Jacqui Shepherd

I had high expectations of Black Doves, a political thriller with such a prestigious leading cast. Alas the great actors were wasted on a ridiculous plot and storylines that very quickly went from plausible and compelling to nonsensical and wholly unbelievable. As a political thriller I was expecting clever dialogue, well researched plot twists, insightful political intrigue and a bit of smart thinking. Unfortunately it had none of the above but worst of all, the drama is devoid of any sympathetic likeable characters. The lovely Ben Wishaw, who does have some good human being moments, is a lost soul with at least 20 killings in his portfolio, Sarah Lancashire is a lost scriptwriter opportunity with very little to do except look menacing from afar and Keira Knightly is just lost in a plot that makes no sense. 4 or so episodes in, with a killing fest of gratuitous proportions already underway, I couldn’t care less about the fate any of these individuals or the Killing Eve-like sidekicks, and I found myself wishing that they would all collide in a final hail of bullets to end each others’ misery. I will never know.

Fantastic drama closely based on the fascinating facts around the mid 20th C British spy scandal, so brilliantly researched and written about by Ben MacIntyre. So gripping and sometimes disturbing, the events and subsequent consequences that surround this true historical narrative were movingly portrayed by key actors Guy Pearce as Kim Philby and Damian Lewis as his likeable genius best and ultimately betrayed friend Nick Elliott. I watched the whole series of 6 episodes in an entire evening.

This film, whilst paying Impeccable visual and verbal homage to the stylised and whimsical world of Austen’s 18th Century England, it entertains in a wholly 21st century way. It was a joy to watch throughout, with an excellent cast and stunning locations, all done in the best possible taste. The cinematography was exquisite and I felt often that I was witnessing great Georgian works of art brought to life. Great performances all round but especially from Johnny Flynn, Bill Nighy and Miranda Hart.