This movie should never been made.

Rating: 4/10 (31 October 2019)

I understand that adaptations of big complex novels hardly ever succeed as 2 hour movies.
And still I was greatly disappointed with this confusing plot structure. If I weren't so familiar with the novel I would have been lost in space watching this.
I have read John LeCarré's novels many times.
I have binge-watched the UK mini-series of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy with Alec Guiness, again, many times.
This 2011 film is a Reader's Digest version of an absorbing, fascinating master spy tale.
The cast is very promising, on paper - especially Gary Oldman as George Smiley. Oldman does what he can with the poor script but doesn't manage to create s fully formed persona.
John Hurt was an inspired choice for Control but he is tragically wasted.
There are compensations in the fine direction of Tomas Alfredson (Let the Right One In) and the music, even if the minimalist plink-plonk of a solo piano gets tiresome and adds to the overall somnolent atmosphere.
This movie bears only bits and pieces of the original books and the mini-series.
A word of summation: Boring.