A limited series of only 6 episodes in all. It is written and directed by Gideon Raff, also known for Prisoners of War, the Israeli series from which Homeland was adapted. The main protagonist of the series aka Sacha Baron Cohen has always been associated with comedy and accoladed for the same. However, his enactment of Eli Cohen, a former and perhaps the most famous of the Israeli agents is appalling.
The journey of a spy right from a crash course in spy craft to making his way into the hearts of the Syrian Government officials lures the viewers to binge on. Furthermore, using his position he obtains crucial intelligence about military installations in the Golan Heights which proves to be a key factor in Israel’s success during the war of 1967. In The Spy, Eli Cohen becomes Kamel Amin Thaabeth, an Argentine-based Arab businessman who yearns to return to his ancestral homeland. Once in Syria, he does his job so well that he rises to become deputy defence secretary even as he sends morse messages about military dispositions back to Mossad. Such is his dedication that it distances him from his wife Nadia (Hadar Ratzon Rotem). Thereby, the element of domestic drama is also present. A duelling mission performed by Cohen captivates the audience as it advances. Unfortunately, Eli’s role as a spy was more of blending in than standing out and that’s where he goes wrong. As his anxious handler Dan Peleg (Noah Emmerich) puts it, “Noticeable spies end up dead.”
STREAM IT!
Strong performances and the intriguing story of real life spy makes it very watchable.
**** 4/5
Spy entails an old world charm, glamour, intrigue and naughtiness.
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