Close to the Enemy- just me?

[DameDiazepamTheDramaQueen]

Is anyone else watching?

It's so dull!! Am I missing something?

I'm so disappointed, l love Poliakoff's films , this hasn't even got lovely music like his work normally does. Sigh...

I'm quite enjoying it. I understand what you mean about it being a little slow but I'm intrigued by all the people in the hotel and wondering who's working for who and whether they are are all what they appear to be. For example the waitress who appeared in episode 2 and was sitting listening to the singer in the ballroom. Who exactly is the 'funny' little man? What does the library owning Foreign Office chap know? Will Cal realise he is being watched and what happened during the war to Cal and to his brother? Also, is the Charity Wakefield character (actress) what she seems? I agree it's missing the music. I liked all the thirties jazz music in 'Dancing on the Edge'. I've certainly found enough to keep my interest. However, by contrast, 'My mother and other strangers' is teetering on the edge of losing me altogether because it is slow and boring which is a shame because I really enjoy period dramas.

I fear that I am about to start to not get all the complex sub plots.

But does anyone else think that Cal speaks like Swiss Toni?

Ha! I said that to dh Monkey, he hadn't but once said it he couldn't stop hearing it.

A poster on another thread mentioned that Cal has a perpetual head tilt and I can't stop noticing it now. I'm assuming it's just a feature of the actor's body language.

Oh and monkey I'm not sure the plot is in the league of 'The Missing'. I'm wondering if all the questions will actually lead nowhere in the end and we just have to make up our own sub plots.

I couldn't manage The Missing rhubarb - my brain can't cope with complex TV at the moment!

Oh yes the head tilt is really annoying and I can't stop focusing on it either!

I'm disappointed with it compared to previous Poliakoff work. The first one I ever saw was "Caught on a Train" with the divine Michael Kitchen in it ( a very young and very thin MK) more than 30 yeas ago and have been a fan ever since.

I will stick with it because I want to know what happens to Dieter and Lotte but I'm afraid Cal really annoys me. His way of speaking gets on my nerves.

The first Poliakoff I ever saw was Shooting the Past. It was completely mesmerising and absorbing - complete with the beautiful music he's known for using. I've been so looking forward to this - sounds like its a bit disappointing?

I agree - was so looking forward to it. Settled down to watch first episode . . . dull. Thought to myself "It'll pick up" Settled down to watch second episode. Got halfway through and had to chase around the bedroom to reclaim my attention which had wandered off. Lost interest totally and can't be bothered now. Disappointed!

Well, I'm captivated by it - but then I do like my action to be slow-paced. Like Rhubarb I'm intrigued by how all the people fit together, and who is watching/being watched by whom. I also think it gets the feel of 1946 very well - that sense of war-weariness, people utterly ground down by the war but now minus the adrenaline that was keeping them going before, and faced with the task of rebuilding the mess and still managing with all the shortages, whilst coming to terms with what had happened and what they'd seen and done. After the euphoria of VE and VJ wore off it must have been hell, and I'm getting a good sense of that.

I've just watched episode 3 and think it's actually picked up a lot. I know quite a bit of the background (Vera Atkins and SOE for example) so am enjoying this episode more. Looking forward to Thursday, although Cal still annoys me.

I am gripped. I'm passed the Jim Sturgess mannerisms and totally believing in Cal.

I agree the story has started to pick up pace and I think there are a number of interesting plot lines now. I'm quite enjoying Cathy from the War Crimes unit teaming up with Victor and scouring the rubbish vans for secret files which end up dumped in her lounge although I have a feeling it's all going to back fire on them somehow.

DH and I watched the first episode last night. Well, almost.... I fell asleep a short while before the end, and DH (who will watch any shite) said "This is really crap, isn't it?"

I also said to DH that Cal spoke like Swiss Toni! His voice and way of speaking are annoying.
No actor or character in this has any charisma or presence whatsoever. The girl's constant screaming seemed ridiculous, unrealistic and looked overdubbed.
Another one very disappointed here, too.

I've only watched episode 1, and it took a while to get going, but by the end I was pretty well gripped.

Cal's accent is pretty naff though. And is it bad that I was disappointed the little girl didn't produce real tears in the crying and wailing scenes? Maybe it's not considered ethical to get child actors to cry.

Do you think he was told to act Cal in that way? It's ridiculous- like Roger Moore meets Swiss Tony.
DH gave up. I'm soldiering on but I'm not sure why

Cal and his brother have very different accents - Cal is doing the Swiss Tony thing but his brother has a London accent. It makes me think that Cal may be putting it on.

After a shaky start, I am loving it now. I was a bit at Dieter and the waitress.

Yes Louise likewise with Dieter and the waitress. I think there's something fishy about her and I don't mean the bloater paste sandwiches!

I'm sticking with it but got to admit I not paying much attention to it. My head is still reeling from Westworld

I'm really enjoying it now. I think the bloke Callum got the papers for is a double agent though. It's the only reason I can think of that he was so upset when he realised Callum would be blamed for taking the papers.
I hope it all goes pear shaped for Callum. He's horribly arrogant. He can be thrown in gaol, his posh totty divorced by her husband, not sure why she married him anyway and the nice nazi hunting woman have a happy ending. Not sure what happens to Victor. I find him very unvonvincing as a character. He's supposed to be war damaged but seems to be played more as having ASD and emotional instability and immaturity to such an extent that I can't believe the army would have ever agreed to take him.

Interesting point about the Foreign Office chap rebecca. I had assumed he had some sort of revenge motive for the personal losses of his wife and family members during the war. It's entirely possible that the Russians have 'turned' him and are hoping to destablise the government by revealing the information or use it somehow - he could of course be lying about what happened to his family in the war?. I'm guessing that he saw Cal and his brother as fellow sufferers during the war and kindred spirits - it can't be much longer before we find out what, if anything, actually happened to Victor - yes he is a bit wide-eyed and more like a teenager rebelling and not entirely convincing as a PTSD sufferer although it can manifest itself in so many ways but I can't help liking him.

I agree that Cal is incredibly arrogant and sure of himself and I think it is all going to go pear-shaped before too long. I like the Nazi-hunter lady though. She looks pretty steely. Looking forward to more tonight.

DH is still watching, I just sit in the same room. I looked up the actor playing Cal because his accent is so odd. He reminds me a bit of Pierce Brisbane so I thought he might be Irish but he's from Wandsworth! And Victor is Freddie Highmore, formerly cute kid actor!