I knew nothing about this limited series except that it starred Sacha Baron Cohen; And I usually enjoy his projects, which made me curious to see him in a more serious role.
I must say,the content in this show is top-notch. I could write a paragraph praising each individual element - the writing, the cinematography, the direction, the tension, the acting. Gideon Raff has curates his vision beautifully.
It does what most spy stories don't, which is dive into the psychological consequences of going undercover. The fact that its set in the 60's gives such realistic tension to the tone - you don't have air strikes; no one is coming to save you; you're all alone, infiltrating a foreign country and one small misstep could have you tortured and killed.
I was also impressed with how the writers trusted their audience; There's a lot of "show-don't tell" principles applied here, which is welcome change. You discover the plot as its happening on-screen, as opposed to someone expositing, and I admire that.
Cinematography is on-point. I usually don't enjoy films shot on Sepia tones, but the editors really managed to give every scene such a good color palette. The visual aesthetic moves very cohesively with the framing of the scene .
But at the crux of it all,this would be nothing without SB Cohen at the helm. He's known for his chameleonic roles, which makes him a perfect spy. He seamlessly switches between agent, husband, businessman and diplomat, and if you think he's just a funny dude, this will blow your mind.
With nothing but praise, this show is a strong recommendation from me. Take the weekend, and just delve into 6 hours of historic espionage. You'll discover a new respect for the genre, the actor and the director. 10/10