Tinker Tailor...Superb, Adult Spy Drama...

Rating: Null/10 (18 October 2011)

This excellent second adaptation of Le Carre's classic espionage novel, famously adapted by the BBC in 1979-Alec Guinness playing the eponymous George Smiley(a name that is at best a misnomer), followed by Smiley's People in 1982, Death of a Schoolboy never followed due to the Usual BBC budget constraints.
Now we have a real movie version-that stands on its own merits-Gary Oldman takes Smiley and makes him his own-younger than Guinness and far more sinister, he sees and hears everything, Oldman is supported by a brilliant cast-Kay Burke(finally back on our screens) as Connie, Benedict Cumberbatch(in a beautifully rewritten supporting role)the always excellent Toby Jones, Tom Hardy, and Mark Strong, whom is in danger of becoming a major star. Lastly Colin Firth-proving what a versatile actor he is (post Oscar)and Lastly John Hurt as Control--another superb performance of him.
Events are telescoped, re-jigged and we (the audience )are given key information at different times than the original TV series, due to the 2hr running time of the movie. It all works though, from the production design , editing directing and lighting to look like a rundown London of the seventies and Hungary(Checkozakia in the original). Superb