Watch the 1979 BBC series instead with Sir Alec Guiness!!

Rating: 6/10 (17 January 2012)

Seen both the Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy versions (recent movie & 1979 BBC series) and this movie is a prime example of how a movie version can completely ruin a story. Watch the series, it's absolutely amazing! Slow, methodical, characters evolve much better and the payoff in the end is so damn good. The movie just left me cold. Couldn't really connect with any of the characters except Peter Guillam played by Benedict Cumberbatch. If you watch the series (7 episodes), I loved Jim Prideaux's character, Ricky Tarr's character, even Control! Each one of them was properly fleshed out and felt real. And the pace & the slow expose of the mole within MI6 felt just perfect..
So, overall: The BBC 1979 series with Alec Guiness **** out of ***** The 2011 movie with Gary Oldman **1/2 out of *****