Good attempt, but the mini-series is better

Rating: 7/10 (9 August 2013)

I have delayed seeing this movie until I had the time and disposition to watch the BBC mini series from 1979. Having seen both, I can now compare them. The series was a lot better. It showed the connections between the characters, the things that made the betrayals, the infighting and the revenges so important and so personal. The film doesn't quite make it so.
And look at the great cast. I do feel it was underused. Ciarán Hinds and even Colin Firth shown only in a few scenes, John Hurt has a similar fate. Then there is the story. It follows pretty much the one in the series, but with a lot of the details removed. I agree it is the only way to cram more than five hours into a two hour film, but the choice of the things they left out bothered me.
Bottom line: even having seen the miniseries, I couldn't grasp some of the details from the movie. The cerebral way in which the series was made turned into a glacial and impersonal view of the story in the film. I can't imagine I would have understood the feelings of any of the characters just by watching the movie. Also many of the important bits in the series were completely skipped here, like the power struggle in the Circus or the personal connection between Jim Prideaux and Bill Haydon or even the continued humiliation of George Smiley on account of his wife's indiscretions. Even if lower budget and a lot slower paced, I would still recommend the series.