It's a story that has been filmed many times before in one way or another. The defection of the British spies Kim Philby, Donald McClean and Guy Burgess to the Russians in the 1950's and 60's. Some depictions have shown these people in a sympathetic light and others, quite rightly, have shown up them to be the traitors they were, with their naive university politics and their ultimate betrayal being responsible for the deaths of so many people and the plots tended to focus on their lives and events leading to up to their escape to the Soviet Union.
A Spy Among Friends takes an alternative and lesser seen route of what happened AFTER Philby 'ran' and the trail of misery and suspicion that he left behind him.
For the most part, ASAF is a character driven piece that is heavy on dialogue and low on action which as a viewing experience makes the five and half hour total run time seem like thirty. However this should not deter you from watching the series as it is very well made and well written.
The plot focuses on intelligence officer Nicholas Elliott (Damian Lewis), Kim Philby's best friend who immediately falls under suspicion of collaboration after Philby's deception and escape to the Soviet Union given that he was one of the last people to see him in Beirut. Anna Maxwell Martin plays Lily Thomas, a cynical and (very fictional), MI5 debriefer whose desire for the truth sees her get embroiled in a web of intrigue that MI5 debriefers seldom get to experience that will ultimately reveal that the KGB infiltration of British intelligence was not limited to Philby, Burgess and McClean but goes to the very top of the establishment and knowing who to trust becomes soon becomes very difficult indeed.
Guy Pearce gives and amazing performance as Philby and his scenes are a mixture of flashbacks to his wartime and pre-wartime life in England and Austria, his friendship with Elliott and their final meetings in Beirut. This is then juxtaposed to his current situation of coming to terms with his new life in the Soviet Union and the realisation that Soviet Russia was not exactly the utopia he thought it was and that Soviet intelligence had no intention of utilising his talents any further.
Thankfully, the writers stop short of making Philby out to be a character you should feel sorry for and it's very much a case of 'you bought the ticket, now take the ride'. In truth, Philby was indeed a despicable human being who went to his grave never once regretting the betrayal of his country or the countless deaths brought about by his actions.
I enjoyed ASAF, but as I mentioned earlier, it's very dialogue heavy and you really need to stay on your toes at times to keep up and the stellar performances of Lewis, Pearce and Martin make for a good viewing experience.
Recommended!
A Spy Among Friends takes an alternative and lesser seen route of what happened AFTER Philby 'ran' and the trail of misery and suspicion that he left behind him.
For the most part, ASAF is a character driven piece that is heavy on dialogue and low on action which as a viewing experience makes the five and half hour total run time seem like thirty. However this should not deter you from watching the series as it is very well made and well written.
The plot focuses on intelligence officer Nicholas Elliott (Damian Lewis), Kim Philby's best friend who immediately falls under suspicion of collaboration after Philby's deception and escape to the Soviet Union given that he was one of the last people to see him in Beirut. Anna Maxwell Martin plays Lily Thomas, a cynical and (very fictional), MI5 debriefer whose desire for the truth sees her get embroiled in a web of intrigue that MI5 debriefers seldom get to experience that will ultimately reveal that the KGB infiltration of British intelligence was not limited to Philby, Burgess and McClean but goes to the very top of the establishment and knowing who to trust becomes soon becomes very difficult indeed.
Guy Pearce gives and amazing performance as Philby and his scenes are a mixture of flashbacks to his wartime and pre-wartime life in England and Austria, his friendship with Elliott and their final meetings in Beirut. This is then juxtaposed to his current situation of coming to terms with his new life in the Soviet Union and the realisation that Soviet Russia was not exactly the utopia he thought it was and that Soviet intelligence had no intention of utilising his talents any further.
Thankfully, the writers stop short of making Philby out to be a character you should feel sorry for and it's very much a case of 'you bought the ticket, now take the ride'. In truth, Philby was indeed a despicable human being who went to his grave never once regretting the betrayal of his country or the countless deaths brought about by his actions.
I enjoyed ASAF, but as I mentioned earlier, it's very dialogue heavy and you really need to stay on your toes at times to keep up and the stellar performances of Lewis, Pearce and Martin make for a good viewing experience.
Recommended!