The Spy

The comedic work of Sacha Cohen doesn't, diplomatically speaking, appeal to me. So far, the only role that has caught my attention from his creative workshop is that of a tenacious guardian of order, who becomes a nightmare for young Hugo in Scorsese's spectacle Hugo. Like many comedians before him, Cohen discovered in his mature years that the box labeled Borat and company was too tight for him and accepted the leading role in a spy series, which is an artistic reconstruction of the fate of a real Israeli spy. He managed to infiltrate the social elite of Syria in the 1960s and completely humiliate its military and political leadership. Eli Cohen rightfully ranks among the masters of the 20th-century secret service, and the series is a well-made tribute to his life and work. Certain concessions can be found that are made for the popcorn audience, but the series predominantly strives for a civilian perspective on those who must wear a mask and have transformed their lives into an endless charade in exchange for obtaining valuable information. Cohen shows that his acting range is broad, and the series largely functions thanks to him. The creators let the Middle East drown in faded camera filters to emphasize the retro atmosphere. It doesn't bother me, but I do have certain problems with the English language, although I understand its choice for commercial reasons. In the interest of authenticity, it would be much better to use a mixture of Arabic and Hebrew. Most series suffer from excessive length, and in this case, I would advocate for a script expansion to reveal additional operations of the agent on Syrian soil. Expanding from 6 to 8 episodes would be optimal in my opinion. Overall impression: 85%. (15.07.2021)

I really appreciate this series because it introduced me to Agent 88, Eli Cohen, who made such a mockery out of the Syrians that I couldn't believe that something like that could happen in real life. So, I googled Eli and it’s all there!! This work was incredibly tragicomic for me from beginning to end. Agent 88 – if I used such a nickname in an online discussion about refugees, I would be banned for life. I found the code name itself hilarious (diehard Nazis would be grinding their teeth if they even managed to watch this series about a heroic Shemite). His extraordinary audacity and self-confidence really blew my mind. It was funny that Sacha Baron was cast in the role of Cohen, ‘nomen est omen’ as they say. I must admit that the part suited him well. It was the first time I saw him in a serious role and he really pulled it off. (24.11.2019)

I'm pretending to be me. This film tries to provide a “realistic view of the work of a spy", but it still repeatedly uses the classic genre elements such as “hiding behind the wall" while the guards in the next room become suspicious and he changes his mind before entering the other room or grabs documents at the last possible millisecond exactly when the door opens, etc. We have seen this a hundred times and in this specialized movie it gives the same impression as Muhammad Ali's fist in Buscemi's face. That's a shame, because the reality itself is much more interesting and exciting. However, Agent is more than a successful mini-series about a barely believable career that keeps the suspense  up throughout the series. Apart from tripping over its own feet, Agent could could incur the criticism that it could have been even shorter and that English is pervasive throughout the series instead of a mix of Hebrew, French and Arabic. There's some unnecessary padding in every episode, but never to an extent that you will get bored or annoyed, but enough to be noticeable. Otherwise, it is brilliant; especially in the first and final episodes. It is strongest on a purely civil and emotional level. What (or rather who) keeps it afloat even in the weakest moments is Cohen, who has to be a charming, melancholic, doubtful and sometimes inconspicuous pencil pusher. And on all those levels he is someone completely different each time, and yet deep inside he is still Eli, faithful to his homeland and wife. (19.10.2020)