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Close To The Enemy - New Stephen Poliakoff Drama On BBC 2 Tonight at 9pm


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Old 12-11-2016, 18:39
anyonefortennis
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Not sure what I'm looking at but I'll keep working away. It's not exactly The Missing, is it ....
It's not trying to be. It's a completely different genre.
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Old 12-11-2016, 20:41
enna_g
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Just watched it. I wasn't sure what nationality the main actor was as his acent was very strange - apparently it is Jim Sturgess - why on earth is he talking like this it is most annoying. In fact I found the whole programme annoying especially the child who was obviously putting on the crying at the dinner table. i am not going to be able to watch this again. I was hoping for a cold war movie which this obviously isn't. It seems to be full of stereotypes and not the least bit interesting.
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Old 12-11-2016, 22:07
Anne_Cameron
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It was filmed in Liverpool, an old empty bank was converted into a hotel set, so not a real hotel as such.
Was the whole thing filmed in Liverpool? If so what was that building where the black market was held?
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Old 12-11-2016, 23:48
RichmondBlue
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It certainly had style, and that kept me watching. In fact, I'd say the hotel was the real star of the piece. As others have said, the lead actor was incredibly annoying. He carried the same supercilious expression throughout and spoke in one of the weirdest and most contrived accents I've ever heard. It will be hard to empathise with him as our hero..if that's what he's meant to be.
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Old 12-11-2016, 23:58
harrypalmer
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Excellent, as with all Poliakoff, although I have often heard him criticised for being 'too intellectual' and insufficiently 'accessible'.
I'd say the complete opposite. It's more like obvious plots masquerading as intellectual. Even Foyle's War has more actual depth.

I see a similarity to the film (and book) of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. Overly-convoluted plotting and people talking cryptically for no apparent reason other than to appear serious and important.

Despite all this I found the opening episode good and worth sticking with.
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Old 13-11-2016, 02:32
bspace
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Somewhat of a pastiche of the genre, many of the parts seemed rather uncomfortably lifted from other programs and all too familiar at that. Not an altogether succesful first episode but enjoyable enough to stick with it when there's so little else around at the moment.
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Old 14-11-2016, 08:30
Surf's Up
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Loved it. Looks great, it has that "parallel universe" feel you get from all his stuff. Conversations are often very slightly at cross-purposes, music wells up slightly out of kilter with the intensity of the action, which could be annoying but here just contributes to the atmosphere of slight weirdness.
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Old 14-11-2016, 10:52
Straker
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It's a sort of mash-up of Cary Grant and James Mason.
It's like Return of the Saint - Once you realise Ian Ogilvy's doing an impersonation of Cary Grant (whom Charteris wanted for the role originally) throughout it becomes hard to rewatch without viewing the whole thing as a piss-take.
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Old 14-11-2016, 11:14
barbeler
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I haven't watched it yet but I thought Shooting The Past was one of the most captivating dramas ever shown on television, so I'll certainly be giving it a go. I thought Close My Eyes was very erotic for TV and Capturing Mary was also looking good, but my recorder somehow missed an episode and I never got round to completing it.
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Old 14-11-2016, 11:21
Straker
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It's no Shooting the Past and Close My Eyes was made for the cinema, which is where I first saw it back in the day.

My faves are Caught on a Train, Hidden City and Shooting the Past.
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Old 14-11-2016, 11:22
planets
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I haven't watched it yet but I thought Shooting The Past was one of the most captivating dramas ever shown on television, so I'll certainly be giving it a go. I thought Close My Eyes was very erotic for TV and Capturing Mary was also looking good, but my recorder somehow missed an episode and I never got round to completing it.
If you liked Shooting the Past you might like Perfect Strangers. I loved both.
The way stories and secrets were revealed by photographs was a common theme in both.
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Old 14-11-2016, 12:42
James J
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If you liked Shooting the Past you might like Perfect Strangers. I loved both.
The way stories and secrets were revealed by photographs was a common theme in both.
My god, Shooting The Past was such a masterpiece. One of my favourite TV shows of all time. Liked Perfect Strangers too but Shooting The Past was utterly sublime - Timothy Spall and Lindsay Duncan were out of this world, and the soundtrack was beautiful from Adrian Johnson.

I think Poliakoff is an acquired taste but I personally love everything he does.
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Old 14-11-2016, 18:38
HarkAtHer
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(Ahem - having started a rogue thread on this show, here's my two penn'orth)

I'm not a fan of Stephen Poliakoff, but love spy thrillers of this era so gave it a go. Unfortunately it lived up to expectations.

Poliakoff productions always have a slightly odd tone, halfway between realism and theatricality, and a whole lot pleased with themselves. So it was with Close to the Enemy. The cast of red-lipped femmes fatales, smokey-voiced jazz singers, establishment bastards and clever-dick agents suggest he was going for wartime noir. What we got was a bunch of cliches being mysterious together in a utility version of Hotel Budapest.

But it did make you think. Why would a German scientist consider throwing in his lot with the Russians? Why did the little girl have such an unconvincing scream? Why did Captain Ferguson sound hilariously like Swiss Tony? Alas I'll never know as I couldn't get to the end of the first ep. But best of British (as an SP character might say) to those who do.
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Old 16-11-2016, 23:58
JamieHT
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Just caught up. Not on my must-watch list but it i shall give episode two a go to see if I like the look of where it's going. I think the main guy is miscast so far so that can go either of two ways. We shall see. All I can say so far is hmmmm.
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Old 17-11-2016, 08:52
enna_g
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(Ahem - having started a rogue thread on this show, here's my two penn'orth)

I'm not a fan of Stephen Poliakoff, but love spy thrillers of this era so gave it a go. Unfortunately it lived up to expectations.

Poliakoff productions always have a slightly odd tone, halfway between realism and theatricality, and a whole lot pleased with themselves. So it was with Close to the Enemy. The cast of red-lipped femmes fatales, smokey-voiced jazz singers, establishment bastards and clever-dick agents suggest he was going for wartime noir. What we got was a bunch of cliches being mysterious together in a utility version of Hotel Budapest.

But it did make you think. Why would a German scientist consider throwing in his lot with the Russians? Why did the little girl have such an unconvincing scream? Why did Captain Ferguson sound hilariously like Swiss Tony? Alas I'll never know as I couldn't get to the end of the first ep. But best of British (as an SP character might say) to those who do.
Bib . I decided to remove this programme from my series link as I found it to be extremely irritating.
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Old 17-11-2016, 13:49
HarkAtHer
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Bib . I decided to remove this programme from my series link as I found it to be extremely irritating.
Me too!
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Old 17-11-2016, 14:51
PaddyODawes
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I'm watching again in the hope of more cookery tips. I did the cabbage with onions, garlic & butter - it went down a storm.
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Old 17-11-2016, 14:53
anyonefortennis
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I'm watching again in the hope of more cookery tips. I did the cabbage with onions, garlic & butter - it went down a storm.
I hope you didn't try the ice cream recipe.
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Old 17-11-2016, 21:15
harrypalmer
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HarkAtHer is right, whatsisname does sound like Swiss Toni. Now I have that link in my brain he sounds even more like him.

'Spying is very much like making love to a beautiful woman...'
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Old 17-11-2016, 22:09
anyonefortennis
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Freddie Highmore is rubbish in this.
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Old 17-11-2016, 22:15
SapphicGrrl
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Freddie Highmore is rubbish in this.
I couldn't agree more - I just want to slap him very hard. (And he looks hopelessly out of place - his modern hairstyle is ridiculous?)
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Old 17-11-2016, 22:44
iamian
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So far so very good!
Anyone have an idea where the 'hotel' is filmed? Beautiful rooms.
The interior scenes of the hotel were filmed in the old Martin's Bank building in Water St. Liverpool. It is presently being converted to a 5 star hotel so you will be able to visit it yourself.

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/news/...koffs-12165390
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Old 17-11-2016, 22:50
Mugatu
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I thought Ferguson sounded like Alexander Armstrong's Morse parody, "Force on the Case".

"Mur-der? Come on Chuffy, let's go and get a drink."
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Old 17-11-2016, 23:21
STUFFY
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Bib . I decided to remove this programme from my series link as I found it to be extremely irritating.
This is just a load of pretentious nonsense with more holes in it than a colander.

I expect it will be 'critically acclaimed' , like Harold Pinter and the like.

Expect to see a 'secret agent' lurking holding a smoking "bomb" , come back Monty Python!
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Old 17-11-2016, 23:39
harrypalmer
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This is just a load of pretentious nonsense with more holes in it than a colander...
Sadly this is true. It's just people going through well-trodden motions. Hopefully there will be some sort of interesting twist in this. It's only on the second episode so there's time, but the script and some of the acting up to now is diabolical.
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