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Post #965299

Author
DuracellEnergizer
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Last movie seen
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https://originaltrilogy.com/post/id/965299/action/topic#965299
Date created
7-Jul-2016, 3:15 AM

The Aluminum Falcon said:

Went on a bit of a le Carre marathon:

The Spy Who Came in From the Cold (1965)- Tense and gloomy with a constant air of foreboding. Richard Burton is a wonder in this film, let loose playing a total wreck of a man. It’s probably the most nihilistic of any le Carre adaptation with a gut punch of an ending that’ll stick with you for days. 4 out of 4 stars.

The Deadly Affair (1966)- A bit of a boring(!) misfire even with a star-studded cast led by the inimitable James Mason. I’ve always appreciated Lumet’s films for their great acting and realism but never felt they were much more than the sum of their parts. 3 out of 4 stars.

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (2011)- Admittedly, I have yet to see the original adaptation starring Alec Guiness, but my god is this a fantastic film, which I would go so far as to call one of the greatest of the decade. Gary Oldman nails Smiley, blending into the role effortlessly. But, the ensemble for this is equally amazing, without a single weak part in the whole film. I doubt we’ll ever get another production to unite all these wonderful talents! 4 out of 4 stars. My favorite of the bunch.

The Night Manager (2016)- A solid effort that’s not afraid to take liberties with the source material. Again, we have a perfect ensemble (with Tom Hollander being especially memorable). The direction is taut and suspenseful. Even the cinematography seems remarkable. Overall, I grow continually impressed with what they do with TV nowadays, often with a more careful eye and care than major motion pictures- both blockbuster and Oscar bait. It’s easy to see why John le Carre himself approved of this. 3.95 out of 4 stars with caveat below.

mild spoilers But, the protagonist’s motivation almost entirely rests on the “woman in a refrigerator trope” (a love interest is killed off in order to persuade the hero to act). I have no problem using tropes because often they are narratively effective/believable to an audience! I do take issue when a trope is thrown in, with little payoff in the story. In this case, the death of the female character was all but completely forgotten from episodes 2 to 5, with no sense of that being the protagonist’s main motivator.

I’m checking out Our Kind of Traitor, possibly as early as tomorrow, and look forward to seeing it.

I wish I had the patience and the right way with words to write reviews like these.