Film: The Diplomat
Release date: 14th March 2011
Certificate: 15
Running time: 180 mins
Director: Peter Andrikidis
Starring: Dougray Scott, Rachael Blake, Jeremy Lindsay Taylor, Richard Roxburgh, Claire Forlani
Genre: Action/Crime/Drama/Mystery/Thriller
Studio: Showbox
Format: DVD
Country: Australia/UK
This is an English-language release.
The Diplomat is a two part Australian-British TV series. Stars of Mission Impossible 2, Dougray Scott and Richard Roxburgh, both feature alongside one another in a show that attempts to offer a new spin on the international action-thriller genre, dealing with themes such as counterterrorism in a style somewhat reminiscent of 24.
Dougray stars as Ian Porter, a British diplomat who is arrested by Scotland Yard on charges of smuggling drugs out of Tajikistan for Russian mobsters. Unbeknown to Scotland Yard, Porter is an MI6 detective, working deep undercover. With Porter in custody and Detective Chief Inspector Julie Hales (Rachael Blake) pushing him for answers, MI6 worry for the security of an operation that has been years in the making - an operation that appears to go far beyond the realms of drug smuggling.
In exchange for immunity, Porter agrees to enter a witness protection program, along with his ex-wife, Pippa (Claire Forlani). As Detective Hales continues to push for answers, Porter finds himself caught between MI6 and a Russian Mafioso, both concerned as to Porter's loyalty. As the truth slowly becomes evident, Porter finds his life turned upside down.
Enemies on all sides and with no room for mistakes, Porter must navigate the suspicion and deceit of both MI6 and the Russians, in order to prevent potential catastrophe and follow, what he believes to be, his destiny…
Despite its three hour running time, The Diplomat offers a rather intricate and, arguably, clever plot. Caught between two very different worlds, Porter's isolation, along with a rapidly evolving plot, make The Diplomat a thoroughly gripping watch. With an abundance of plot twists, the series is anything but boring. But, despite all of this, The Diplomat feels a little too familiar. Even with its seemingly clever plot, it never seems to achieve much beyond the occasional cheap thrill, and it only requires a brief look beneath the surface to discover why this is the case.
First and foremost, The Diplomat's script features a wide range of dull and predictable characters. The depiction of MI6 as the authoritative figure, which engages in some rather immoral acts in the name of self-preservation, feels a little over used. Especially when this is used to contrast the bumbling actions of an incompetent Scotland Yard who seem, for the most part, incapable of grasping the nature of the situation. This contrast of an intelligent, yet devious, MI6 and a narrow minded Scotland Yard (who cause nothing but problems for Porter), feels terribly lazy and predictable. The depiction of the Russian mob as ruthless, and occasionally idiotic, criminals only adds to the abundance of uninspired characters.
That said, not all of the show's characters are completely two dimensional. For example, the actions of Pippa, Porter's wife, often allude to hidden motives, which are never fully explored. It would also be fair to point out that Inspector Hales certainly deviates from her knuckle-headed colleges at Scotland Yard. Her character evolves somewhat during the course of the series, eventually aiding Porter in his efforts to bring down the Russian Mafioso he had been attempting to topple whilst working for MI6.
Most important is the chief protagonist, Porter, whose character is somewhat of a disappointment. Many of Porter's motives are mystifying, to say the least. In a rather odd move, the death of Porter's son (who drowned in a swimming pool, years earlier) is linked to his decision to help MI6 topple a Russian Mafioso. Somehow, it is this absurd plot line that holds the entire show together. Why Porter is prepared to sacrifice his life, and the lives of those around him, for a cause that bears no relation to the death of his son is truly mystifying.
Furthermore, there are other aspects of the show's plot that feel a little lazy. Several characters, including Charles Van Koors (Richard Roxburgh), make uncharacteristic decisions during the course of the show, which only prove to undermine the credibility of the plot.
However, despite its many flaws, The Diplomat remains surprisingly entertaining. The reasons for this are a little harder to pin down, but it may well be the fact that the show disguises its unoriginal plot with some fairly unfamiliar locations. With much of the action taking place in Australia, a plot which would otherwise be boring and predictable is transformed into somewhat of a unique experience.
Whilst The Diplomat may feature an intricate plot, it is littered with flaws. Similarly, its characters aren't developed enough to warrant any real merit. Although, the show is surprisingly entertaining and oddly engaging given its predictable plot. Even if the film cannot be credited with any major achievements, it is a decent international action-thriller which offers more than its fair share of thrills, even if many of them fail to stand up to critique. ME
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