Page Eight is a slow-paced spy movie with brains, charm, and none of the usual pitfalls of that genre. There are no guns, no chase scenes, no explosions. Those customary elements are replaced by intelligence reports, political intrigue, and secret sources, the real tools of modern espionage. And while it is certainly more realistic, this approach could be dreadfully boring if it weren't for tight writing and an absolutely brilliant cast. Bill Nighy plays the protagonist, an aging intelligence analyst who has managed to stay out of departmental politics and survive government changes for thirty years. That all changes when his friend and boss (played by Michael Gambon) gives him a top secret file that indicates on page eight that the British Prime Minister (played artfully by Ralph Fiennes) knew about secret American torture prisons. His life is further complicated by a run-in with his neighbor, played by Rachel Weisz, who is pretty enough to be a Bond girl, but far too smart and understated to actually be one.
The plot has overt political elements, which could have been tedious in the hands of a lesser writer and director. (Oh, no, it's the evil Americans again.) But David Hare seems to know where his political leanings get in the way, and lets the stars do their job. And it's a fine job in indeed. Nighy's off-beat delivery works in a strange sort of way. I also enjoyed the lesser roles, such as Judy Davis as Nighy's conniving coworker, Ewen Bremner as a journalist-slash-informant, and Saskia Reeves as the love-to-hate-her Home Secretary.
The ending is left open enough for sequels, and the rumor is that a second and third movie may be in the works. I sincerely hope that's a case, because a smart spy movie is a surprisingly rare thing, and I would love to see more of them.
∗∗∗½
