Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
I finally got around to watching the fairly recent movie version. But I'm not honestly sure that I was able to assess it on its merits. I loved all the little book-details - Smiley's house seemed about right - though I didn't spot the Dresden shepherdess - and the Circus, and the late Sixties/early Seventies phonebox, and Mendel's bees and everything made of strange old plastics. It maybe wasn't all shabby enough. I'm sure the Seventies was shabbier, and the Tinker Tailor Seventies certainly was. But it worked as a more-stylish better-maintained Seventies.
But there is So. Much. Plot that gets whizzed through in the last montage sequence! Can't help wondering how many people watching the story for the first time worked out what was going on with Tarr in Paris, and why Haydon was killed, and I wish they could have given a little more time to the faithless beautiful Ann.
Ricky Tarr was great, and unexpectedly, so was Connie Sachs - in fact, I wish they'd let her do a bit more with the part. Benedict Cumberbatch a little disappointing as Guillam, I thought - too young, and he made Guillam's nerves too obvious: Guillam is supposed to be good at his job! I think a more subtle actor could have done that better. Colin Firth made a great Haydon though. Very appropriately magnetic but also dodgy.
Still. Le Carré! Hurray!
But there is So. Much. Plot that gets whizzed through in the last montage sequence! Can't help wondering how many people watching the story for the first time worked out what was going on with Tarr in Paris, and why Haydon was killed, and I wish they could have given a little more time to the faithless beautiful Ann.
Ricky Tarr was great, and unexpectedly, so was Connie Sachs - in fact, I wish they'd let her do a bit more with the part. Benedict Cumberbatch a little disappointing as Guillam, I thought - too young, and he made Guillam's nerves too obvious: Guillam is supposed to be good at his job! I think a more subtle actor could have done that better. Colin Firth made a great Haydon though. Very appropriately magnetic but also dodgy.
Still. Le Carré! Hurray!