterious young woman, suddenly reaches out to him. His spy instincts tingle with suspicion: is she who she says she is or is she there to trap him?

If you like a good British spy thriller, than I recommend Page Eight.