Who Dares Wins

Who Dares Wins.

1982

This film is often only given a two star rating by critics.  With an all star cast ranging from the two leads Lewis Collins and Judy Davis, to Mr Equalizer himself Edward Woodward.  Peter Skellen is thrown out of the Special Air Service for  gross miss conduct.  This is just a cover to allow him to get close enough to members of The People's Lobby and prevent a major international incident.

Judy Davis plays one of the terrorists leaders, there is a constant hassle between the two main organisers of what they call the 'biggest coup this country will ever see' when Davis whose character is called Frankie Leith embarks on a relationship with Skellen.  Leith wants him to join their group after spending one night with him and learning that he is now ex-SAS, she believes they may need his expertise.

The Lobby plan to hold several US dignitaries hostage.  It's a race against time as Skellen juggles his personal life with his duties trying unsuccessfully not to get found out and remain under cover.

Rod Walker, Leith's partner has Skellen followed, and they learn about his wife and child, who they later take hostage to keep Skellen in line.

Overall, the plot goes off a bit in places, leading up to the killing of General Ira Potter and then the final raid.  

It is typical of the type of gung ho, kick arse programmes we saw in the eighties.  You get the feel that it is part Professionals and part the Sweney rolled inito one.   But you do get a sense of what the SAS is like, and that we should be very glad they are there and on our side.

Roy Budd composed the music, the sound track is here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pD4GanOv-Ok

There is a good performance for the excellent Tony Doyle.  I found an interview with Lewis Collins here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OH8K2L-nLVo

One thing that always puzzles me is that if they know the main leaders of the group have already killed, for example one informant was killed at the beginning of the film, then Skellen's contact is killed, surely they would have arrested the main leaders.  Still, I suppose they wanted to get them all in one place.