Codename: Kyril (1988) User Reviews

Only one Soviet agent?

[robert-temple-1 · 7/10 · 1 May 2013]

This is a British TV espionage mini-series made not long before the collapse of the Soviet Union. Edward Woodward does a very good job of playing Royston, a Soviet mole at the top of the British security services. (The service popularly called M.I.6 is really named S.I.S., but ordinary people never call it that.) Woodward plays the character with just the perfect amount of supercilious arrogance. It used to be easy to spot the moles in Britain because all you had to do was find the most supercilious and arrogant person and that would be him. I once had a long meeting with the Soviet spy Anthony Blunt (1907-1983) to discuss art (which was his ostensible profession), and I never met a more supercilious and arrogant man in my life. He was utterly loathsome. At that time 'nobody knew' about him. But it should have been obvious, in my opinion. The British Foreign Office used to be stuffed so full of Soviet agents that they were as common as raisins in a fruit cake. At least 40 have never been publicly exposed, because of a decision to cover it all up. In fact, if Margaret Thatcher had not been so independent of Establishment advice, Blunt himself would never have been publicly exposed, but she was determined, and she did it. She was probably never told about all the others who had never been named, lest she blow the whole thing. The British Foreign Office has always been home to weird and twisted people. At the beginning of World War II, about a third of the people working there appear to have been Nazi sympathisers who enthusiastically admired Hitler, and who encouraged the idiotic oaf Neville Chamberlain. Nowhere breeds traitors in as great numbers as Britain. It's all that arrogance, you see. So we have here a TV series with only one Soviet agent in M.I. 6, and a great fuss is made about him, as if he were in any way unusual. But then, of course, the public do not know about these things, and they would be too depressed if you told them the truth, so nobody does. (In any case, the 'public' is regarded with such widespread contempt these days by all political leaders that it is clear they do not give a damn what they think. They are just supposed to go on paying their taxes and shut up. Once in a while they are allowed to think they are voting on something, to create the illusion of public participation.) This series is clever in that it also has a British agent near the top of the KGB. Royston is constantly trying to find out who he is, so that he can report him to Moscow. Meanwhile Royston is also trying to prevent himself from being exposed by a KGB man who has been sent on a mission to London to pretend to defect. It is all very complicated, in the best tradition of TV spy series. The KGB man sent to London is played by Ian Charleson, a very fine actor whose greatest role was as Eric Liddell in CHARIOTS OF FIRE (1981, see my review). Charleson died tragically of AIDS at the age of only 40, three years after this series was made, which was a great loss to the cinema, as he was a particularly sympathetic actor. 'C', the head of M.I. 6, is played superbly by Joss Ackland, a character actor of those days who could always be relied upon to do an excellent job in any role with which he was presented. A pawn in this game is a solicitor who is a part-time British spy, and is played by Richard E. Grant. Grant does an excellent job. I would not say that any of the British actors who try to imitate Russian accents are very good at it, because Russians were not on every London street corner gabbling to each as they are today. One of my favourite amusements these days is to tell the Poles from the Russians when I pass them in the street, which is easy to do, actually, but difficult to explain how it is done. The Poles have harder consonants such as the Polish 'c' (which has the force of a dental-sibilant sledgehammer), whereas the Russians are more guttural, throw a lot more saliva about, and simultaneously chew and swallow their sibilants whilst agitating their throats. The actors in this series did not have the benefit of all this Russian chatter which spills all over the contemporary London pavements like a sea of sticky Slavic treacle. John McEnery manages to be suitably weird, but then that did not require acting. Denholm Elliott oozes his usual tentative reassurances laced with existential doubts. Catherine Neilson is very fetching and emotive as Emma the girlfriend of the defector, and her tears and distress do not appear feigned. 'Whatever happened to her?' as they say, since she last acted in 1994. Apparently a much cut-down version of this mini-series has been screened as a stand-alone film, first appearing in 1989. Although it is true that there is a lot of time wasted in the mini-series, and at least 10 to 15 minutes could have been pruned by a good editor with no loss, to cut its 209 minutes down to an hour or 90 minutes would, I believe, make it largely incomprehensible, so that the resultant 'mini-series remnant' of 1989 cannot really be any good, is my guess. This mini-series itself is however a fine example of its genre and of its time.

Excellent espionage thriller

[dolyschaf · 9/10 · 23 March 2005]

Edward Woodward is in fine form as the dubious MI6 operative Michael Royston. With a great cast (including the late Denholm Elliot), this is a must see TV film from the late 1980s.

Not too packed with action scenes, but when it comes it is good. There is also a considerable amount of violence in this, making it a film for the faint hearted to avoid. The only slightly questionable thing is that all the Russians in central Moscow seem to be speaking English to one another - that aside, this is definitely worth watching and it is a British spy classic full of espionage and betrayal which sadly seems set to stay in the archives. Catch it if you can!

Intriguing and enjoyable espionage fare -- now out on full-length DVD

[angelofvic · 9/10 · 6 April 2011]

Ian Charleson is a sympathetic but savvy Russian spy, sent to London at his own peril in order to smoke out a traitor within the KGB ranks. Edward Woodward (famous as "The Equalizer") is the British cat who most wants to catch this mouse. But Kyril is in peril from his own countrymen, too -- from people like Povin (Denholm Elliot), an unassuming but nervous KGB operative who doesn't know exactly what Kyril may be up to.

The cast is absolutely all-star, with the greats you've seen do other fine stuff in British film and television. Besides Charleson, Woodward, and Elliot, lead roles are also filled by Joss Ackland, Richard E. Grant, John McEnery, Peter Vaughn, James Laurenson, and Hugh Fraser.

Recommended for anyone interested in intriguing spy stories, and well-made films. The plot will keep you guessing and figuring things out right up till the very end.

This intriguing short miniseries was released on Region 2 DVD in its full-length 210-minute form in 2010 by Network DVD -- check the internet or Amazon UK. Highly recommended.

A fine espionage thriller, boasting an impressive cast.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 9/10 · 1 September 2016]

Codename Kyril is one of the many fantastic espionage thrillers that came from the 1980's. it's wonderfully complex, boasting a plot full of twists and turns, betrayal, love etc. You need to concentrate, as there is so much going on, even after the conclusion it takes time to digest what you've just watched.

I don't think you could ask for a better cast then this one, the performances are outstanding, the much missed Ian Charleson is excellent as Kyril, totally believable in the lead role. Edward Woodward, Joss Ackland, Richard E. Grant, Peter Vaughan and of course the much loved Denholm Elliot, all brilliant, and feed off one another's talents.

It boasts some brilliant scenes, James Laurenson's 'Sikarov' appearing from behind the mirror (jumped out of my skin!) and the London car chase, forget Fast and Furious, this car chase was epic, complete with Austin Maestro's!!

The espionage thriller seemed to be a long forgotten genre, but I'm glad that it seems to have come to life once again.

This is a drama of great quality, and well worth seeing, 9/10