12/19
The Jackal is an elusive assassin who makes his living by carrying out high-stakes assassinations. He soon meets his match in the form of a tenacious British intelligence officer who tracks him down on a thrilling cat-and-mouse chase across Europe. Check our list of renewals and cancellations to see if your favourite show has been picked up. Forsyth worked as a freelance journalist covering the Biafran War. When it ended, he returned to the UK unemployed and unsure what to do next. He said: “I came back for Christmas ’69, broke as hell. I couldn’t get a job, I didn’t have a flat, I didn’t have a car and I didn’t have any savings. That’s when I had this crazy, crazy idea to write a novel. “Everyone said you must be joking or angry because the chances of it being published were a hundred to one, maybe a thousand to one.” Within weeks of publication, the film rights were snapped up. Some of Hollywood’s biggest stars vied for the role of the Jackal in the 1973 film, but the role went to then-unknown Edward Fox because director Fred Zinnemann believed he could be invisible in a crowd. (Air Mail). Mentioned on The Graham Norton Show: Denzel Washington/Paul Mescal/Saoirse Ronan/Eddie Redmayne/Blossoms (2024). Eddie Redmayne gives a compelling performance, playing the titular killer with a chilling precision that makes him both terrifying and magnetic. Redmayne’s meticulous approach to the role heightens the tension, making his every move seem calculated and inevitable. His ability to combine charm with menace leaves viewers both repulsed and fascinated, capturing the essence of the character’s duality. Unfortunately, Lashana Lynch’s performance pales in comparison, coming across as wooden and uninspired. Her portrayal of a determined intelligence agent lacked depth, often feeling one-dimensional, and overly reliant on clichés. In a series that relies on nuance and detail, her character’s lack of complexity stands out in a negative way. Overall, the film is a gripping adaptation, but it occasionally suffers from uneven performances. Redmayne’s brilliance alone makes it worth watching, but Lynch’s shortcomings detract somewhat from the experience.