Page Eight Page #8

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


ANTHEA:
Extremely well.

We've always got on

on a personal level, and now...

Didn't hear you get up.

Good morning. How are you?

- Better, much better.

- Good.

Do you know the home secretary?

The one who says, "We can't be free

because we have to be safe"?

That's her.

- Thank you, Mr Eliot.

- Thank you very much.

She's our deputy prime minister.

I thought we didn't have

a deputy prime minister.

We do now. Beasley is saying

he thinks of her as his natural successor.

She's been bought.

We need to go to work.

Are you coming with me?

Try and stop me.

Well, as you know, some prime ministers

designate a deputy, some don't.

Obviously, it's a mark of how well

we're now working together

that the prime minister has wanted

to give me this particular job title.

- Emma. How are you?

- Busy.

You haven't met, have you?

This is Nancy Pierpan.

- Okay.

- So sorry to hear your news.

She's my neighbour.

She's kindly doing a stint as my chauffeur.

Come in.

Go to the barn. She's waiting for you.

Do you think Nancy could possibly

have a cup of coffee?

(HEN CLUCKING)

(ROOSTER CROWS)

I'm so sorry. I said terrible things.

It's my fault. I've been stupid.

I'm a bad father.

Just put my mind at rest.

It's not Ralph Wilson, is it?

Ralph Wilson?

Why would it be Ralph?

Because I saw you together.

- Are you out of your head?

- Thank God!

Is that what you've been thinking?

Is that what you think of me?

I didn't know what to think.

If you must know,

- it was a conceptual artist.

- Oh.

Good. Well...

I'm glad conceptual artists

are good for something.

How long did it last?

It lasted a week.

A good week?

Well, then, your daughter's

in with a chance.

How do you know it's a girl?

Because I had a girl.

I don't know why I bothered

to make you all lunch.

- God knows, I've got enough to do.

- It's delicious.

Everyone says Benedict knew he was dying.

So why didn't he at least

leave us an order of service?

Did he ask for anything in particular?

Oh, you know.

(VOICE BREAKING) Stuff about England.

So typical. So typical of him.

I don't think Benedict gave a damn

about England, did he? Except...

as some version of paradise.

Imaginary, like all paradise.

I'm sure it's what the Belgians

feel about Belgium.

I'm sure they do.

And the frigging Albanians.

And you're no use.

You like jazz.

Johnny, can you come with me, please?

- There was a politician.

- I'm sorry?

An American politician came here for lunch.

Couple of weeks ago.

I don't suppose you remember his name.

He piloted his plane to the local airfield.

You didn't mention this before.

I was angry before.

Is the plane enough of a clue?

(PHONE RINGING)

It's not certain, but there's a fair chance

that I'm going to have to leave the country.

I have a feeling this

week may not end well.

I'm running out of rope.

They're not gonna make me

deputy prime minister.

Will I see you at the funeral?

I'll try.

"Try" as in you will,

"try" as in you won't?

(CAMERA CLICKS)

(CAMERA CLICKS)

He's on his way.

You're going to tell me what you're doing?

I'm doing what you do for a living.

Aren't you in the surveillance business?

Going through your things,

seeing what's there.

Don't worry. I don't do guns or violence.

How did you get in?

There's a dead-lock in the combination.

We still have skills in the public sector

you don't in the private.

Contact, contact.

(PHONE RINGING)

Nancy, you can come up now.

This is an expensive outfit.

I was wondering who'd stake

such a serious investment.

And then I saw the photo on the fridge.

I had you marked from the beginning.

- I know you did.

- From the moment I met you.

I've been taking photos of your operation.

- Are they on that camera?

- And sending them to a computer.

You're Jill Tankard's little boy.

Nothing to say?

This is the man who pretended

to support your campaign.

I can't believe what you did.

I can't believe it.

- How far would you have taken it?

- I'd have slept with you.

For Queen and country,

I would have done it.

I was never interested in you,

I was interested in him.

I meant to believe that

it was a coincidence.

An Ml5 man just happens to live

opposite a known subversive.

I'm not a subversive.

- Then what the f*** are you?

- Ralph!

It's time to have a word with your mum.

I'm going to leave early.

Please cancel all my appointments.

He's back in contact.

What made you choose this place?

Best reason, because the food is good.

Hello. I've got whisky,

but my friend usually drinks white wine.

- Whisky.

- Of course.

So, interesting choice.

How does it feel to be unemployable?

What's in the bag?

Have you brought me the file?

I've been trying to calculate

how long you've been working this racket.

What racket is that?

You're running a cowboy unit

out of Downing Street.

Don't think you can call it a cowboy unit.

We answer to the prime minister.

- Clearly you've forgotten, so do we.

- What's your point?

The prime minister never liked

the security services

because we refused to tell him

what he wanted to hear

and we were always

bothering him with facts.

So he started his own intelligence unit.

Am I right?

Dealing directly with the Americans.

In traditional practice, the torturers

are meant to be held at arm's length.

You have no proof.

Well, as a matter of fact, I do.

I found Ben's source.

I've spoken to Ben's source.

- I don't believe you.

- Believe what you like.

And will that source go on the record?

- Can you produce that source?

- That's a gamble you're going to have to take.

Johnny, you're bluffing with an empty hand.

Is the prime minister

willing to take that risk?

I know the source.

Face it, the world's changed.

What are the British gonna do?

Get new allies?

- Allies who behave better?

- Benedict was onto you, wasn't he?

He'd worked it out.

That's why he put the file out.

Because he knew you were betraying

your own department.

Reporting to the prime

minister isn't betrayal.

You financed a piece of private enterprise

and employed your own son.

I've taken photographs of his premises.

F*** this. This isn't the student union.

I'm not here to debate.

The world's moving on,

and it's time it did.

Because you guys,

with your public-school ties and your,

"After you, old chap,"

didn't make much of a job of it, did you?

Last meeting of the club, Johnny.

Last meeting of the club.

In the last 48 hours

you've broken every rule in the book.

You're no longer in the service.

You will never work again.

Your pension's gone.

And if you blow the whistle now

you'll also go to prison.

Is that what you want?

Because that's what lies ahead

if you don't give me that file.

- I'm willing to cut a deal.

- What's the deal?

No Royal Commission, no reorganisation.

- Is that all?

- No.

Publication of the internal Israeli report

on the death of Jake Pierpan.

- You're crazy.

- We leak it.

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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