Spies of Warsaw

Based on a novel by Alan Furst, this elaborate if sluggish 2013 BBC America-aired period miniseries is set in the years leading up to World War II. Col. Jean-François Mercier (David Tennant), a newly appointed military attaché at the French embassy in the Polish capital, is assigned to collect intelligence on German plans—particularly war preparations. His investigations lead him into situations involving both Nazis and their victims that wind up placing him in serious danger. Meanwhile, Mercier falls in love with Anna (Janet Montgomery), a French woman of Polish descent who is a League of Nations lawyer. Unfortunately, the espionage aspect of the plot can't overcome the viewer's knowledge that a German invasion of Poland will ultimately happen no matter what Mercier does; so his continuing failure to persuade his superiors about the oncoming tragedy is more frustrating than dramatically compelling. In addition, the romantic episodes come across as formulaic and stilted. Much of the problem in both areas rests with Tennant, who might have made a good Doctor in the Doctor Who series but here cuts a flat, enervated figure as Mercier. DVD extras include an interview with Tennant. A visually elegant spy story that tamps down the mindless action while opting for something more cerebral, Spies of Warsaw is ultimately too bland to leave much of an impression. An optional purchase. (F. Swietek)