This is a fairly underwhelming drama which is made most disappointing by it's wastefulness of an outstanding cast list.
It's all very nicely shot, but too often resorts to cheap tricks, naff editing and effects, trite music and a dreadfully lame script.
The story follows the investigation into a biological weapon terrorist attack on the US. Most of this has been seen before, in one form or another, so what this story really needs is a little bit extra. Opportunities for political observation, wit or subtle analogy to foreign policies are not pursued and would've enriched this drama without weighing it down. Syriana, by know means a great example (similarly far too wordy and bogged down) is perhaps the opposite end of the scale to this story, so falling somewhere in between may have been a happy medium.
The worst thing about Covert One, as I began, is the shocking waste of talent on display. The cast seem to know exactly what they've let themselves in for, but Stephen Dorff, Danny Huston, Mira Sorvino, Anjelica Huston, Sophia Myles, Kenneth Welsh and Colm Meaney are all excellent artistes and not really put to work. Their efforts certainly make this more watchable, but at the same time more criminal that it wasn't better.
I should add I have no previous knowledge of any of Ludlum's work, so can't comment on the adaptation.
It's all very nicely shot, but too often resorts to cheap tricks, naff editing and effects, trite music and a dreadfully lame script.
The story follows the investigation into a biological weapon terrorist attack on the US. Most of this has been seen before, in one form or another, so what this story really needs is a little bit extra. Opportunities for political observation, wit or subtle analogy to foreign policies are not pursued and would've enriched this drama without weighing it down. Syriana, by know means a great example (similarly far too wordy and bogged down) is perhaps the opposite end of the scale to this story, so falling somewhere in between may have been a happy medium.
The worst thing about Covert One, as I began, is the shocking waste of talent on display. The cast seem to know exactly what they've let themselves in for, but Stephen Dorff, Danny Huston, Mira Sorvino, Anjelica Huston, Sophia Myles, Kenneth Welsh and Colm Meaney are all excellent artistes and not really put to work. Their efforts certainly make this more watchable, but at the same time more criminal that it wasn't better.
I should add I have no previous knowledge of any of Ludlum's work, so can't comment on the adaptation.