Daniel Day-Lewis Triple Feature

Long before he became a ubiquitous presence at the Academy Awards podium, Daniel Day-Lewis turned up in a number of relatively minor BBC made-for-TV films, three of which are collected here. How Many Miles to Babylon? (1982) finds Day-Lewis playing a World War I officer of Anglo-Irish heritage locked in battles against the British class system that are as lethal as his struggle against the Germans. In a 1983 adaptation of J.B. Priestley's Dangerous Corner, Day-Lewis is a member of a vituperative social circle whose darkest secrets are callously revealed at a country retreat outing. The Insurance Man (1986) takes place in 1945 Prague just before the Allied liberation, with Day-Lewis as an insurance adjuster named Kafka (although his character does not seem to be much related to the celebrated author). While one might hope that these relatively obscure productions would offer evidence of a young Day-Lewis as the proverbial diamond in the rough, in truth he barely registers in these forgettable endeavors. In fact, in both Dangerous Corner and The Insurance Man, he's strictly a quotidian supporting character. Although the star's fans may be intrigued by these films, this collection is otherwise strictly an optional purchase. (P. Hall)