Review of Defense of the Realm

Was in the mood for watching an espionage thriller along the lines of The Spy Who Came In From The Cold , or something of the sort, and remembered having an unwatched copy of this hidden away at the back of my shelf. And it didn't disappoint. It turned out to be an intelligent ,highly suspenseful (in due part to Richard Harvey's score) and , for the most part, realistic film (although the ending beggars belief). Gabriel Byrne turns in a good performance as a journalist investigating the links between the resignation of an important member of parliament, rumoured to have KGB contacts, the crash of a US plane carrying nuclear weapons in the East of England, and the death of a young prison escapee. An excellent Denholm Elliott, Robbie Coltrane, Ian Bannen and Greta Scacchi also feature. Well directed by David Drury, the elevator scene stands out in particular, this is a very good film indeed.

4/5