Turks & Caicos (film)
Please do not use {{Infobox television film}} directly. See the documentation for available templates. Turks & Caicos is a 2014 British drama television film, written and directed for the BBC by the British writer David Hare.[1] It follows Page Eight, which aired on BBC Two in August 2011 and is followed by Salting the Battlefield.[2][3]
Plot
Following on from the events of Page Eight, Johnny Worricker (Bill Nighy) is hiding out from his work at MI5 on the tax-exile Turks and Caicos Islands. Trouble comes knocking when a mysterious encounter with Curtis Pelissier (Christopher Walken) leads to Johnny receiving a questionable invitation to dinner with several shady US businessman, who comprise a company known as Gladstone. The morning after their first encounter, one of them is found dead on the beach in suspicious circumstances. It is the business group's Financial PR, Melanie Fall (Winona Ryder), a woman with whom Johnny has developed something of a rapport, that seems to know more about events surrounding the conflict than she is letting on. Following a second encounter, Pelissier reveals himself to be a CIA agent who knows Johnny's true identity, and the former analyst - fearing for his freedom - desperately cuts a deal with the American: he will help with the operation on the island in exchange for silence about his location.
With the remaining businessmen claiming to be on the islands for an international financial colloquium, Worricker soon learns they have a link to London private equity Mogul, Stirling Rogers (Rupert Graves), who is director of 'The Bridge', a charitable foundation being developed to assuage world poverty. When links from the foundation to prime minister Alec Beasley (Ralph Fiennes) come to light, Worricker must act quickly if he is to survive. He thinks the answer to resolving the situation may lie in an old girlfriend, Margot Tyrell (Helena Bonham-Carter), a former MI5 analyst who is now a financial expert in London, working with Rogers. He calls on old acquaintance Rollo Maverley (Ewen Bremner) to contact her and extract information regarding the dubious foundation.
Before long, Johnny uncovers from Melanie and Pelissier the extent of the businessmen's activities: they are 'quartermasters' for the war on terror, and have been overcharging the US Government for the construction of black-site torture camps. When Margot and Rogers arrive on the island, Johnny quickly makes his presence known and, along with Pelissier, sets up a high-stakes meeting with the concerned parties.
Amid tense negotiations, Johnny - with the help of Margot's information - is able to secure a deal between the CIA and Gladstone, and reveals a link between the excess funds and the Prime Minister's future career plans post-office; however, he does not count on the double-crossing CIA agent, and ends up having to flee the islands. He and Margot reconcile, and - with the help of local policeman Carroll - are able to evade the CIA long enough to escape via boat. Both the former agents vow to go on the run, knowing their lives will never be the same again... [4]
Cast
- Bill Nighy as Johnny Worricker, former MI5 analyst
- Helena Bonham Carter as Margot Tyrrell (Johnny's ex-girlfriend)
- Rupert Graves as Stirling Rogers, director of 'The Bridge' foundation
- Ralph Fiennes as Prime Minister Alec Beasley
- Ewen Bremner as Rollo Maverley
- James McArdle as Ted Finch
- Winona Ryder as Melanie Fall, Financial PR
- Christopher Walken as Curtis Pelissier, a CIA agent on the islands
- Dylan Baker as Gary Bethwaite
- Meredith Eaton as Clare Clovis
- Zach Grenier as Dido Parsons
- Julie Hewlett as Natalie Helier
- James Naughton as Frank Church
- Malik Yoba as Jim Carroll, a detective on the islands
Production
Filming took place in London and the Turks and Caicos Islands.[5][6] Turks & Caicos is a Carnival Films, Heyday Films, Beaglepug and Masterpiece co-production in association with NBCUniversal.[7]
References
- ^ Dowell, Ben (11 February 2014). "Bill Nighy: my man crush on Christopher Walken". Radio Times. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
- ^ Jeffery, Morgan (3 May 2013). "Bill Nighy, Christopher Walken for BBC Two's 'Page Eight' sequels". Digital Spy. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
- ^ Sherwin, Adam (11 February 2014). "David Hare attacks excessive 'body count' in movies and TV drama". The Independent. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
- ^ "BBC Two Schedules: Turks & Caicos". BBC. 6 March 2014. Retrieved 8 March 2014.
{{cite news}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ "Bill Nighy to reprise his role in The Worricker Trilogy". BBC. 3 May 2013. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
- ^ Deans, Jason (28 June 2013). "Maggie Gyllenhaal to star in BBC2 thriller set against Middle East conflict". The Guardian. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
- ^ "TV Preview: Turks & Caicos + Panel". BFI. Retrieved 16 February 2014.
