Sadly Over-hyped

It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

Not sure how, but this is easily one of the best movies all summer. Multiple levels of funny, never takes itself seriously, super colorful, and creative.

This is a small, humorous movie in some ways, but it has a huge heart. What a nice experience.

Perhaps the greatest artwork of the 20th century!!

There are generally two types of spy fiction. One type is the larger-than-life adventure of a charming hero who battles nefarious and mysterious enemies bent on world control. The other type is a more realistic, bleaker tale of a spy battling in a world where his own allies would turn on him, for something that most people hold insignificant or irrelevant. This story falls under the second type, but while not so entertaining is one of the best spy stories ever done.Based on the classic spy novel by John Le Carre, this series tells the story as follows: In the 1970s, a fiasco at the British Secret Service shakes things up, forcing the head of the Service out and all his subordinates, including protagonist George Smiley. In his place steps in Percy Allenine, a pompous and arrogant official who smugly claims access to a source of Soviet intelligence that will revive the Service's reputation. However, a maverick spy named Ricki Tarr appears with information about a Russian spy hidden within the Service; he is dismissed, but raises enough concern for George Smiley to be recruited to make an investigation. The story is intelligently written, but the true power of the story lies in its emotional impact. Smiley was thrown out of work and then dragged back to clean up a mess he had nothing to do with; he has to deal with insufferable superiors who want to stay secure with no blame attached to them; his allies go through nightmares that cost them greatly; and finally, when the mole is revealed, the weary cynicism that led him to commit treason against (this character is one of the most ironic and tragic characters despite what he's done). And yet, Smiley and his allies doggedly strive for something pure and noble in the miry sordid world they live in, and their eventual victory and reward, while it may be small, is made sweeter and grants a touch of hope. This miniseries moves at a slow but masterful pace, having Smiley trace out the mole's ruinous track and identity in the manner of a detective story; the adaptation is done wonderfully, with expert expansion and removal of the novel's passages into a solid unique work. The cast is wonderful, with Alec Guiness leading an all-star ensemble; Guiness who usually plays a lean, dignified Brit, delivers a masterful performance as the meek, frog-like Smiley. Ian Richardson does a wonderfully ironic role as Bill Haydon and Ian Bannen is haunting as the wounded agent Jim Prideaux. A particular standout is Patrick Stewart as Smiley's enemy the Soviet spy Karla, who commands intensity and menace without uttering a single word throughout his appearance. On the whole, if you want to see how real spies do their work, this is the show for you to watch. It will not be exciting or easy, but it will be worth the watch.

It was only after I watched the recent film version that I decided that I should probably watch the BBC miniseries of the same material; I had always seen it included in various "best TV shows ever" lists but had never actually gotten around to watching it. With the film reasonably fresh in my mind I figured that I would have a better shot of following it if I watched it sooner rather than later. This was the case to a certain extent, because I did find the story easier to follow than in the film. Partly this is because I was already familiar with the overall flow but that is not to take anything away from the TV series, because I did think that having almost 7 hours instead of 2 made the story much clearer in terms of development.Characters have more room to be painted and the story is laid out slower so that even the less intelligent viewer such as myself has plenty of time to pick up on who is who and where this is all going. It also helps that it does move slow and that we are moving along at the same sort of pace as Smiley in regards weighing up the characters as the mole. While this is the thrust of the plot, I also liked the added detail around the edges as it not only filled out the characters but also added to the feeling of Britain as a rather faded superpower and of this backend of the Cold War being public schoolboys engaged in their own private game which comes with pre-packaged rules and etiquette. It has this downbeat tone throughout and the slow burn of the delivery only adds to the slightly awkward stiffness of men in rooms smoking and drinking coffee. The delivery of this feeling is across the show while at the same time drawing the viewer into this internal piece of espionage. Of course this slow pace and lack of traditional action may frustrate some – not helped perhaps by the fact that, although easier to follow than the film, it is still a mystery so there is a fair bit of not totally understanding what is going on, simply because you're not being told everything all at once.The cast are mostly very good but of course the standout is Guinness who tells a long story of hurt with just his plain expression. I liked Oldman's performance but it is secondary to this one; the difference between that one felt Oldman was giving a good performance, whereas here it simply feels like Guinness is this character; he understands him because he has lived the life. Support is good from Richardson, Bennett, Jayston, Hepton, Bannen and others but the show belongs to the lead. Irvin's direction is very good, perhaps it has dated a little but the whole thing has such a sense of place that it feels like it fits the period (as indeed the recent film did). I also liked that the camera had the patience and trust in the material to often be quite static while the dialogue did the work.Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is not the easiest story to follow but the miniseries is more engaging and accessible because it gives you the space and time to keep up and for everything to make that bit more sense as it unfolds. The tone of drabness may be partially the dating effect but it is certainly effective in the world of the spy, sitting in drab rooms, smoking, playing it as a game even though the heydays are long gone. Guinness is excellent in the lead role, adding to this feeling and wearing the character to the point where it doesn't even feel like acting. For those that enjoyed the film (and I did) then miniseries will be additionally enjoyable because it does everything the film did but does it better and has more time to breathe and develop while doing it.

As in the case of other reviewers, I had seen the original on PBC over thirty years ago and had despaired of seeing the series issued in DVD format in the US. After seeing the film version which was nice but one that pales in light of the original BBC series, I learned the series was available now and my copy arrived last week (along with Smiley's People) and I immediately watched them again to even, if possible, greater delight. As a rare bookseller, I have let valuable books remain uncataloged but this was nourishment that I needed and though I still read several books a week in my old age, this along with the Russian version of War and Peace remind me that one does not have to have lobotomy while viewing nonbook media.Richard Murian