Amazon.com: Customer reviews: Pack of Lies

Top positive review

Packed with Emotion

Reviewed in the United States on January 28, 2004

An amazingly powerful drama based on the Hugh Whitmore play, in turn based on the true story of the Soviet spies, Peter and Helen Kroger. This is a low-budget, low-key movie that builds an emotional intensity that is almost unbearable. The cast is superb, without exception, and Anthony Page's direction is unerring.
A neglected masterpiece that all drama lovers should see.

26 people found this helpful

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verger

Not usual Hallmark fare

Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2020

Disturbing, though well acted, movie that pits the betrayal of personal friendships against the betrayal of national security interests during Cold War days. This is far from being a feel-good story.

2 people found this helpful

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From the United States

Edith Biggar

Do we really know our neighbors?

Reviewed in the United States on July 16, 2011

Verified Purchase

I am a collector. I collect many kinds of things. One thing I collect now is Hallmark Hall of Fame movies. You won't find it anywhere on the packaging, or any listing, but this movie was originally broadcast as a Hallmark Hall of Fame presentation on April 26. 1987. Hallmark Hall of Fame: The First 50 Years I have inserted that product link because there is a book that is a valuable resource if a person is serious about collecting Hallmark movies as I am.

Now, about this movie, perhaps it is best that it not have this designation. I felt it "fell short" of Hallmark-worthy designation. Most reviews are 5 star, with one four star & one one star. It wasn't a terrible movie but it wasn't fantastic either. When I see a Hallmark Hall of Fame logo on a movie that means several things to me. First, it means there is a good story. In this case, the story involves an English equivalent of an American CIA agent comes knocking at the door of a suburban London house with the request that the agent be allowed to surveil a neighbor's house, just during the days of one weekend. Then, agents "move-in" basically for several months 24/7. Turns out the nighbors being surveiled are "sleepers" who work for the KGB in the Cold War year of 1961. During the course of this movie, everybody is lying to everybody else, about the surveilance the cause for it. That time of constant intrusion strains the mother of that family to the breaking point. At the end of the movie, the daughter speaks "Mom died of a heart attack a few minths after Auntie Helen was arrested." The friendships formed were the only real thing in the movie. I like Terri Garr, a lot. Another English actor I like made a cameo appearance in this movie: Richard Bucket from "Keeping Up Appearances". He plays a lush supervisory agent to the other agents who have taken residence in the house. The Hallmrk name also says there is great cinematography. that was just okay int this movie. And, there will be little to no violence, swearing or sexuality. That was true in the case of this movie. I just don't see what the other reviewers were thinking is so fantastic about this movie. To me, it was just so-so. I will likely watch it once more, at some point. Would I recommend it to a friend? Maybe, if I know she likes this type of movie.

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