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’m in the middle of reading the Smiley novels right now and I’m planning to fire up The Spy Who Came In From The Cold and Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy when I finish. Probably The Deadly Affair as well. I’m four episodes into The Night Manager and I agree about Tom Hollander being the standout. Anyway, I’m about halfway through TSWCIFTC and without even having seen the movie, I’m sure Burton is absolutely brilliant in the role. It seems tailor made for him.
Hey everybody, remember when I went into Boston alone to see the 4K restoration of Lawrence of Arabia a few weeks back? Another theater in the area just announced they’ll be showing it in September and they’re hinting that they have an actual 70mm print. Is that even possible? Do any still exist? Did they strike new ones at some point? Am I going to have to go again?