Since CS Jim Law was calling out us staffers for not writing anything on the site in a while, and also PERSONALLY calling me out for writing reviews elsewhere that weren’t actually reviews (check Facebook for deets) I decided to write him a CS’ing review, so here it is.
For those of us who are starting to get fatigued with the constant bombardment of sequels/prequels/reboots/remakes, it seems that movies, at the theater at least, are starting to get stale. Yeah, I love me some good Marvel movies, and Mad Max Fury Road, a sequel, was my favorite movie from last year, so I don’t hate all of it, but there’s no denying that the unending stream of previously-made IP extensions is getting tired. Thankfully, it seems that TV has really picked up the slack on that end with filmmakers and writers taking some serious chances with the format. It has been happening for years, with shows like Breaking Bad, Game of Thrones and Making a Murderer getting the public invested in continuing stories that break storytelling conventions (it goes back further than these selections but you get my point). It is always great to see a new story told well, and with that sentiment I am happy to report that The Night Manager is well worth your time.
The Night Manager is the story of Jonathan Pine, played by Tom Hiddleston, a proverbial night hotel manager at one of Cairo’s most elite hotels. As the night concierge, Pine lives a structured but diligent life, taking care of every guest with the same attentiveness as any VIP. One day, a woman enters the picture and changes Freddie’s outlook on the world around him. Eventually, he crosses paths with Freddie Hamid, a wealthy son of Cairo whose family owns most of the city. Through some events I will not spoil here, Pine becomes embroiled in a situation dealing with notorious arms dealer and public philanthropist Richard Roeper, played by Hugh Laurie. Eventually these characters interact, with Hiddleston playing the inside man and Roeper the “big cheese”, so to speak. The story becomes a sort of pseudo-Bond story, with Hiddleston playing the everyman’s version of a 007. In fact, if the rumors have any truth to them, Hiddleston would probably make for a great Bond based off of his work here.
While the story is based off the John Le’Carre novel of the same name, that book was written at a time when the Cold War was still fresh in the minds of the public, so many of the situations and circumstances were adapted to a modern setting with the author’s blessing (he even appears in a small cameo). The best way to think about this series is as a 6-hour movie rather than a mini-series as the episodes have a natural propensity and progression that requires a binge watch. I found the writing to be particularly refreshing due to the fact that a lot is done to humanize the characters and build some natural conflict into the story. Granted, some of the familiar tropes of the spy genre are exploited here, such as the irresistible and attractive female character and some bait-and-switch scenarios, but for the most part this is quality storytelling at its finest.
While a lot of the story had me intrigued, there were a few elements that seemed convenient. For starters, Pine’s integration into this espionage plot was a bit too quick for my liking. Granted, he had a military background to justify his actions, but I did not think the inciting action for the story was enough emotional/moral justification for his character. Also, oddly enough, I wanted to spend a little more time in this world. I really loved the exotic locales and the acting pretty much across the board, but I just felt like this story could have used another hour or two to really savor the details.
At the end of the day anyone looking for more quality television should give this a watch. The Brits definitely have a handle on quality espionage and I hope this paves the way for more great miniseries like it.
8/10
There, Jim Law, are you happy you Canadian CS?