I think this is a good attempt at a forensically slow but enthralling book. My problem with it is that no body is as good as the actor who played the role in the BBC TV series. It may be unfair to compare a two hour film to a (roughly) six hour series but every now and then I dropped out of this thinking 'the other guy' was better.
shareThe series is better, and, filmed as it was closer to the period in which the novel is set, more authentic to the viewer. With all due respect to the excellent work by Gary Oldman, even the author has stated that Alec Guinness is the definitive George Smiley. The real problem with modern film adaptations is they are becoming more and more historical dramas rather than spy thrillers. Perhaps John le Carré's Smiley series should have been re-booted for the modern era, with a new adaptation of 'The Spy Who Came In From The Cold', or 'Call For The Dead', set in a modern time period rather than the Cold War. For an all-too-increasing segment of the audience, this time period predates their existence, and so becomes a cavalcade of quaint music, really bad hairstyles, and dodgy fashion choices.
shareDefinitely agree with this. I enjoyed the film, but the series is better (I own them both - plus the BBC's follow-up to TTSS, Smiley's People). And that's an interesting point about it seeming more like a 'historical drama', which the series obviously didn't suffer from at all.
shareI have no problem with Gary Oldman as George Smiley and found him very believable.
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