I loved this, mostly for the fabulous production, perfect period setting, faultless acting and just dreamy comfortable escapism.
Cleverly positioned humour dampened somewhat by weak satire.
However if you focus too much on the plot then it becomes a bit of a drag, bouncing back and forward and not necessarily going anywhere.
It achieves its goal to instill a feeling of paranoia and mistrust, which worked well until the slightly daft ending.
A deftly psychological thriller that ended up like an episode of Dad's army or last of the summer wine.
The Anthony story made no sense and wasn't entirely explained.
That aside, I still wouldn't have missed a sparkling performance by Keeley Hawes (Awards Long overdue) the epitome of the English Wife and a masterclass in received pronunciation. Toby Stevens brings an outstanding depth to the lead character Petrukhin as does his hilarious family ensemble.
Definitely recommended for the polished production; a cracking yarn mingled with the menace of espionage and subterfuge.
