Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (2011)

The cast seems promising. I hope it's half as good as the book and the TV Series.

Disappointing. It doesn't look boring enough.

Saw this at the weekend.....very nicely shot, some predictably great performances from the impressive cast, and yet not engaging whatsoever. The film tries to be too clever, too up its own arse, and falls short of being a gripping, taut thriller - which is what I thought it would be.

I was extremely disappointed by this film, and cannot understand why it has got such positive reviews.

Some more reflections on the film.

People are expecting more of a DAY OF THE JACKAL experience, than what the film actually is - more inline with the finest le Carré adaptation to date - THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD. Both tremendous films (SPY is one of my all time favourites) but of a very different construction. You could also make a comparison to THE IPCRESS file, which like TINKER contains a lot of parallels in the cinematography. A consistent use of rack focus, low f-stops, film grain, and occasional deep focus shots (one suspense sequence using this reminded me of REAR WINDOW and BODY DOUBLE in its staging).

The cut to the chase, it's very slow, carefully paced and requires constant attention. It's a movie about ideas, a sort of tone poem, to be a bit pretentious. It's all about the visuals. IIRC, George Smiley doesn't say a word until a least half an hour in.

I disagree that there aren't many striking images. I count at least a dozen that have stayed in my memory.

The establishing tracking shot of Budapest. Reminds me of the ending from I AM CUBA.

Several images in the cafe build-up. Use of suspended time.

The very long title sequence.

The converging railway tracks in Smiley's mind.

Deep focus shot of the library floors combined with the atonal score at this point.

The blood smeared torture room.

The gruesome corpses.

Lenin at the Christmas party.

Smiley's closeup monologue.

The airplane shot. To answer Ambler's question, it's a perspective trick disguised by the wide aperture of the lens, causing the background to blur. The refraction caused by the heat haze helps as well.

Tarr looking through the telescope into the block of flats (there's a girl riding cowgirl)..

Bill Hayden's death.

The final shot.

Very much looking forward to it. Probably my most anticipated for the rest of the year.

Unfortunately, it doesn't hit our shores until January, but that gives me ample time to digest the Guinness series first.

I didn't much care for Let the Right One In, but I'm guessing that doesn't matter much.

I thought LET THE RIGHT ONE IN sucked too, which I was surprised by this. I think Alfredson should stick to adapting good novels. That way he doesn't give into the dark side. Nihilism.

I'm sure if this one's a resounding success, they'll move onto Smiley's People and the like.

I don't hate LET THE RIGHT ONE IN, but I don't find it particularly interesting.

The thought of another great Le Carre film reminiscent of THE SPY WHO CAME IN FROM THE COLD, though, excites me.

FourDot wrote:

I'm sure if this one's a resounding success, they'll move onto Smiley's People and the like.

I wish someone would do a version of "The Honourable School Boy"

Seve wrote:

FourDot wrote:

I'm sure if this one's a resounding success, they'll move onto Smiley's People and the like.

I wish someone would do a version of "The Honourable School Boy"

"I would think that they may put those two together. I don't think they would make The Honourable Schoolboy on its own. My guess would be that it would be a composite, an amalgamation of the two, and they would call it Smiley's People.I would hope that Peter Straughan [co-screenwriter of Tinker Tailor with his late wife] will write the screenplay and Tomas Alfredson would return as the director, but I would love to revisit the role."

Gary Oldman from an online chat on Empire.

Sharky wrote:

Seve wrote:

FourDot wrote:

I'm sure if this one's a resounding success, they'll move onto Smiley's People and the like.

I wish someone would do a version of "The Honourable School Boy"

"I would think that they may put those two together. I don't think they would make The Honourable Schoolboy on its own. My guess would be that it would be a composite, an amalgamation of the two, and they would call it Smiley's People.I would hope that Peter Straughan [co-screenwriter of Tinker Tailor with his late wife] will write the screenplay and Tomas Alfredson would return as the director, but I would love to revisit the role."

Gary Oldman from an online chat on Empire.

any idea why he thinks they wouldn't make it on it's own?

Seve wrote:

Sharky wrote:

Seve wrote:

FourDot wrote:

I'm sure if this one's a resounding success, they'll move onto Smiley's People and the like.

I wish someone would do a version of "The Honourable School Boy"

"I would think that they may put those two together. I don't think they would make The Honourable Schoolboy on its own. My guess would be that it would be a composite, an amalgamation of the two, and they would call it Smiley's People.I would hope that Peter Straughan [co-screenwriter of Tinker Tailor with his late wife] will write the screenplay and Tomas Alfredson would return as the director, but I would love to revisit the role."

Gary Oldman from an online chat on Empire.

any idea why he thinks they wouldn't make it on it's own?

I dunno. It'd make sense if THE HONOURABLE SCHOOL BOY was a short story, but it's not. I'd rather they make a trilogy.

Sharky wrote:

Seve wrote:

Sharky wrote:

Seve wrote:

FourDot wrote:

I'm sure if this one's a resounding success, they'll move onto Smiley's People and the like.

I wish someone would do a version of "The Honourable School Boy"

"I would think that they may put those two together. I don't think they would make The Honourable Schoolboy on its own. My guess would be that it would be a composite, an amalgamation of the two, and they would call it Smiley's People.I would hope that Peter Straughan [co-screenwriter of Tinker Tailor with his late wife] will write the screenplay and Tomas Alfredson would return as the director, but I would love to revisit the role."

Gary Oldman from an online chat on Empire.

any idea why he thinks they wouldn't make it on it's own?

I dunno. It'd make sense if THE HONOURABLE SCHOOL BOY was a short story, but it's not. I'd rather they make a trilogy.

maybe he's not keen to take a back seat to someone else in the sequel?

"Authorial Epilogue: In the foreword to a later edition, le Carré wrote that the story’s narrative thrust might have been smoother had he omitted George Smiley, because Smiley’s appearances distracted readers from Westerby."

Just found this fan made poster. Better than the real thing, IMO.

I can't wait to see this ... just loving the look of the cast to be honest.

Think you'll enjoy it Fae. :)

Sharky wrote:

Think you'll enjoy it Fae. :)

I really hope so - it would be such a downer otherwise ... like I seriously have massive expectactions on this purely based on the cast alone not including everything I've heard.

I'm churning through the TV adaptation at the moment. Guinness is wonderful, as is the supporting cast - Ian Richardson as Bill Haydon is a hoot, and Ian Bannen is fantastic as usual in the role of Jim Prideaux. I even liked Michael Jayston as Guillam, so it's doing something right, even if it's not particularly shot in a intriguing way.

Also, Patrick Stewart popping up as Karla, looking like this.



One of the more entertaining cameos I've seen on TV.

Only got three episodes to go. It's a slow burn that makes other "slow burns" look breakneck in their pacing.

I've said this before to Ambler and he agreed, and that's that Oldman's Smiley has a repressed sexuality and danger that Guinnesss's take (as wonderful as it was) lacked. Guinness's was more asexual and owlish. With Oldman, behind that plummy RP accent and aloof demeanor, there's John Simon Ritchie and Clive Bissel hiding under the surface.

Not forgetting Kathy Burke channelling Nancy Spungen.

This one finally has arrived near me. I'll be seeing it tonight.

Good luck. :)

Loved this film.

Have you read the book or seen the BBC adaptation, and if so how do they stack up against the film version?