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A Line In The Sand

2001, Movie, R, 100 mins

A Line In The Sand: Review

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Engrossing in a middlebrow sort of way, this straightforward thriller, originally broadcast on British television in 2001, confirms one's worst suspicions about the heartlessness of all governments. English farm equipment sales rep Gavin Hughes (Ross Kemp) has come to regret his decision to sell his Iranians buyers machinery that can then be converted into armaments. Cornered by Her Majesty's Secret Service, Hughes agrees to spy on his customers. Tragically, the information he gives them leads the bombing of a busload of Iranian scientists, many of whom had befriended Hughes. Withholding the true facts of the incident, the British government insists that Hughes change his identity; his acquiescence costs him his wife and son, who refuse to accompany him into a witness protection program. What Hughes doesn't realize is that resentful Iranian terrorists are now biding their time, waiting to exact their revenge. Now known as "Frank Perry," Hughes starts to build a new life for himself with Meryl Rogers (Saskia Reeves) and her child, but when he hears a radio report about his own son contracting meningitis, Hughes blows his cover and rushes to the hospital. His liaison agent, Geoff Markham (Mark Bazeley), warns Hughes that he's a wanted man, but when Hughes refuses to run for a second time, the government balks about babysitting him. Meanwhile, the Iranian terrorists have sent their top assassin to England. Having drawn the proverbial line in the sand, Hughes jeopardizes his new family's safety, as Markham scrambles to ward off Iranian retribution. Screenwriter Gerald Hawes gets a little too wrapped up in the mechanics of the espionage plot to lend the hero's plight much suspense, but the timely subject matter does add extra heft to a film that’s caught somewhere between provocative political melodrama and standard action bash. leave a comment --Robert Pardi
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