Sulaiman Penseney

Exceptional casting forged around grim Tom Hardy to inhabit a dark narrative through war into the grim end of the Stalinist era. An honest solder-cop pivots from the grim party line to uncover corruption and lies in the hell of the 1950s Soviet Union. Where there is ‘no murder in paradise’ according to Stalin - the ultimate murderer. Until there is, in the form of a serial killer of children - one that cannot go free..

Superbly acted..highly atmospheric. So calmly understated in it's capture of Thatcher's late 70s upper middle class Britain. Dalgleish's laconic often anguished poet-detective gaze. Smoothly out Bonding Bond in his iconic E type, and oh so English thornproofs and Saville Row threads. All with a fin de siecle sense as it approaches the harsher raucous, more turbulent Americanized 1980s. Our new Dalgleish so smooth - trully a man for all seasons - and reasons. Unshaken, rarely stirred as he stares deep into the souls of his cloud of witnesses - and ultimately, the dark hearts of perpetrators. An understated Brit tour de force.

By turns crazily tongue in cheek - everyone hamming it up like crazy, and a good old wicked witches story. Good core acting by an extraordinarily strong cast - hamming it up! De Niro, Pfeifer and strong English character actors having fun! They must have all been between serious gigs - simultaneously! Surprisingly profound and heart warming story. Definitely worth watching and seeing a whole cast really enjoying working together on a quirky but meaningful folktale with true love at its heart.

Initially I felt in the first set up scenes jaded by a weak script..typecast characters from the 1980s set in 2009. A somewhat hackneyed Brit.plotline stuck in some post Smiley's People timewarp. Characters talking about 'computer services' and 'tickety boo'. McKellan's cloth cap a crazy throwback...Mirren almost in twin set n pearls! But after the arrival in Berlin the film started to gain serious momentum redeemed by an improved script and the polished although still typecast acting of two giants of modern Brit cinema as they gained momentum and began to act at their upper limits! When you consider what phenomenal theatre and films they've both produced, this can be regarded as decent upper tier work. Not their best - but good quality.