Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

How sad is this?

Bad Acting and worse Bad Screenplay

The plot isn't so bad, but the pace of storytelling is too slow which makes people bored. Certain moments are so obvious and unnecessary for the main plot. I would've fast-forwarded those moments if it was an online streaming. The ending looks like implying a sequel, not sure if this movie will get one

A superb piece of action, thriller and romance combination. I would like to see something as stunning as this series more often. Why does everyone state that this is a six episode series? There are seven..... The IMDb policies for submitting reviews are strangely rigid and complex. I feel like I am trying to access a top secret, highly restricted database with special access only to the most determined and ruggedest comment posters. There are so many cautions and warnings to cease and desist that I almost did not want to write anything. I am struggling as of right now to complete my ten lines of comments just to be able to jump the hurdle. I am getting the impression that this comment process is very selective and highly sensitive. I think I made it......

Misguided attempt by the BBC to turn life at the British Embassy in Washington into something resembling "Bourne Ultimatum". In the hands of the brilliant Paul Greengrass this might have worked, but what we end up with here is a big budget, over heated, over stylized, and frankly ludicrous, vision of the British Ambassador as James Bond. With every character a suspect, and a subplot, the whole venture becomes confused and laughable. Jason Isaacs, and Sharon Gless are great, but most of the performances suffer from the jerky camera work and frenzied editing. They aren't allowed screen time to breathe, and stick in the viewers mind. It's as if the directors are saying "Never mind them. This is my show. Look at what I can do!" Jiggle, jerk, cut.

I'm sure there's a good drama to be made about the compromises of modern diplomacy, between means and ends, and conflicting ends as well; and also about the gung-ho nature of western foreign policy. But 'The State Within' is definitely not it, unless you want to immerse yourself in a world where good-looking heroes do battle with cartoon villains. This is a story where the British ambassador to Washington cares passionately about a random British citizen sentenced to death in the U.S for a crime he doesn't even deny committing; and personally pulls victims from the wreck of a burning airliner, brought down, incidentally, in the heart of the American capital by agents acting effectively on behalf of the U.S. government; and where the director of a multi-million dollar company rampages around executing people who get in his way. It's also a story of labyrinthine complexity, whose twists make little sense; even if we accept the motivations of the characters, there must be easier ways for them to achieve their desires than the plots they engage in here. One might almost say that there's a fundamental naiveté about the whole tale, in its belief that a government might be sufficiently ashamed at the idea of supporting and deposing tyrants, and enriching their friends in big business at the same time, to consider it worthwhile to go to such lengths in covering them up. Additionally, the series is not even well made. The acting is poor, most of the cast seem to be playing bad actors playing their characters: Neil Pearson and Nigel Bennett are particularly wooden, while Lennie James (as is his wont) goes the other way, and overdoses on giving an impression of ferocious intensity. While we get endless captions giving us the specific location of places, as if in a desperate attempt to convey authenticity, and pointless fast camera-zooms for no particular reason. Meanwhile, in the real world, dictators continue to enjoy our support, our governments fight wars when their interests are threatened, and the corporate sector grows fat on the proceeds. But surely not as is presented in this overcooked fantasy.

We're at episode four - and I'm like a kid with a new book dying to get to the end and yet longing for the story to carry on indefinitely. A rare title - one that describes the film perfectly - states within at all levels; from political perversion to commercial greed to personal persuasion. A huge onion of a script!The plot is an artistic reconciliation (thus far) - the more complex the situations become,the more clearly we can distinguish personal facets of characters. But I think that there are yet some darker horses preparing for a gallop.The story started fairly slowly and we were able to watch as individuals were drawn into the web of lies and deceit, many simply there to be trapped and killed. However I'm not sure whether or not we've met the master weaver yet or whether that will remain a mystery even after the final title has rolled.I'm not worried about the end being a let down - unless Britain (or any other country for that matter) suddenly produces Sir Lancelot - and I don't think that's likely to happen.I hope you've not missed it! If you have - watch out for the second showing - this is a really big treat.