TV review: Netflix's TheSpy with Sacha Baron Cohen
in a relatively unfamiliar position: stripping him of his humor and placing him within the bounds of a script. On shows and in films ranging from “Borat” to last year’s “Who Is America?,” Baron Cohen has gone into without-a-net scenarios and never broken character. There’s an analogy here, of sorts: Playing an undercover agent, an Israeli spy in the years leading up to that nation’s 1967 war with Syria, Baron Cohen retains a bit of his admirable elasticity.
While this series’ creator, Gideon Raff, is best known for “Prisoners of War,” the Israeli program that inspired “Homeland,” it feels more apropos to invoke “The Americans,” a show that shares not merely “’s” interest in the interplay of tradecraft and personal relationships but also a bit of casting; Noah Emmerich assumes a new accent to play Eli’s handler.
By the time it reaches its endpoint, a viewer will feel that they’ve been told a great deal — including, in a series-ending set of chyrons, a bit of history the show might have found a way to more interestingly dramatize. But too little, to the point the series ends, has been shown of any side of Eli other than a yes/no conflict between duty to nation and duty to spouse. We know the dueling missions he’s on.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Sacha Baron Cohen on Dramatic 'The Spy' Turn and 'Pitching Comic Alternatives to Every Line'The six-part Netflix series tells the real-life story of Israeli spy Eli Cohen, who goes undercover in 1960s Syria.
Read more »
The True Story Behind 'The Spy' On Netflix Is So WildSMH, and you think you're slick for creeping your ex on a finsta.
Read more »
Ex-spy publishing book about undercover exploits without OK from CIASome former CIA agents question the veracity of 'Life Undercover: Coming of Age in the CIA,' by Amaryllis Fox, which hits stores in October.
Read more »
'The Spy': TV ReviewIn this Netflix limited series' true-life spy story, Sacha Baron Cohen delivers his best dramatic work yet.
Read more »
China hacked Asian telcos to spy on Uighur travelers: sourcesHackers working for the Chinese government have broken into telecoms networks to...
Read more »