War Review: Sienna Miller and Dominic West in Gripping Drama

War follows actress Carla Duval (Sienna Miller) and businessman Morgan Henderson (Dominic West), whose decade-long marriage reaches a sour climax after Carla uncovers Morgan’s infidelity. They each enlist a law firm to represent them after Morgan serves Carla divorce papers at her film premiere. How very Sudekis-Wilde of them. With a cottage in Normandy, an apartment on the Upper East Side, and a billion-dollar business hanging in the balance, their divorce proceedings get underway, embroiling them and their close circles in a battle of wits and war over money and power.

The two law firms involved are Cathcart & Sons, who represent Morgan, and the newly created Taylor & Byrne, which represents Carla. It’s quickly revealed that Carla and Morgan aren’t the only ones with an intriguing history. Taylor & Byrne’s Serena Byrne studied at Cathcarts under Beatrice, and David Taylor studied with formidable Cathcarts lawyer, St. John. Serena and Nick are partners in life and law, even expecting their first child together, which adds another layer to these frosty dynamics.

It’s clear from the get go that the firms are willing to do whatever it takes to destroy the other and win. Cathcarts prey on Jonny Warren (Archie Renaux), an overconfident wannabe lawyer who we know – because his girlfriend Bella keeps reminding him – messed up at his job in New York, forcing them back to London. Cathcarts enlist Jonny as a mole, planting him at Taylor & Byrne as a junior lawyer to assist with the case while secretly feeding information to David Schill, one of Cathcart’s top lawyers. For Jonny, who grew up on a council estate in Peckham, any entry into this world is a win, so he accepts the position of a mole out of desperation to get somewhere, anywhere in London’s elite legal sphere – and it’s clear he’ll do whatever it takes.

Old wounds reopen, and emotions are heightened as a massive battle of deception commences between the two firms. Just when you think one firm has one-upped the other, the other firm strikes back; the ultimate game of wits. Series creator George Kay offers an insight into the lives of the ultra-wealthy London elite, and the law firms they have on speed dial for whenever things get… out of hand. Morgan appears to serve as a puppet to his Cathcarts puppeteers, who seem to care far more about getting under the skin of Taylor & Byrne than they do about securing a strategic win for their client – who, don’t forget, has a billion-dollar business.

Public perception matters deeply here, and not just because Morgan owns Zephyr, a social media platform that promotes positivity. In this age of social media scrutiny, it’s an interesting choice to thread into the series. Both firms dig for personal and professional secrets to gain the upper hand and shape the narrative, with the pendulum of public opinion swinging between Morgan and Carla as the episodes intensify. There are twists and turns that had me audibly gasp as the personal lives of Morgan, Carla, Jonny, Serena, Nick, and David unravel, and cracks begin to form inside the two firms as they close in on the case and on the mole.

Morgan and Carla put up a fierce fight against one another. It’s difficult to picture these two having ever been happy and unified. Morgan is quickly established as ‘the problem’ in their relationship, with the series opening with him sleeping with much younger actress Flora Monroe. Flora remains a key piece in this complex legal puzzle, revealing her character’s significance right at the bitter end – in a way that nobody could have anticipated. Aside from the joy of sleeping with a much younger woman, Morgan appears to lack any emotional depth. It’s only when Carla’s 16-year-old son, Gabe (Aran Murphy) arrives in episode 3 that we see a shift in Morgan’s behaviour.

Gabe is an excellent addition to this story; a clear achilles heel to Morgan. His significance sneaks up on you, as in this bitter divorce case, he is the only ‘thing’ that Morgan and Carla can agree on. Episode 3 is pivotal to this shift in Morgan’s feelings about the case. He is hellbent on destroying Carla until Gabe appears, softening his fierce desire to come out on top. But it wouldn’t be a great legal drama – or a drama at all – if we only got 2 episodes of battle between the couple. Cathcarts will do anything to keep Morgan winning – even if it means destroying his relationship with Gabe in the process.

Similarly, Carla appears emotionally restrained throughout, only revealing the truth about her feelings in an explosive start to episode 5. Honestly, it’s difficult to tell whether this is because Miller is emotionally placid, or whether it’s Carla’s acting chops and PR training keeping her detached. As the storyline evolves, personal and professional lines blur for Carla as her reliance on Jonny intensifies. Safe to say that adding her signature to legal documents isn’t the only line she’s crossing…

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By episode 4, pressure mounts on both sides, and it seems that what was at first a simple sorting of shared assets turns into a dissection of Morgan and Carla’s personalities, parenting style, and public persona. Rather than skimming over the formalities – the mediation and arbitration sessions- Kay adheres to the proper proceedings of a real divorce case, building anticipation for the courtroom trial. He resists the temptation to give us the trial too soon. Instead, Kay reserves the final two episodes for the trial, allowing both sides to reach their boiling point – or even surpass it. This also creates space for more tender, albeit fleeting, moments between Carla and Morgan.

The writing is brilliant and consistently gripping, bar a couple of clichés that feel needless. The eight episodes are well-paced and capture the intensity and theatrics of legal war rooms. The entire cast is superb, but the series often feels as though it only scratches the surface of its characters. There are moments when it seems we might get greater insights into Nick, Serena, Jonny, Beatrice or David, only for the focus to pull back to Carla and Morgan. As a result, the ending of the final episode feels somewhat lazy, not because the central story is lacking, but because the series could have explored some of these supporting characters in greater depth.

Nonetheless, the cast delivers performances that are provocative and compelling. West and Miller are the perfect pairing in this riveting legal drama, like cheese and wine. They excel at balancing egos and emotions – not just their own, but that of their firms, too. Murphy is brilliant as Gabe, beautifully balancing the emotional lift of a teenager caught in his parents’ messy web. Renaux is excellent as the cheeky but conniving Jonny who has everyone charmed. Or so he thinks. His desperation to climb to the top without needing to lay the groundwork is characteristic of someone we have all known, and makes his character instantly likeable.

Phoebe Fox, James McArdle, Nina Sosanya and Miles Jupp are exceptionally strong in their roles – although I wish the story had delved more deeply into their characters’ backgrounds. Pip Torrens is inimitable as St. John – certainly not someone I’d ever want to cross paths with. He captures the depraved, relentless nature of people insistent on coming out on top.

Nick Mohammed adds comedic relief to this drama, and Emma Laird and Shaheen Jafargholi shine as the junior interns just trying to catch a break. Celia Imrie is phenomenally adept as fierce barrister Budgie, providing counsel for Taylor & Byrne in the final two episodes. But it’s Celia Imrie. I can hardly be surprised at how fantastic an addition she is.

With a brilliant cast and a riveting storyline, War hangs you on tenterhooks; a sure-fire way to guarantee viewership. In fact, a second season has already been greenlit, with Marisa Tomei, Kelly McDonald and David Harewood leading the charge.

On Sky TV on October 2nd/ Sienna Miller, Dominic West, Nick Mohammed, Emma Laird, James McArdle, Nina Sosanya, Miles Jupp, Phoebe Fox/ Sky TV, HBO / Created by George Kay