I'm so happy I stumbled upon this! I saw a small trailer on BBC2 an hour before it started and as soon as I saw Bill Nighy was in it - it went straight onto my schedule.
BBC Original Drama's have been good in the past and have only occasionally pulled in big names so I wasn't expecting what happened next.. Hollywood a-listers started popping up... Christopher Walken, Winona Ryder, Helena Bonham Carter, Ewen Bremner and a cameo from Ralph Fiennes - Jeez, it's a cast list that any film-maker would love to have.
They all have main to supporting roles and it feels like a classic Hollywood-scale movie, but filmed with the production quality of a British TV drama.
Bill Nighy is absolutely fantastic, like a cool but older James Bond type who has retired to a sleepy island. Christopher Walken is... Christopher Walken and Winona Ryder suddenly has my heart, she looks great and has fully matured.
The film revolves around a former British 'Civil Servant' played by Nighy (we all know what 'Civil Servant' really means) who lives on the privileged Turks & Caicos island. He is recognised by an American (Walken) and is suddenly drawn into a mystery surrounding a company called Gladstone who are about to buy up lots of land on the island.
I've given this a 10/10 because for a TV Drama, which is it, it certainly punched above its weight and the quality of actors on display is outstanding. Watching it on BBC2 HD was simply fantastic and most of all - it came out of nowhere and cheered me up on a Thursday evening.
It was for all intents and purposes - a damn good surprise and seeing Bill Nighy and Christopher Walken back to his best, playing off each other is just awesome. I hate the BBC for squandering British TV License fees on IT systems that don't work and for taking BBC3 off the air, but I would have paid to see this at the cinema.
Turks & Caicos is refreshing, fun and mysterious.
