Close to the Enemy (TV Mini Series) Episode #1.3 (2016) User Reviews

This quality drama takes a darker turn.

[Sleepin_Dragon · 8/10 · 10 June 2017]

Victor represents little harm to Lotte, but having taken her serious alarm bells start ringing. Something of the child about him, he's eventually tracked down and Lotte is returned to a desperate father. To help Callum out, Harold Lindsay Jones offers Victor a job, organising his chaotic library. The Hotel hides other secrets, a menacing German is hidden away, aided by Nurses, it transpires he's wanted for warm crimes, Kathy keen to arrest him. Dieter, particularly grateful to Callum for the return of his daughter has a change of heart and seemingly begins to help the Brits. Alex encourages his wife to befriend Callum, the pair get closer then expected.

A darker episode, with plenty of moments of menace, the mystery German man 'Mr Schmidt' adds a different angle to the story. Alfred Molina again is such a class act, an incredible actor with so much presence. Charity Wakefield looks perfect for this era, she's added a great depth and interest to her character.

It's a very interesting period in history, not much is portrayed in drama of the change in society and life just after the war. There was a great scene at the garage, with the disillusioned worker.

I'm slightly perplexed at how quickly Dieter had a change of mind, he seemed a much tougher but to crack.

Beautifully produced, it is gloriously shot, Poliakoff fans will recognise and utterly love it.

Episode 3

[Prismark10 · 5/10 · 10 December 2016]

Lotte has gone with Callum's brother Victor for some nice hot chocolate and their is a hunt to locate them.

When Victor and Lotte are tracked down, Callum needs to get Victor out from serious trouble with the police, he does so with the help of retired government official Mr Lindsay-Jones who needs to sort his library out which is in a mess. Victor might be a loose cannon prone to outbursts but Lindsay-Jones is happy to put up with him as he wants Callum's help in return.

Dieter was impressed with Callum's genuineness in looking for Lotte and decide to work for the British in developing the jet age technology.

Callum also helps out the woman from the war crimes unit. At the shabby glamour of the Connington Hotel there is another mysterious German (one of several in the hotel) who Callum believes certainly has something to hide and is running from but apparently he seems to have faked his own death and we see him at the airport with Salter the slightly sinister military official who is always giving Callum a hard time.

The pace was better here, Dieter has moved over to the British, so where else will the story move to? More Germans on the run and evading their past and war crimes or the story of those high ranking British officials who could had avoided Britain going to war.

It is still a leisurely drama, the dialogue also feels stilted and plenty of obsession about food, drink or desserts.