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Great review
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-2037536/Spooks-rubbish-like-real-spy-says-John-le-Carr.html
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Watching the film, there were many elements that could be utilised to tell a great Bond film, coupled with the grand spectacle of adventure and excitement from traditional blockbuster fanfare; such a coupling would recreate a movie very much in the mould of FRWL, which I feel Bond 23 needs to harken back to in terms of quality.
Also, watching the film, every time i saw cumberbatch, I realised he's the man I see when I read Carte Blanch.
One man's Goldfinger is another man's Die Another Day
Just realised what a great modern M Oldman could be.
Also, I know this is both based on the book and the TV Series by Sir Alec Guinness -neither of which I have seen or read. Do you think its better to have seen either first before the movie, or vice versa? Very much appreciated thanks!
I've already said I think Oldman is Guinness' equal, Oldman's performance is a very subtle one, I don't think I've seen him act with his face so much, it recalls the way Pacino is in the Godfather for paticularly the sequence in the Solozzo/ Mclusky hit. His feelings are etched on his face throughout.
Guinness is magnificent as Smiley and he made the role his own, Oldman's performance is more faithful to the source material and Le Carre has said as much. Smiley is a master spy of great intelligence and patience but he's also a failure as a human being unable to stand up for himself and quite litteraly walked over by everyone. Guinness' Smiley never gives you this impression, yes members of the cast keep mentioning Smiley's estranged Wife Ann and we get a feeling of that element but the film plays the Ann element down you see it more through Oldman's expressions, when he recalls his meeting with kara wisely not done in flashback like the series does, you really see that Oldman is entering into a another phase of his career, this unlike anything he's done before and whether he bags an Oscar or not it's definetely deserves one.
As for the rest, Hardy is definetly a better Ricky Tarr than Hywel Bennett and Ciaran Hinds, Toby Jones are better than their counterparts. I can imagine everyone is wondering how the Oscar winning Firth is, it a very good performance but for me doesn't over shadow the late great Ian Richardson take on Bill Haydon. Hurt looks perfectly decrepit to play Control and Kathy Bates rarely seen on the big screen these days gets a memorable role played by Beryl Reid in the series.
It also is nice to see a different side to Mark Strong, those who've seen him alongside DC in Our Friends and the excellent Long Firm know that there is more to him than the go to hollywood bad guy he's become of late, he's as good as the excellent Ian Bannen in the role of Jim Prideaux. The thing is these actors don't have the length of time to flesh out their roles in the just over 2 hours of film like the luxury the their TV counterparts. Lacon is delicioulsly delivered by Simon McBurney ( get this man in a Bond film). It is a testament to their craft that they all deliver so effectively in the time they have.
Tinker Tailor is a breath of fresh air and an example of they do make like they used to, as well as being set in the 70's it also has the feeling of a film of that decade fitting nicely with the paranoid thrillers of the time like All The Presidents Men etc. No concessions to sate the appetite of the modern film goer, Alfredson remains faithful to the source material while still giving the film a great cinematic feel, ratcheting the tension up when necessary. Compared to the series I'd say they are seperate mediums and for me are equally as good as each other but I'm not one of those slavishly loyal to the TV adaptation and although was incredibly impressed by it don't feel like some it is the pinnacle of televison drama.
Just be warned the pace is purposely slow this about the plot and watching one of the most richly cast films of recent times all put in some of their finest work. As for comparrisons to Bond, this is clearly the anti Bond whether the trailer gives some the idea this is going to be really thrilling, it is but not in the way you might think. The screenplay defintely makes this more of an adult version of the novel than the series and the violence is few and far between but when it appears it's the more shocking. Alfredson who delivered the excellent Let The Right One In will no doubt get some saying he's an ideal candidate for Bond, I don't know about that but Alberto Iglesias' score is a cracker and EON could do worse and consider him as a possible replacement for Arnold (I know it's not going to happen). It's also nice to get a film with the opening credits played over the beginning like of old after a brief PTS instead of just the title and then we are in.
For me it is the film of the year and after another lacklustre summer with few surprises this comes thorougly recommended.