‘The Spy’ – Official Trailer: – Movies To History.com

4 December, 2023 Siobhan Marie Day 0 Comments 3 categories

Genre: Drama, and Espionage thriller, Created by Gideon Raff, Based on "L'espion qui venait d'Israël" by Uri Dan Yeshayahu Ben Porat, Directed by Gideon Raff, Starring: Sacha Baron Cohen, Noah Emmerich, with Music by Guillaume Roussel, Original language: English, No. of episodes: 6, Executive producers: Gideon Raff, and Sacha Baron Cohen, Producer: Alain Goldman, Running time: 47–62 minutes, Production companies: Legende Films, Canal+, and Netflix, Original Network: OCS (France), and Netflix (international) (2019)

The Spy of the Six Day War…

The Spy is an English-language French espionage streaming television miniseries, created and directed by Gideon Raff, based on the life of Israel‘s top Mossad spy Eli Cohen, who is portrayed by Sacha Baron Cohen. The series is a production by French company Légende Entreprises for Canal+ and Netflix. OCS aired the show in France, and Netflix streamed the show internationally outside France. The six-episode miniseries, released on September 6, 2019, on Netflix, was inspired by real-life events. It is based on the book L’espion qui venait d’Israël (English: The Spy Who Came from Israel), written by Uri Dan and Yeshayahu Ben Porat.

Gideon Raff attends "The Spy" screening and reception at Netflix Home Theater on September 05, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. Photo by Charley Gallay/Getty Images for Netflix

Eliyahu Ben-Shaul Cohen (Hebrew: אֱלִיָּהוּ בֵּן שָׁאוּל כֹּהֵן‎, Arabic: إيلياهو بن شاؤول كوهين‎; 6 December 1924 – 18 May 1965) was an Israeli spy. He is best known for his espionage work in Syria between 1961 and 1965, where he developed close relationships with the Syrian political and military hierarchy. Though he was initially successful, his activity became increasingly risky and he expressed a sense of impending danger to Mossad in 1964. A year later, Cohen's true allegiance was uncovered by Syrian intelligence and he was convicted by the Syrian government under pre-war martial law. After being sentenced to death, he was publicly hanged in Damascus in May 1965. The incident contributed to the sharp escalation of hostilities between Israel and Syria just before the 1967 Arab–Israeli War.

Sacha Baron Cohen as Eli Cohen / Kamel Amin Thaabet in "The Spy" (2019) Photo Credit: Legende Films, Canal+, and Netflix

French company Légende Entreprises for Canal+

Le Mossad est considéré aujourd’hui comme l’un des meilleurs services secrets du monde. L’histoire d’Elie Cohen, espion d’exception qui infiltra Damas pendant la guerre de Six jours, demeure l’un des événements fondateurs de sa légende. En juin 1967, la défaite que l'armée israélienne inflige, en un temps record, à trois armées arabes prouve au monde entier l'efficacité des services de renseignements de l’État d'Israël. Derrière cette victoire éclair se cachent l’audace et l’intelligence hors-normes d’un seul homme : l’agent Elie Cohen, alias Kamal Amin Taabes, qui a fourni des renseignements décisifs au Mossad. De son service militaire à sa formation d’agent secret, de la création de sa couverture à son implantation en Syrie, jusqu’à sa traque sans merci et sa pendaison sur la place publique de Damas en 1965, ce livre retrace le parcours extraordinaire d’un espion qui a, trois ans durant, infiltré les plus hautes sphères du pouvoir politique et militaire syrien.

The series has received “generally favorable reviews” according to Metacritic, with Baron Cohen‘s performance being praised. However, the series has been criticized for lapses in historical accuracy. There is no independent verification about whom Cohen met with in the Syrian elite while working undercover in Buenos Aires or Damascus. At the 77th Golden Globe Awards, Baron Cohen received a nomination for Best Actor – Miniseries or Television Film for his role in the limited series.

In 1961, Eli Cohen, son of Syrian Jews, was commissioned by the Mossad to infiltrate the highest echelons of Syrian Society. Photo Credit: Aish.com

Cohen assumed the identity of Kamel Amin Thabet, moved to Argentina to mingle with the expatriate Syrian community, and honed his acting skills. Photo Credit: Aish

Cohen moved to Damascus, and eventually became a close confident of future Syrian president Amin Al-Hafiz. Photo Credit: Aish

The 77th Golden Globe Awards honored the best in film and American television of 2019, as chosen by the Hollywood Foreign Press Association. Produced by Dick Clark Productions and the HFPA, the ceremony was broadcast live on January 5, 2020, from The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, California beginning at 5:00 p.m. PST / 8:00 p.m. EST. The ceremony aired live on NBC in the United States. Ricky Gervais hosted the ceremony for the fifth and "final" time. The nominees were announced on December 9, 2019, by Tim Allen, Dakota Fanning and Susan Kelechi Watson.[4][5] Marriage Story earned a leading six nominations. Tom Hanks and Ellen DeGeneres were announced as the recipients of the Cecil B. DeMille Award and the Carol Burnett Award, respectively. Once Upon a Time in Hollywood won the most awards for the ceremony with three, including Best Motion Picture – Musical or Comedy. 1917, Joker, and Rocketman won two awards each, with 1917 winning Best Motion Picture – Drama. For television, Chernobyl, Fleabag and Succession were the most awarded, with two wins each. The ceremony was nominated for two Primetime Emmy Awards: Outstanding Variety Special (Live) and Outstanding Production Design for a Variety Special.

Sacha Baron Cohen arrives at the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards attends the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 05, 2020 in Beverly Hills, California. Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage

Sacha Baron Cohen attends the 77th Annual Golden Globe Awards at The Beverly Hilton Hotel on January 05, 2020 in Beverly Hills, California. Photo by Steve Granitz/WireImage

The Spy is the Featured Television Blog of the Month for December! With the Featured Blog comes a detailed critique of the limited series. There is also a detailed recommendation of the series starring Sacha Baron Cohen. There is also a detailed review of the book, L’espion qui venait d’Israël (English: The Spy Who Came from Israel), written by Uri Dan and Yeshayahu Ben Porat. For the interview, Sacha Baron Cohen sits down and discusses playing the real-life Eli Cohen, Israel’s top Mossad spy that is the basis of the limited series. There is also a Top Ten List at the end of the hunt, and for The Spy, the list is My Top Ten Espionage Series. Last but not least, the Featured Television Blog of the Month includes an Official Trailer for the featured series!