Tag: Nicholas Elliott

A Spy Among Friends on MGM+, Episode 3: Allegory of the Catholic Faith

Allegory of the Catholic Faith is a painting by the Dutch painter Johannes Vermeer. The painting, housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York since 1931, depicts a woman with one foot on top of a globe representing the dominance of the Catholic Church across the world. The  Crucifixion scene on the wall is based on a painting by the Flemish artist Jacob Jordaens that Vermeer had in his collection.

The painting makes such a fitting title for this episode since the episode does not only have a direct connection to the painting itself but also to the Catholic faith as well as to the Crucifixion.

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A Magical Evening with Damian Lewis and His Band at Hoxton Hall

Damianista’s note 03/22/2023: Since the Hoxton Hall gig has been recorded professionally and that it will be released later this year, we cannot share the live videos we made at the gig. But you may find live videos from Damian’s other gigs on our YouTube channel.

Well, ladies and gentlemen, I had a 48-hour lightning trip to London for fun with fan friends and a fantastic evening of music at Hoxton Hall in East End with the one and only Damian Lewis and his fabulous band. And when I asked my blog mate Gingersnap before my trip that whether she thought I was crazy, I got this response.

“You’re not crazy. But you have a new name. Groupie!”

Seriously, how many times do you need to travel to see a musician in action to qualify as a groupie? 🙂

It was such a magical night that, ten days later,  this groupie still the under the spell of Damian’s spectacular performance and ready to tell you all about how our Ginger Elvis has ruled on stage and off – he has made time for everyone, his guests and his fans, after the gig. He had pictures taken, gave autographs as well as bear hugs.

So please come join me in the historic and intimate music hall that is Hoxton Hall, and live or re-live ( if you were lucky  enough to be there!) every single detail from that terrific evening.

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A Spy Among Friends on MGM+, Episode 2: The Admiral’s Glass

Elliott: Do you remember The Admiral’s Glass?

Philby: The Admiral’s what?

Elliott: Glass. By Southwark Bridge.

As her husband picks up the carrots he grew in their London backyard, Lily Thomas listens and re-listens to the Beirut tapes. What happened at The Admiral’s Glass? And why on earth is Philby seriously alarmed when an ambulance with sirens on arrives at their building? Continue reading “A Spy Among Friends on MGM+, Episode 2: The Admiral’s Glass”

A Spy Among Friends on MGM+, Episode 1: Boom-ooh-yatatatah

A Spy Among Friends has finally arrived on MGMplus today! The first episode is FREE without subscription and you can now watch it here. They are dropping Episode 1 and 2 today followed by one  episode per week for the next 4 weeks. That is what I will do with my episode recaps as well.

First things first: Since I was not patient enough for the mini-series to arrive in the US, I watched it on ITVX via VPN back in December. And As someone who read Ben MacIntyre’s book twice, I find Alexander Cary’s adaptation very clever. Nick Murphy’s background in documentary is evident and Joanna Eatwell proves once again she is the master of costume design. Damian Lewis, Guy Pearce, Anna Maxwell Martin and Stephen Kunken give off-the-chart brilliant performances.

A Spy Among Friends is slow-cooking, captivating and elegant. It is  cinematic to a degree that I envy the viewers who could see the first two episodes on big screen at the BFI London Film Festival. There are flashbacks and you need to pay attention – don’t text and watch 🙂 So, yes, ladies and gentlemen, A Spy Among Friends is exactly my cup of tea!

So shall we?

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What to Expect When We Are Expecting ‘A Spy Among Friends’

Kim Philby is arguably the most famous – or should I say infamous? – secret agent of all times. He may not be as well known as James Bond, but in contrast to 007, Philby was a real-life spy and the most successful member of the Cambridge Five, a group of spies recruited by the Russians to pass information from the UK to the Soviet Union during the Second World War through 1950s. A charming and brilliant Cambridge graduate, he quickly rose to the top of the counterintelligence unit at the MI6. He became the head of the anti-Soviet unit, served as the MI6 chief in Istanbul and ultimately became MI6’s Washington-based liaison with the CIA. Having his confidantes at MI6 and becoming close friends with James Angleton, a rising star at the CIA . While his betrayal got some of his colleagues into big trouble and took several Soviet defectors to their deaths, nobody suspected Philby for years. And when some at the MI5 flagged him, his colleagues at the MI6 and the CIA came to the rescue. When they finally had the evidence to confront him, Philby had already provided secret information to the Soviets for 30 years! Continue reading “What to Expect When We Are Expecting ‘A Spy Among Friends’”