Know it's a cliché but: disappointing for those who've read the book

Rating: 6/10 (26 January 2012)

I don't know what people who haven't read the book (or any of Le Carre's other spy novels) make of this film, but for those that have then I'm sure they'd agree that the film is a bit of a disappointment. Not because it doesn't follow the plot of the book - it does that fairly well - but because in the novel, the narrative switches from Smiley's thoughtful perspective and laid back pace to the drama of the events that other characters experience quite successfully, maintaining the tension throughout the novel and keeping the reader eager to read further and know more. In this film, however, that contrast between Smiley's scenes and the action, tension and drama of other parts is lost, and everything seems to happen at the slow, silent and thoughtful pace of Smiley. Compare this film with the original "Day of the Jackal" with Edward Fox, and you'll see how it's possible to pull off this kind of story successfully on film. Other than that, it's well made, the scenery is great, the actors do a good job. The ending is certainly very poor, missing the confrontation between Smiley and the other antagonists that was the culmination of the novel.