--- title: "Page Eight: the reviews" canonical: "https://film.one/film/page-eight/reviews" title_page: "https://film.one/film/page-eight" critics_score: 72 critics_reviews: 12 licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Page Eight (2011): what the critics said Critics' score 72 from 12 reviews: 6 positive, 5 mixed, 1 negative. Most critics like Page Eight, and the praise gathers in two places: Bill Nighy and David Hare’s dialogue. The warmer reviews call it a classy, intelligent spy drama, led by character rather than chases, and nearly all of them note how well the cast handles Hare’s clipped, witty lines. Nighy’s performance is the single most praised element, with Rachel Weisz, Ralph Fiennes and Michael Gambon mentioned alongside him, and the scenes between Nighy and Gambon singled out more than once. The reservations are about pace and payoff. Variety finds it short on urgency and thinks The Ghost Writer did this better. The AV Club enjoys the film but finds the ending anticlimactic, and Den of Geek calls it stylish yet emotionally sterile, with a weakly drawn Israel-Palestine subplot. Time Out, while approving, finds Hare’s writing mannered. The lone negative, Eye for Film, calls it undercooked and episodic while still admiring the cast. The spread is fairly narrow: mild approval to warm, with one outlier. ## Evening Standard — Nick Roddick Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 10 April 2012. Festival review. Roddick calls the film an enthralling, intelligent political thriller and a standout exposé of British establishment power. He especially praises Bill Nighy’s deeply moving performance and David Hare’s sharp, funny dialogue. [Read the review](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/page-eight-the-best-cinematic-expose-of-how-the-british-establishment-operates-7425405.html) ## The Guardian — Phil Hogan Fi1m's normalised score 90/100 (inferred from the text). 4 September 2011. Hogan considers Page Eight an effortlessly good, classy spy drama and hopes its protagonist will return. He singles out the performances of Bill Nighy and Rachel Weisz, alongside the film’s lean dialogue and measured storytelling. [Read the review](https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2011/sep/04/page-eight-conspiracy-files-tv-review) ## Los Angeles Times — Robert Lloyd Fi1m's normalised score 85/100 (inferred from the text). 5 November 2011. Lloyd finds the thriller a rewarding, character-focused drama with sharp political themes. He especially praises Bill Nighy’s performance, the ensemble cast, and David Hare’s precise dialogue. [Read the review](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/tv/la-xpm-2011-nov-05-la-et-1105-page-eight-20111105-story.html) ## Time Out — Gabriel Tate Rating 4/5. 26 August 2011. The review finds David Hare’s writing both pithily inspired and frustratingly mannered. It singles out the screenplay’s writing for praise, while noting its mannered side. [Read the review](https://www.timeout.com/movies/page-eight) ## The AV Club — Meredith Blake Fi1m's normalised score 70/100 (inferred from the text). 7 November 2011. Blake finds the film an engaging, intimate take on espionage, though its conclusion feels inadequate and anticlimactic. She praises David Hare’s concise, witty writing and the cast’s delivery. [Read the review](https://www.avclub.com/page-eight-1798170320) ## Variety — Charles Gant Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 19 June 2011. Festival review. Gant finds it an enjoyable, polished spy drama but says it lacks urgency and compares unfavorably with The Ghost Writer. He praises the cast’s delivery of the pithy dialogue. [Read the review](https://variety.com/2011/film/reviews/page-eight-1117945486/) ## Screen Daily — Allan Hunter Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 17 June 2011. The review’s verdict is unavailable because the article is paywalled. Its praise or complaint cannot be determined from the visible text. [Read the review](https://www.screendaily.com/page-eight/5028920.article) ## The New York Times Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 5 November 2011. The page appears to be a review of Page Eight, but its verdict cannot be assessed from the inaccessible text. No praise or complaint is available to identify. [Read the review](https://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/05/arts/television/david-hares-page-eight-on-pbs-review.html) ## HeyUGuys — Steven Neish Rating 4/5. 29 June 2011. Festival review. The review finds the film thoroughly enjoyable and engaging, despite its low-key thrills and uneven writing. It praises the chemistry and witty exchanges between Bill Nighy and Michael Gambon. [Read the review](https://www.heyuguys.com/eiff-2011-page-eight/) ## Den of Geek — Louisa Mellor Fi1m's normalised score 65/100 (inferred from the text). 28 August 2011. The review finds Page Eight cerebral and stylish, but emotionally sterile, while still calling it a treat for television. It praises Bill Nighy’s droll performance and the sharp dialogue, while faulting the Israel-Palestine subplot as weakly drawn. [Read the review](https://www.denofgeek.com/tv/page-eight-review/) ## The Playlist Fi1m's normalised score 64/100 (inferred from the text). 14 September 2011. Festival review. The URL identifies this as a TIFF review, but the page content is blocked, so the critic’s verdict cannot be determined. The headline characterizes the film as a talky spy picture set against changing realities; no specific praise or complaint is accessible. [Read the review](https://theplaylist.net/tiff-11-review-page-eight-a-talky-spy-pic-pitting-old-school-sensibilities-against-new-realities-20110914/) ## Eye for Film — David Graham Fi1m's normalised score 40/100 (inferred from the text). 1 September 2011. The review finds the film classy and serviceable but ultimately undercooked and lacking impact. It praises the cast, especially Ralph Fiennes, while faulting the strained relationships and episodic pacing. [Read the review](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/page-eight-film-review-by-david-graham) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Our review: https://film.one/film/page-eight.md