Friday, January 13, 2012

Adaptation: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy



Based on the classic novel of the same name, the international thriller is set at the height of the Cold War years of the mid-20th Century. George Smiley (Gary Oldman), a disgraced British spy, is rehired in secret by his government - which fears that the British Secret Intelligence Service, a.k.a. MI-6, has been compromised by a double agent working for the Soviets.

*I recently saw this film and was mesmerized by its complexity and simplicity. And the casting is incredible, from Gary Oldman to John Hurt to Benedict Cumberbatch to Colin Firth to Mark Strong to Tom Hardy. The film is unfortunately getting lost in the post-holiday blahs so if you enjoy strong narratives give this one a go.

4 comments:

  1. I was so confused by this film, I just couldn't figure out who the Tinker, Tailor, Soldier or Spy (man) were. I have to give props to the cinematography and costumes though, they were great.

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  2. Agreed - they were great. Music too. I was confused a bit too, as there are so many players. I just kept going back to the chess pieces.

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  3. I tried reading le Carre once and ended up confused so maybe they've kept close to the book! It's down on my list of films to see on DVD.

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    1. I haven't read the book, but many people have relayed that it is very tangled and confusing. I like movies that engage intellectually, so I really enjoyed it. But you definitely have to pay attention!

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