Well Done

Rating: 7/10 (9 August 2015)

There are plenty of fair reviews on this movie, some that liked it, some that did not. I liked it, as my rating indicates.
I'm mostly writing to express my disagreement with all those who viewed the movie as a betrayal of the novel. In my view, the novel was just awful - turgid, overwritten, with some action scenes that strained credibility, and a coincidence at the center of the plot that was beyond ridiculous. I detested the erstwhile Soviet Union, and the Stalinist years were hypocritical and vicious beyond Western understanding - but even at that, some of the descriptions of Soviet judicial processes in the book were extended to the border of caricature.
In my view, one of the strengths of the movie was the craftsmanship of the screenwriter in transforming the mess of the novel into a workable two hour screenplay. The alterations in the plot were all to the good. The only concession to reality was the demonization of one of the villains. All in all, it became a pretty good melodrama, which did not unduly strain credibility, and to which the British cast (Tom Hardy in particular) gave the usual good service.