STAR RATING: ***** Saturday Night **** Friday Night *** Friday Morning ** Sunday Night * Monday Morning
During the summer of 2016, the nation was swept up in the fever of whether Britain should leave or remain in the European Union. Some were firmly set in one camp or the other, while many others were undecided, but a slew of public figures were fixed in the public spotlight, galvanized by this historic, once in a lifetime decision. But for the Leave campaign, it was one man behind the scenes who pulled most of the strings, in the shape of Dominic Cummings (Benedict Cumberbatch), a campaign strategist, whose powerhouse approach may have swung it in their favour.
The 'Brexit' vote certainly defined the summer of 2016, and in the time since then, it's held a stranglehold on the news, which has been intensifying as we build up to leave at the end of March. And so, after all the madness and sabre rattling of the vote and the subsequent aftermath, director Toby Haynes has at least picked a suitable time to offer a reflective look at a man who hardly anybody saw, but probably did more for the Brexit cause than any of the famous faces combined.
Despite his established status now, its good that Cumberbatch still doesn't find appearing in homegrown, TV stuff like this beneath him, as he brings an intensity and power to proceedings here that liven them up a bit, and he has a knack for playing these eccentric, socially awkward types whom everything clings on, here portraying the kind of guy who figures adding the word 'back' to a sentence gives it its power. What's not so impressive is the interspersing of footage of real life political personalities, alongside third rate actors portraying others, giving it a cheap, low budget feel.
It's all over before you know it, and while it's sharp and hits the mark where it needs you, it's not developed and fleshed out enough to leave you feeling like you've watched something with real clout. But it is an eye opener, and offers food for thought on what goes on behind the scenes that influences us more than what we see. ***
During the summer of 2016, the nation was swept up in the fever of whether Britain should leave or remain in the European Union. Some were firmly set in one camp or the other, while many others were undecided, but a slew of public figures were fixed in the public spotlight, galvanized by this historic, once in a lifetime decision. But for the Leave campaign, it was one man behind the scenes who pulled most of the strings, in the shape of Dominic Cummings (Benedict Cumberbatch), a campaign strategist, whose powerhouse approach may have swung it in their favour.
The 'Brexit' vote certainly defined the summer of 2016, and in the time since then, it's held a stranglehold on the news, which has been intensifying as we build up to leave at the end of March. And so, after all the madness and sabre rattling of the vote and the subsequent aftermath, director Toby Haynes has at least picked a suitable time to offer a reflective look at a man who hardly anybody saw, but probably did more for the Brexit cause than any of the famous faces combined.
Despite his established status now, its good that Cumberbatch still doesn't find appearing in homegrown, TV stuff like this beneath him, as he brings an intensity and power to proceedings here that liven them up a bit, and he has a knack for playing these eccentric, socially awkward types whom everything clings on, here portraying the kind of guy who figures adding the word 'back' to a sentence gives it its power. What's not so impressive is the interspersing of footage of real life political personalities, alongside third rate actors portraying others, giving it a cheap, low budget feel.
It's all over before you know it, and while it's sharp and hits the mark where it needs you, it's not developed and fleshed out enough to leave you feeling like you've watched something with real clout. But it is an eye opener, and offers food for thought on what goes on behind the scenes that influences us more than what we see. ***