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The first is the usual: Is it well made?
That is, does it scan, is it compelling, is it built effectively?
But the second question is, why doesThe Spyexist?
And that is a harder nut to crack.
A few times he gets very upset.
Once, he hurls things at the wall.
(Eventually, hes tortured in other, more gruesomely direct ways.)
Maazi has one scene in a bathhouse that briefly lifts him into being a distinct person.
But none of the women become more three-dimensional than concerned female handler or dedicated, frustrated wife.
Most of the Syrian characters are one-note villains.
)The Spys depiction of Elis story is uninflected, absolutely direct.
It is, almost without reservation, a celebration of Cohens sacrifices and his dedication.
Its as if a commemorative plaque from a particularly gruesome historical location was made it into a six-part miniseries.
In this case, the glibness comes with an extra dose of righteousness and stomach-churning crudeness.
I know more about history than I did before.
