Pack Of Lies (1987)

Set in 1961 England, an officer (Alan Bates) with the British counterintelligence asks a suburban couple (Ellen Burstyn, Ronald Hines) to allow him into their home and use their upstairs bedroom which looks out on a street as a surveillance post. To their horror, it appears their best friends across the street, an American couple (Teri Garr, Daniel Benzali) may be communist spies. Based on the award winning play by Hugh Whitemore and directed by Anthony Page. The play was a success in London's West End where Judi Dench played Burstyn's role and a lesser success on Broadway where Rosemary Harris played the part. It's a riveting piece of drama that asks a lot of questions. Does our "duty" to our country supersede our loyalty to our friends? In a relationship built on deceit on all sides (including the government), can we ever know what the right thing is? This isn't a political thriller (though there's quite a bit of suspense) but a human drama that has us questioning what side do we come down on. The acting is very good although Burstyn does a terrible job with her British accent. I've never seen the play it's based on or read the source material but I suspect this adaptation has been watered down somewhat. Still, what remains is thought provoking. With Sammi Davis (HOPE AND GLORY) and Clive Swift.