Page Eight Page #6

Synopsis: Johnny Worricker (Bill Nighy) is a long-serving MI5 officer. His boss and best friend Benedict Baron (Michael Gambon) dies suddenly, leaving behind him an inexplicable file, threatening the stability of the organization. Meanwhile, a seemingly chance encounter with Johnny's striking next-door neighbor and political activist Nancy Pierpan (Rachel Weisz) seems too good to be true. Johnny is forced to walk out of his job, and then out of his identity to find out the truth. Set in London and Cambridge, PAGE EIGHT is a contemporary spy film for the BBC, which addresses intelligence issues and moral dilemmas peculiar to the new century.
Director(s): David Hare
Production: NBC Universal Television
  Nominated for 1 Golden Globe. Another 2 wins & 20 nominations.
 
IMDB:
6.9
Rotten Tomatoes:
93%
NOT RATED
Year:
2011
99 min
1,409 Views


not for what we want to be there.

Come on, Johnny! Once they wanted

communists, we gave them communists.

- Now they want Arabs, we give them Arabs.

- Thank you.

They decide what they're looking for,

we find it for them.

What has really changed? Nothing.

Look, I know what you're going through.

You must be in tricky place, Rollo.

It was a bad day for Ben.

It wasn't a great day for me.

Ben ran his own agents

and he kept them close.

So there are quite a few people

waking up in your position.

Benedict did a good job on you.

The whole service believes

that you leaked security secrets

to a newspaper in return for money

because that's what Benedict told them.

There's a flap going on, isn't there?

A turf war, that's what I'm hearing.

Are you? Where are you hearing that?

Don't give me that "answer a question

with a f***ing question" lark, Johnny.

I didn't go on the interrogation course,

I wrote it, remember?

- Sorry.

- What's more, I just went to Israel for you

on what could be a wild-goose chase.

All right,

I dipped into the Tel Aviv beach scene,

I got tanned on every inch of my sexy body.

But even so, you owe me this!

All right. What this is about,

Benedict had proof

the Americans have sites, black sites.

- Of course they do.

- Yes, but now

we can tell you exactly where they are,

we can draw the map.

Why is that news? That's not news.

You could hear the screams

for the last 10 years.

Little bits of intelligence, we're so careful not

to enquire too closely where they came from.

They came from torture chambers,

we knew that.

We guessed, we didn't have evidence.

And this is actually different.

Why? Why is it different?

Because it establishes who knew.

Who's known all along.

So, who knew? Who knew the sites?

Our prime minister.

Our prime minister knew.

I see.

Party of one, is it? Dining alone?

Too right, table by the f***ing window.

Our prime minister had access

to American intelligence

which might have helped save British lives,

and he didn't tell us.

He didn't tell anyone.

Okay. Okay, I'm getting a picture here.

Good. I'm glad you're

getting a picture, Rollo.

Presumably our prime minister

didn't tell us because he doesn't trust us?

Correct.

And he didn't tell his home secretary

because he doesn't trust her either.

- Correct.

- Our prime minister doesn't trust anyone,

- is that right?

- That's the way it looks.

'Cause he stands alone,

the true saviour of his nation.

And everyone else, except for him,

is a wishy-washy liberal f***!

They don't believe.

- Then what happened?

- Benedict finds out.

- How?

- Through a source.

Yeah, but a source of his own.

A source's name you don't know.

That's the interesting bit.

What does Benedict do, in that situation,

on discovering that his prime minister hides

secrets from his own security service?

Of all the things that Ben could do,

what does he do?

Remember your first day, Rollo.

First day in the service.

Of course, Monday morning, 10:00 a.m.,

you give the first lecture.

And what did I say?

"Never share intelligence

you don't need to share."

Consider. Benedict is given lethal

information about his prime minister.

And what does he do with it?

He gives it to Anthea. He gives it to you.

What was his plan, then?

Bring down the government?

(TALKING INDISTINCTLY)

- Weather's changing.

- Certainly is.

Feels like the end of an era.

As for me, I'm f***ed.

Live out my life inventing stories

for a national newspaper.

Can't even come to the funeral.

Rollo. Rollo, you have me.

Sure. How long are you gonna last?

(MUTTERS TO HERSELF)

I thought it would be you.

Don't be ridiculous. Why?

Because I dreamed of you this morning.

I had my Johnny dream.

Whoever taught you to lie like that?

Who do you think?

So, how many years since I saw you?

I guess five.

You sold me a little Gertler, remember?

You're sure? You really want to sell it?

Christopher Wood. Died at 29.

Threw himself under the train.

- I wouldn't sell it, if I were you.

- I have to.

Bad times?

Why did you bring it here?

There are places in London

you would get much more.

Because you have a safe.

- Because you have cash.

- How do you know?

Because you showed me.

Well, will you take 60?

Do I have any choice?

- Here.

- Thank you.

(SPEAKING FOREIGN LANGUAGE)

Well done.

- That daughter of yours, she's doing well?

- Hmm.

Does she still adore you?

I think she does, she's just

scared of showing it, that's all.

And you, Johnny?

Still winging it on charm?

I'm late. Thank you, Leona.

I've got to go.

Thanks, sir.

(MOBILE PHONE RINGING)

- Hi.

- Hi.

- Yes?

- Dad, it's me.

At last. Where are you?

I've been worried sick.

I know. I couldn't leave Mum by herself.

Julianne, are you at the farm?

Dad, a man came to see me.

What man? Who?

I don't know. He came to my studio.

He wanted to know where you were.

What did you say?

I told him the truth.

I said I hadn't seen you,

then I packed a bag and came up to Mum's.

Julianne, I'm going to see you so soon,

I promise.

Stay at your mum's, whatever you do.

I need to talk to you.

He said they're looking for you.

Ah! Here's a surprise.

Julianne, I've got to go. I'm sorry.

Stay where you are, please.

Blow me down.

Thought the shy boy wasn't coming.

- I wasn't.

- What made you change your mind?

Oh, you know, whim, caprice.

(CROWD CHATTERING)

Good evening.

(RECITING GRACE IN LATIN)

ALL:
Amen.

(DOOR OPENING)

- Welcome.

- Thank you.

- Good evening.

- MEN:
Good evening, Prime Minister.

(CROWD CHATTERING)

(INAUDIBLE WHISPERING)

(RINGING BELL)

The prime minister will now say a few words.

(CROWD CLAPPING)

Thank you.

Thank you, thank you.

Well, I don't want to spoil such

a wonderful occasion with a long speech.

As my daughter says,

"Daddy, you spoil everything."

(ALL LAUGHING)

But I would like to say a few words,

if I may, about liberal values

and the price of defending them

in the modern world.

What do you think?

What do you think of him?

I don't know.

I've never known what to make of him.

At least he believes what he says.

Is that enough?

The prime minister wants a word.

- Not now.

- When?

Afterwards.

We'll tell you when.

Sorry, it's past 1:00.

He had a long phone call.

The White House doesn't admit

we're in a different time zone.

Ah, Johnny.

- It's been a long time.

- So it has.

I'm surprised you could make it.

- Why?

- I heard you had flu.

Really? Who told you that?

Why? Isn't it true?

- Isn't it?

- Maybe the beginnings. The onset.

Oh, and having just lost the DG,

I didn't think you'd come.

I'm sorry, everyone,

but we're going to need some privacy.

(CLEARS THROAT)

Please.

I remember when peace first came to

Northern Ireland, I took Ben for a drink.

In those days I was just an MP.

Benedict said, "The Cold War's over.

Northern Irelands fixed.

"This could be very bad

news for the service."

Well, all honour to Ben,

Rate this script:2.0 / 1 vote

David Hare

Sir David Hare Born5 June 1947 (age 70) St Leonards-on-Sea, Hastings, East Sussex OccupationPlaywright, screenwriter, director EducationMA (Cantab.), English Literature Alma materLancing College Jesus College, Cambridge Notable worksThe Judas Kiss Plenty Pravda The Absence of War Licking Hitler Skylight Strapless The Blue Room Stuff Happens Notable awardsBAFTA, Golden Bear, Olivier Award SpouseNicole Farhi Sir David Hare (born 5 June 1947) is an English playwright, screenwriter and theatre and film director. Best known for his stage work, Hare has also enjoyed great success with films, receiving two Academy Award nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay for writing. more…

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Submitted on August 05, 2018

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