The State Within Reviews

• Truth, lies and political expediency

  
  By A1ZH52JAC70RIR on 2007-02-04
  A cracking political thriller with most of the action Washington based and involving governments, private companies and perhaps predictably, a small oil-rich Asian country (Trygyzstan, Tyrgyztan or Tyrygsztan depending how quick your eyes are) so the events are very contemporary and mostly credible, too.
  
  The 350 minutes get off to a stunning start with an airliner being blown up and crashing onto an expressway near Washington and from this point on you'll be hooked like I was. Considering this is not big bucks Hollywood the crash looked incredibly convincing, as does everything else though it was mostly filmed in Toronto and Hamilton, Ontario.
  
  The six parts move along efficiently, especially with plenty of steadycam and accompanying sound effects, but you'll have to pay attention because this is not black and white plotting, the good guys are not obvious and there is no winning side. The casting is fine with Jason Isaacs turning in a great British Ambassador and perhaps Sharon Gless should be taken on by Department of Defence as their no-nonsense Secretary (but maybe her hands are tainted, too). Nothing is what it seems at first.
  
  The UK DVD release includes a twenty-seven minute 'making of' extra. Worth a look though it is the usual back slapping stuff. Several minutes are devoted to creating the airliner crash, which I thought were interesting and Grainne Marmion has some good comments on how she interpreted the production.
  
  This is a conspiracy thriller that will certainly be worth watching several times.
  
  

• A Rousing British Miniseries That Brings The Terrorism, Espionage, And Thrills To American Soil

  
  By A27H9DOUGY9FOS on 2007-03-05
  While I don't think "The State Within" is a perfect political thriller, I will pay it the highest compliment for this type of entertainment--it is ambitiously complex without being unnecessarily convoluted. This six part British miniseries (each part is approximately an hour) carries about twelve major characters and five major plot strands and interweaves them expertly throughout. Seemingly unrelated events converge as layers of intrigue and duplicity are revealed. While some have compared this to a more cerebral "24," it actually has little in common with the American show other than the overt themes inherent in global politics, government corruption, and terrorism. But wait a minute.....Just as "24" in an intriguing thrill ride that sometimes strains credibility, so is "The State Within." And just as you might overlook the believability factor in "24" because the story told is so intricate and entertaining, you might also be willing to accept "The State Within" at face value. For make no mistake, "The State Within" (at the most fundamental level) is rousing entertainment.
  
  Surprisingly, this British production is set largely in the United States. The British Ambassador, played by Jason Isaacs, becomes the centerpiece for the story when an airplane is bombed as it takes off over Washington D.C. Issacs is, literally, in the middle of the wreckage (in an impressively staged action scene) and continues to be, figuratively, as a British national is implicated in the terrorism. With multiple plot strands that include a death row inmate, an American company's international investment, a rogue military unit on U.S. soil, a controversial and brutal coup, and the Secretary of Defense (Sharon Gless)--this drama effectively juggles a lot of action. With a solid, well written screenplay--it keeps the pacing quick and handles matters intelligently and, for the most part, believably. That's not to say everything is 100% believable in concept, but within the context of the story--things flow logically and maintain your interest without insulting your intellect.
  
  While surrounded by a capable and talented cast, Isaacs does carry much of the production as the Ambassador/action hero. Always good, and underrated, this is an interesting counterpoint to his most recent role as an Irish mob boss in Showtime's "Brotherhood." Any doubt to his versatility should be put to rest in comparing these pieces of good versus evil (and for good measure, throw in the romantic leading man of "Passionada" and "Nine Lives"). Gless has the showiest role as the tough-as-nails official--and while many will appreciate its ferocity, it lacked a subtlety that I would have found more compelling. But everyone really contributes to the excellence of "The State Within" in terms of acting. For such a large ensemble, there isn't one missed opportunity when it comes to casting.
  
  I really enjoyed "The State Within" and recommend it wholeheartedly. When judging material of this length (or a series, for that matter), I have to contemplate--"Is it worth the time invested?" Definitely yes, in this case. Smart and literate. Exciting and topical. And best of all, a suitably ambiguous ending that gave me a great belly laugh! Check it out if you're a fan of political thrillers--but be forewarned, this one will require the use of your brain. KGHarris, 03/07.
  
  

• Brilliant and suspenseful series - not to be missed

  
  By A28W6QVHWD9FTU on 2007-02-10
  Take the adrenalin from 24 and put it in the world of diplomacy and world politics - you get The State Within. Energy and drive throughout the whole series, and with shocking opening.
  
  

• MI-5/Spooks with Diplomats

  
  By A30B9XNPI7OUOY on 2007-01-18
  A fantastic 6-part mini-series that stylistically, is a lot like the BBC series, MI-5/Spooks. Part 1 was rather convoluted as a lot of characters were introduced, and many plot threads were as well. But the fun is in finding out how they are connected and come together. You may feel like you don't know what is going on but you will be hooked. And it will be very hard not to watch parts 3 - 6 back to back as the conspiracy unravels with many turns and twists to keep you guessing right to the end.
  
  Leading a great cast, Jason Isaacs is excellent as the British ambassador, especially when he goes head to head with Sharon Gless's formidable Secretary of Defense. Other standouts were Lennie James as death row convict Luke Gardner, and Marnie McPhail as FBI agent George Blake.
  
  

• first-rate cast, but third-rate story

  
  By A36CHDJ6FPJPUR on 2007-03-29
  The story is so complex you can get a headache trying to remember who is who
  and figuring out the motives of the key players. It might be worth the effort
  if the story made any sense in the end, but it doesn't. The writers' premise is
  that sheer plot density can be a substitute for a clear story-- but it isn't. Not
  once does anyone bother to ask why particularly gruesome, sadistic murders
  are being committed, or what motivates the killers to choose the most grotesque
  methods. To give but one example of sheer absurdity -- this is NOT a spoiler --
  the head of a vast conspiracy personally orders the brutal killing of a prostitute
  in an alley, and then discovers that the killing has been witnessed by a drunken
  derelict. Instead of instructing his henchman to kill this eyewitness too, the man
  hands him a hundred dollar bill and hisses ominously: "We know where you live!"
  Later, when the FBI is investigating the murder, the derelict comes forward --
  and amazingly he has NOT spent the hundred dollar bill, which still has the bloody
  fingerprints of the master conspirator on it. If you can tolerate such nonsense,
  and if you can spare six hours, this British mini-series may be to your liking.
  
  
• Engaging, but improbable
  By A3CN9CCJUNIPKT on 2007-05-31
  I tracked this BBC miniseries down after reading rave reviews from several TV critics whose opinions I trust... It was not quite the Second Coming of "The Wire" that I'd been led to expect, but it was engaging enough that I watched it straight through in the course of a couple of nights.
  
  The plot is a mish-mash of corporate/spy/powers-that-be assassination-thriller-terrorist dramas, well-trod terrain that is tackled with some degree of thoughtfulness, but not much subtlety, sort of like "24" with a Trans-Atlantic multilateralist agenda. I do have problems with films where people act irrationally, and this one is packed with random, improbable action: the steely, volatile American Secretary Of Defense (played by Sharon Gless, of "Cagney & Lacey" fame) who backs all types of reactionary, repressive measures in the face of a resurgent terrorist threat; various corporate baddies who dispatch hit men willy-nilly, with little apparent concern that the trail of corpses will ever lead to their back door; two high-placed government officials (one American, one British) who manage to keep their illicit (and entirely unprofessional) relationship completely under wraps; a death-row inmate who sorrowfully accepts execution when he easily could have cleared his name and saved his life, a particularly silly murder frame-up... Etc., etc.
  
  Also, the script is peppered with overly-obvious references and allusions to the Iraq War debacle, and enacts a British wish-fulfillment fantasy of what could have happened if the UK had not backed the US in the illegal fiasco -- I'm as critical of the war as the next leftie pinko treehugger, but I still found the plot to be a bit too blunt and on-the-nose in this and many other regards. Still, it's propulsive and engaging, and there are several fine acting performances that may catch your attention. Jason Isaacs, as the embattled, virile British ambassador, is quite compelling -- James Bond as a career bureaucrat. High marks go to Roman Padhora as a soulful prison guard who tries to save his ward on death row (he steals the picture with his Chris Cooper-esque mournfulness: I want to see more from this guy!) and to Marnie McPhail as a weatherbeaten, no-nonsense FBI agent, and finally to Ben Daniels as Nicholas Brockelhurst, an icy English spy whose loyalties are in question throughout the miniseries (adding a great deal of spice to the script), and who I would be pleased to see reappear in another drama.
  
  If I could, I would rate this a 3.5; between a 3 and a 4, I guess I'd have to tilt a bit on the low end, just because of the piling-up of endless preposterous elements. It's still fun TV, though.
  
  
• Conspiracy Thriller
  By ALZ3R9PG6A38 on 2007-02-02
  The State Within is a roller coaster ride of a conspiracy thriller. Set in the present, it uses drama to inform and entertain us. The cast is outstanding, led by the much under rated British Actor, Jason Isaacs. This 6 part series starts out with a bang (bomb blows up a british airliner over washington dc), and then immerses us in the political world of the british ambassador, politicians, foreign policy between countries, and private companies as investors in our future. I found this absorbing and interesting, and could not wait to see each episode. The script treats the audience as if we are intelligent, concerned public. Not only entertaining, this series will make you think about the daily news that you read and watch on tv. How much of the truth do we actually have reported to us? How truthful are our politicians, locally and nationally? Absorbing and gripping, I highly recommend this thriller to anyone who has wondered about our future as a country, and a planet. Terrorism is as much a concern today as is global warming and international policies.
  
  
• Compelling believable political thriller
  By A26Y4F4LFD1M0N on 2007-04-04
  This series was often compared to "24"--I can't compare them, as I always found "24" too stupid and convoluted to watch. "The State Within" also has a complicated storyline, dealing with a range of subjects from the influence of the military-industrial complex to the morality of capital punishment.
  In the main, these are skillfully juggled and the various characters deal with them in ways that are interesting and believable.
  Jason Isaacs is terrific as the confused and conflicted Mark Brydon, struggling to navigate through a morass of obstruction and obfuscation, and the rest of the cast, particularly the very welcome Sharon Gless, offers uniformly strong and capable performances.
  
  
• Beware -- Shakey video spoils the show
  By A20C1T529KU649 on 2007-04-25
  Neither my wife nor I could watch this DVD. The camera work shakes to excess. On our 73inch screen, the constant and unnecessary shaking gave my wife vertigo in less than 10 minutes. I lasted about 20 minutes before developing a splitting headache.
  
  Although a few minutes of the shaking video fits the story, the video shakes, zooms in and out of focus, even in scenes where all the characters are sitting around a table in a conference room. It as though the director only had one camera and never heard of cuts.
  
  I've never before seen a movie which has had this effect on me.
  
  
• It's exactly what you'd expect from the BBC...
  By ACVBLCEZ1X1KW on 2007-05-14
  If you're part of the loony left that believes that 9/11 was a vast conspiracy between, Vice President Cheney, the NSA, Exxon, Haliburton, Zionists, the Queen of England and the Tri-Lateral Comission, you'll love this movie! Otherwise, it is completely inane.
  
  
• It's entertainment, not a documentary
  By ADE2CWTOUR56Q on 2007-06-29
  "The State Within" is an intelligent, well-acted, entertaining political thriller. What it is not is a diatribe against the United States. Having read reviews claming that it was, I watched "The State Within" with some trepidation. One review said that, with the exception of the death row prison guard, the Americans were all one-dimensional villains. Not true. There were good Americans and bad Americans in the film, just as there were good British characters and bad British characters.
  
  The film does make the point that, in politics, even choosing the better (most moral) choice can lead to unintended and even evil consequences. No one recognizes this better than Mark Brydon, the hero and clearly a good man. There are some veiled references to Iraq, so I supposed those individuals who firmly believe invading Iraq was the correct thing to do might take offense, but that still doesn't mean "The State Within" is anti-American.
  
  The viewer does need to be patient with "The State Within." There's a fairly large cast of characters and it may take an episode or two to keep them all straight. I'm astounded by the reviewer who claimed to have the entire story figured out in half an hour. I'm not sure all the characters were even introduced by that point. The production as a whole is top-notch, and I especially enjoyed Eva Birthistle as Jane Lavery and Ben Daniels as Nicholas Brocklehurst. His character will keep you guessing for several episodes. Also outstanding was the actor who played the prison guard (not sure of his name), He has such an expressive face. Jason Isaacs gives a compelling performance as the lead character Mark Brydon. Ever since I saw him as Lucius Malfoy in the second Harry Potter movie I've found him to be a fascinating actor, and it was so enjoyable to see him play a hero for a change.
  
  
  
• Astoundingly good--Sharon Gless is amazing!
  By A2L9HBT7F8P0XG on 2007-02-21
  What an amazingly intelligent, well-written, and well-acted series. Seeing Sharon Gless back on the screen was as exciting as the show itself. Why this woman isn't making Oscar-winning films or starring in an excellent series is a mystery. She was and is one of our best female actors.
  
  
• Utterly Predictable "Complex Political Thriller"
  By A1ZGP4HLV8RWUW on 2007-05-20
  After watching the first half hour of this barker I knew how it was going to play out. This film packs in every Brit/lefty-paranoia-conspiracy-anti-American trope you can think of.Staggeringly ignorant, think of it as a less nuanced version of "V for Vendetta".
  
  
• Involving political thriller
  By AYBL30P5NXNZ4 on 2007-05-25
  This certainly turned out to be a most satisfying alternative to the usual TV thrillers out there that rely on police procedure or crime solving. Here, the lynch pin of the story is Sir Mark Dryden, the British Ambassador to the US, played by Jason Isaacs. Frankly, this is probably the most effective role I have seen him in, and is certainly a world away from playing Lucius Malfoy in Harry Potter movies.
  This is a truly British type of story, with dominantly British characters and with a complex plot. However, it is set in America, featuring all the landmarks we would expect to see in an American thriller.. the West Wing, Lincoln Memorial, etc. To add to the American mix, we even have a recognizable star of American TV - Sharon Gless, who completely casts aside her past in Cagney and Lacey here to embrace the role of Secretary of Defence with a real sense of grit.
  Perhaps the most British aspect of this series is the underlying criticism of certain aspects of government - not least The Patriot Act which comes under fire along the way. Certainly terrorism and its origins are at the very foreground of the action.
  To reveal too much about the plot would be unfair, but in a nutshell, Sir Mark is caught up in a web of deceit when a plane leaving for London is blown up, apparently by terrorists. Meantime, a Brit is on Death Row protesting his innocence. Could the two be connected...? Suffice to say many more plot strands arise, and interweave in a manner designed to satisfy and keep you glued to the end.
  A 6 part mini-series, one hour per episode, was the perfect format for this thriller - instead of a rushed movie, the characters have enough time to develop and breathe, while the plot never slacks pace.
  The only criticism to be made, is that they have followed the American model of TV making just a little too far with the ultra rapid editing and `24' style jump cuts. There is enough thrill on the screen from the plot and the acting without this rather incongruous attempt at accentuating the kinetics - without this minor quibble, this would be a 5 star gem.
  
  
• Best Mini-Series I have Ever Seen!
  By A1WWJKR0VPSST1 on 2007-06-28
  The state within is one of the best mini-series that I have ever seen. Ben Daniels, Jason Issac, and Norman Jenkins were phenomenal in their portrayl of their characters. Not only is the cast superb, but the plot is so well written and the characters' stories perfectly interlinked, that I sat on the edge of my seat through all six episodes, totally immersed in the conflict and drama being potrayed on the TV screen. This is one of the few movies that I could not predict what was going to happen, who was on which side, and who was romantically involved and their motives. The state within is quite refreshing in this aspect. Usually within the first five minutes of a TV show I am able to guess not only what is going to happen during the episode but also most of the diaologue. This is not the case with The State Within. This mini-series,in my opinion was not long enough, and should be brought back to television as a regular show. It is that good. I can promise you one thing, this movie will make you think and it will keep you thinking long after episode 6 is over. It is well worth the money. I have loaned out my copy to a friend from school and she is keeping it to show her boyfriend and I wouldn't be surprised if he wants to show it to his friends:-). It is a great movie and I encourage anyone who gets the opportunity to watch it!
  
  
• Moderately entertaining, if hysterically anti-American, 24 rip-off
  By A38XOBYNKF9OZB on 2007-03-27
  This miniseries is a bizarre low-rent mix of 24, The West Wing, The Siege and a John Grisham death-row pulp thriller.
  
  I tend to think of myself as fairly liberal, and I'm certainly not one who thinks that criticism of our country is automatically unpatriotic. Even so, this show ends up being hysterically anti-American for my taste. Every American character is a one-dimensional villain, except for a guilt-ridden death row guard. Isn't America barbaric with its death penalty? Isn't it a hypocritical imperialist black hole, espousing democracy while supporting brutal, totalitarian regimes? They're all valid, if tired points, but they're made in an amateurish and obvious way and without any alternative viewpoints. It's as racist as the stock Arab terrorists we're usually served on shows like 24. The fact that these stereotypes are novel doesn't make them any less repellant.
  
  Beyond that, the biggest storytelling flaw is that we get a central hero (Isaacs) who doesn't actually do anything until the 5th of 6 episodes. He just listens endlessly to people describing the plot. I've never seen a thriller so loaded down by tedious exposition. It isn't even delivered during action, like on 24, but usually just between people sitting in an office. The plot "twists" are also glaringly obvious. Boy, do you think the guy on death row in the backwards American South will know something about the conspiracy? Will there be a race to get clemency from the governor? Will the rebel leader, seen standing in a park in DC in endless wide shots, with unknowing civilians all around be "shockingly" shot by a sniper? We also know from the very beginning of the series that Isaacs's and Gless's assistants are sleeping together and sharing their countries secrets. Much of the tension that might have been developed is destroyed by knowing they'll undo everything our "heroes" attempt. Every direction the plot takes has been done a thousand times on better shows.
  
  The script also has American characters forever using British English, going to the "washroom," instead of the bathroom, or being "in hospital," instead of "in the hospital". Worse, simple factual errors creep in from every direction. Gless's character is constantly being called the "Secretary of State for Defense", or the "Secretary for Defense." The US has a Secretary OF Defense. We also get a "Senate Defense Committee," when it's the Senate Armed Services Committee and a Security Council, when it's the National Security Council or the NSC. It would have taken all of five minutes on Google for the writers to do a bit of research.
  
  In the end, what undermines the show most of all is the tremendous political naiveté of the writers. After the governor of Virginia orders all British Muslims arrested and put in camps, our hero goes to the head of the Homeland Security Committee and makes a brief speech, filled with righteous British indignation about how wrong this is. Knowing she's a Jew, he asks if the Jews will be next. Shocked by the realization of how immoral this path is, she calls a halt to it. Had she not considered this before? Does she have some kind of mental problem that requires the obvious to be stated to her? This is an embarrassingly uneducated view of any political system and the whole show is like this.
  
  I was a huge fan of Percival and Mickery's previous film, "Dirty War," a powerfully sober thriller about the detonation of a dirty bomb in London's financial district. They handled a large canvas of characters much better there and with less shrill political grandstanding. Every minute of this show is infused with a ferocious anger at the US for selling Britain on the Iraq War. Again, it's a fair point, but unless you bury your message within entertainment, it just comes across as an angry person on a soapbox.
  
  Much of the plot is obviously lifted from the true story of Craig Murray, former UK ambassador to Uzbekistan. His book, "Murder in Samarkand," is being filmed soon by Michael Winterbottom, from a script by playwright David Hare. I'm sure it'll be a much better film.
  
  
• Washinton from the inside
  By A1VX9F0L80OO76 on 2007-05-13
  If you thought you knew how devious politicians can be, view "The State Within". The tightly woven plot follows the British Ambassador to Washington as he uncovers layer upon layer of intrigue and treachery. With his personal life torn apart and his career on the line there is no one he can trust. The pace is fast the storyline complex, the acting superb, the action riviting, it will grab your attention and more importantly hold it to the last frame.
  
  
• Ah.... So THIS is how it happened
  By AVZUVRF7MFS24 on 2008-02-26
  No one in the English speaking world does long form dramatic television like the British, and this is a flawed but riveting example.
  
  It's a pleasure to be drawn into a tightly woven thriller that in each hour throws more and more and more detail into the mix, but therein is my only complaint - the intricate maze of relentless detail, coming at you like confetti at times, allows no time for the viewer to ponder or even catch up. The layers of simultaneous events and cross-contaminating characters will exhaust you, but pay off in the end.
  
  I find it odd that a number of reviewers complain that this is a preposterous story, obviously using their trusting perceptions of how the US and British governments have behaved in the latest invasion of Iraq. Personally I find it preposterous to imagine that the Iraq invasion DIDN'T happen in a manner quite similar to the scenario laid out in this series. But then naivety is an American trait these days, isn't it.
  
  Imagine the most difficult New York Times crossword puzzle and this is your journey for the next six hours or so. You'll need quite a number of very sharp pencils....
  
  
• Another Jason Isaacs triumph
  By A2OERZ4LX7DNUQ on 2007-01-05
  I haven't seen this yet, but have read every review I can find on-line about this show and am just chomping at the bit to get to look at it. I know it will be at least as good as the great series "Brotherhood" from Showtime, which I am playing over and over. Can't wait to get this.
  
  
• The State Within
  By AJSG3CGT3P8RJ on 2007-03-27
  Arrived promptly and in good condition. Have not had a chance to watch it yet.
  
  
• Smooth fast paced
  By A2TNQTJR0W1V3I on 2007-03-21
  Jason Issacs was wonderful as Mark. Some times I wanted to ring his neck because he didn't seem to know what was going on around him. Sharon Gless played her roll well.
  
  
• A frightful achievement
  By A3HR64TBUW3AW4 on 2007-04-07
  Coherence : perfect (Syriana uncovered).
  Scenario : plausible (if not probable).
  Characters : should all start an analysis ore take long holidays.
  Humor : none and unnecessary (considering plausibility of scenario).
  Colors : as gloomy as an unhealthy aquarium (fitting the humorless scenario and murky characters)
  
  Too bad Harry Pearce and Johnny English are confined strictly to metropolitan UK.
  
  
• Timely Insider Drama
  By A2A6680BUV1K8M on 2007-05-12
  While a bit fast-paced and in spots initally hard to get each character straight, the supurb acting of Jason Isaacs and Sharon Gless draw you into this potitical drama about what goes on in government at levels the 'common man' is not supposed to notice. Absorbing to the end, the story is totally believable....and in effect disturbing.
  
  
• Decent acting, Prime example of BBC's anti-U.S. bias
  By A1K82W76SAC7DZ on 2007-09-20
  This mini-series is a prime example of the BBC's anti-American bias. The American people are portrayed as unintelligent hicks and the American government is portrayed as a racist and inept. The only high point is Jason Issac's acting, which, as always, is superb.
  
  
• Better than one might think.
  By A95VPUDQ3R78I on 2007-11-20
  surprisingly good! especially given the usual political conspiracy drivel dished-out now a days in the form of the likes of 24 and the unit.
  
  An intelligent political thriller drawn from the current geopolitical landscape, straight from the headlines, with the British ambassador to the United States, beautifully played by Jason Isaacs, as the central character.
  
  The series takes place in the post Iraq era US and begins with a deadly explosion upon a passenger airliner on route form DC to London attributed to a British born Islamic terrorist with links to an oil rich Central Asian country.
  The first episode plays out the expected hysterical American over-reaction to the incident and the ambassador's frantic attempts at preaching restraint to a zealot secretary of defense played by Sharon Gless and a reactionary congress.
  So far the plot follows the lines of countless TV and Cinema productions but then a corner is turned in the second episode and you are formally introduced to a death row inmate, a disgraced ex-British ambassador, a CEO of a major American corporation and the chairman of a private security company. From that point onward the series becomes "a join the dots-what if" review of all those articles you've read in the New Yorker, the Guardian and the Independent over the past few years, plotted by Agatha Christi and paced by James Bond.
  
  Both thrilling and surprising The State Within will engage you to the very last moment. The relevance and complexity of the material will negate the need for suspension of disbelief and hinder any early conclusions. While a stellar performance by Jason Isaacs gives what could have easily been a pantomime cut-out a human dimension that will both inspire and move you.
  
  Well worth the watching and certainly far better than I had expected.
  
  
• stale 'n thin
  By A363VPN546BAID on 2007-12-20
  One star for finally making Virginia into a British colony. One star for decent cinematography and pace. Minus 2001 points for boring moonbat paranoia.
  
  Aside from the brave phlegmatic British Ambassador hero (and his soon to be mistress) all the characters are totally one dimensional stereotypes. Soul-less fat American politicians and business people, pretty dark-skinned people trapped by racism, flamboyant British gay traitor. And who knew that the BBC suffered from a writer's strike in 2006?
  
  
• Smart, fast-paced, gripping fun!
  By A3LXB9FRU5D8T4 on 2008-03-05
  There are so many layers to this mini-series that, as you start talking about one plot thread, you can't help but revealing the others. The main plot involves Sir Mark Bryden, British ambassador to the US (played by Jason Isaacs, very powerful and realistic), and his staff when they are thrown into a major incident - the massive mid-air explosion of a British passenger jet after take-off from Washington DC...and then it gets really exciting with a hard as nails U.S. Secretary of Defense (played wonderfully by Sharon Gless of Cagney & Lacey and Queer as Folk). She is a take charge, ruthless and politically adept player. There is the tension between the U.S. and the U.K. when it is revealed that a British Muslim detonated the bomb, a British national on death row in Florida, a secret training camp for paid mercenaries, corporately funded hitmen, attempts on Sir Mark's life. If you are a fan of MI-5 or Alias, add this one to your collection-it ROCKS!
  
  
• Fine Political Thriller
  By AYPS4RCXEFSJP on 2008-03-10
  While this lightning-paced, well-acted political thriller made for BBC America has one or two "believability" holes (the most prominent being a U.S. governor ordering the roundup of Muslims in Virginia, just because they ARE Muslims), overall it presents what some of us may suspect is a depressingly accurate description of behind-the-scenes "realpolitik" among major powers battling for hegemony in the oil-rich Middle East, with few moral inhibitions (make that NO moral inhibitions) about how they achieve their goal.
  
  "The State Within" is a thinly disguised portrayal of the events of 9/11 combined with a few lesser-known ones surrounding British and American covert operations in the Iraq/Uzbekistan region, and how these events led up to and made possible the invasion of Iraq - not for humanitarian reasons, but for coldly cynical strategic purposes centering on corporate opportunity and access to oil. I wish I could say the scenario is ludicrous, but, unfortunately, it will probably resonate all too realistically in the aftermath of 9/11 and the Bush/Cheney invasion of Iraq. For Iraq/Uzbekistan read the plot's "Tyrgyzstan"; for Halliburton, read its "Armitage"; and for Dick Cheney, former Halliburton CEO, read its "Lynne Warner", former CEO of "Armitage" and now the U.S. Secretary of Defense.
  
  On a beautiful day, a passenger jet explodes over the Beltway in Washington, DC, killing all aboard, as well as many on the ground. Caught on the ground in the middle of the incident is the U.S. ambassador from the Court of St. James, Sir Mark Brydon (Jason Isaacs, more familiar to American audiences as Malfoy, Sr., in the Harry Potter films). Brydon quickly senses that there is more to this dreadful incident than raw terrorism. As official and unofficial information flows in about the the event, its tentacles reach out to include British paramilitary groups operating in "Tyrgyzstan", a former paramilitary now on death-row, private corporate entities whose financial interests would be well-served by utilizing the terrorist attack for "regime change", and, of course, the interests of the US Department of Defense. The picture that forms as the pieces come together is so heinously, murderously venal, that the cost to the conscience becomes too much even for Brydon's seasoned diplomat.
  
  The many layers of this plot make it necessary to pay attention throughout, so this isn't something to accompany a Saturday afternoon nap. It moves along extremely quickly, riding, for the most part, a tightly woven script and excellent performances, starting with Mr. Isaacs as a man whose essentially decent core is challenged beyond capacity by the latest "compromise" required by international diplomacy. Isaacs, with his distinctive voice, piercing eyes, and intelligent persona, is excellent, conveying Brydon's transition from habitual conformity to dogged resistance. Sharon Gless gives Lynne Warner, the corrupt Secretary of Defense, a familiar ruthless arrogance dressed up as "patriotism"; Ben Daniels, the noted British stage actor, is intense as Brydon's aide, Nicholas Brocklehurst, whose loyalties are murky until the last chapter; and special mention must go to the moving performance of Lennie James as Luke Gardner, the death-row British ex-paramilitary, paying dearly for witnessing inconvenient truths. Alex Jennings (the villainous Lord Mark of "Wings of the Dove") is sympathetic as James Sinclair, deeply involved in the rebel movement against strong man "Usman" of Tyrgyzstan, and father of Brydon's godson. Eva Birthwhistle is earnestly courageous as British human rights acitivist Jane Lavery, whose struggle to save Gardner from execution puts her too close to what he knows.
  
  I enjoyed this series immensely. It may not be "Lawrence of Arabia" or "All the President's Men", and say what you will about its one or two holes, this is quality television viewing, and this reviewer sat up well past midnight on a weeknight to watch it through, unable to turn it off. It may not be the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth, but it's bloody close enough to make you wonder glumly exactly what it is about "civilization" that's so civilized.
  
  
• Gripping
  By ATWG6ADZG304O on 2008-05-11
  This is a gripping story with excellent acting. All the actors are superb, even down to the minor characters.
  I love the topical storyline, the twists, the high production values, everything. And I'd love to see a sequel with the same characters.
  
  
• The State Of Suspense!
  By A2438AODKIE6F3 on 2008-05-25
  This was A great mini-series! I ablsolutely LOVE BBC productions and they didn't let me down with this one. Very well written and acted. You go along for the ride as you watch Sir Mark try to figure out who the bad guys are. I don't usually write in on these things but I felt this DVD deserves it. It does NOT disappoint!
  
  

• State of Play (Miniseries)
• MI-5, Volume 4
• Five Days (HBO Miniseries)
• Brotherhood - The Complete First Season
• Damages: The Complete First Season