But it's let down by two major failings. First, without spoiling it too much the ending is far too neat and totally unbelievable. Up until that point the plot was OK, if a little pedestrian and predictable, but the last ten or fifteen minutes ruin it as a drama. The final shot is just the director begging for another series.
Secondly, and more importantly, they can't seem to decide what tone they're going for. One minute they seem to be trying to paint a semi-serious portrait of post-invasion Iraq, the next it's descended into some sort of light-hearted Midsomer Murders in Baghdad. The incidental music really doesn't help in this regard.
The central performance is great, but some of the supporting cast are hamming it up something chronic. The main baddie and his sidekick are straight out of Panto.
To sum up, I'd normally give it a four but it's one star from me on principle because the director is on here giving her own programme a 10!
Secondly, and more importantly, they can't seem to decide what tone they're going for. One minute they seem to be trying to paint a semi-serious portrait of post-invasion Iraq, the next it's descended into some sort of light-hearted Midsomer Murders in Baghdad. The incidental music really doesn't help in this regard.
The central performance is great, but some of the supporting cast are hamming it up something chronic. The main baddie and his sidekick are straight out of Panto.
To sum up, I'd normally give it a four but it's one star from me on principle because the director is on here giving her own programme a 10!