Page Eight BBC2 28.viii.11 2100hrs

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

previewed in Edinburgh, and reviewed

looking forward to this with some apprehension .... too many obvious luvvies etc .... but it may offer insight and excitement

[Serial_Apologist]

I've found myself disappointed somewhat by Hare's productions in the past: weak plots, unlikely scenarios, characterisations. Without having devoted as muych thought to reasons why that should have been the case as maybe I should, I am therefore prepared to give this one a chance.

[cavatina]

Here's the trailer:

PAGE EIGHT

I can't say I'm too excited about it, but will give it a watch if I can. One of my friends (who used to work in intelligence analysis after a career in overseas radio journalism) said that when it comes to realistic, nuanced portrayals of agents and the morally-conflicted world they live in, there's absolutely nothing better than "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" with Alec Guinness. He spent time in London during that period, and said it was absolutely, 100% dead-on.

Here are a couple of excerpts...you get an excellent introduction to the personalities of the "Cambridge Five"-based characters simply by the way they enter the room. Brilliant!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BJ3rWva4_g

And here's another masterpiece of acting with Ian Richardson:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILYP9YnCZUs

Hope you enjoy it!

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

... i doubt any drama will equal the Smiley trilogy with Guinness ...it stopped Le Carre writing about him ....

[eighthobstruction]

If you want to see some proper acting....emotional range etc.... script with message.... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0FbpNoWw5M8

[Serial_Apologist]

Here's the trailer:

PAGE EIGHT

I can't say I'm too excited about it, but will give it a watch if I can. One of my friends (who used to work in intelligence analysis after a career in overseas radio journalism) said that when it comes to realistic, nuanced portrayals of agents and the morally-conflicted world they live in, there's absolutely nothing better than "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" with Alec Guinness. He spent time in London during that period, and said it was absolutely, 100% dead-on.

Here are a couple of excerpts...you get an excellent introduction to the personalities of the "Cambridge Five"-based characters simply by the way they enter the room. Brilliant!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BJ3rWva4_g

And here's another masterpiece of acting with Ian Richardson:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ILYP9YnCZUs

Hope you enjoy it!

Thanks again! Got that and Smiley's People when it came out on VHS, and it's one of those "play once a year" treats: a bit like Havergal Brian's "Gothic"

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

well it gripped because of the performances but the plot lines creaked and the tensions were minimal .... gorgeous sunday supplement sugar ... with a dash of jazz .... no meaning at all that i could find but great eye candy ... [and my understanding is that Young and Holiday were really good friends]

[DracoM]

Was rather aware of the plot junctions clicking by like unwelded rail tracks, but Nighy was as ever never less than worth watching - his peerless less is more style - Gambon was terriifc in the cameo, and God forbid we ever get a Home Secretary like her - or maybe we have / do? [ Have you noticed May's pronunciation ''pleece"?]. Would love to see Gambon doing Guinness in Tinker Tailor'? Perfect Smiley. Sinead Cusack good and Felicity Jones was luscious to behold and was brilliant in the smokey angry daughter role. Hare's well known rage at the sheer bare-faced duplicity of government / ministers came over well as did his less than wholehearted appreciation of our American 'cousins'.

Railph Fiennes PM was shark like - animation but dead eyed - malevolent, threatening, utterly amoral, and smack on bullseye of what we have recently seen - Blair particularly, Brown yes, Cameron gives the impression of being far too naive and unintellectual to be that clever.

Certainly worth watching, worth thinking about - and outside Forbrydelsen [BBC4, yes BBC4] what else in drama on TV has provoked such genuine THOUGHT? Thompson, are you listening?

[vinteuil]

hmmmmm.

Yes it was pretty to look at, and some fine acting. The script I found wooden, the plot implausible, (and far removed from the realities of the Security Services).
Too many clichés. And the ghastly author/director's old man fantasy of a middle aged man being the love object of the glorious Rachel Weisz - the final snog - yerghhh....

The real problem was the irony that Hare himself didn't seem to be aware of. His is a critique of the intelligence services delivering to politicians "what the latter want to hear" rather than "the truth", and the resonances with Blair/Iraq are evident. But this play precisely delivered "what a Hare audience wants to hear", rather than anything more questioning. The predictability of a baddie PM, the wicked Israeli defence forces...

[makropulos]

hmmmmm.

Yes it was pretty to look at, and some fine acting. The script I found wooden, the plot implausible, (and far removed from the realities of the Security Services).
Too many clichés. And the ghastly author/director's old man fantasy of a middle aged man being the love object of the glorious Rachel Weisz - the final snog - yerghhh....

The real problem was the irony that Hare himself didn't seem to be aware of. His is a critique of the intelligence services delivering to politicians "what the latter want to hear" rather than "the truth", and the resonances with Blair/Iraq are evident. But this play precisely delivered "what a Hare audience wants to hear", rather than anything more questioning. The predictability of a baddie PM, the wicked Israeli defence forces...

These are all valid points (though I've no idea what the realities of working for the security services might be like), but I've got to say that despite that, I enjoyed it very much indeed. The acting was impressive, the setting was suitably oppressive and gloomy for much of the time, and the thread of the story unraveled in a way that kept me quite gripped - maybe it wasn't all entirely plausible, but then it wasn't supposed to be a documentary. I couldn't tear myself away and was overall pretty impressed.

[Anna]

I agree with most of the points raised, and yes it was a bit cliched, but, I really enjoyed it and was also gripped throughout. I see it's on iplayer for 6 days for those who missed it

[eighthobstruction]

I thought it was humourous how Art Scene was portrayed....the Civil Service Mandarin buying the daughters paintings, the painting of torture bought by the govt in the conference room.....Nighy's own collection [and such good taste], and sleeping agent owning a Gallery....and Art bought Nighy's freedom....[the newspaper thrown in the bin]

Johnny....such a boyish, innocent amongst Merlins and Medusa....

[Russ]

The plot did creak a bit with out-of-date security realities - the Prime Minister's precious intelligence document seemed peculiarly immune to memory sticks and photocopiers, and walking off into the sunset through customs with a loose sixty grand is a tad difficult these days, even in a Waitrose shopping bag. The dialogue was a bit clunky, although Nighy and Gambon as the two old Cambridge spooks breezed through it with their usual effortless gentle cynicism. I can't help thinking the thudding weight of le Carre has stamped too much of an expected style on this genre. Or maybe we would complain if we didn't get that dialogue style in this genre? The central problem for me was the relationship between Nighy and Weisz, the latter presumably being injected to ensure good ratings when it gets shown on american TV, and I thought the Israel/Palestian subplot was an unnecessary addition. It would have been better to explore the relationship of Nighy with the Home Secretary's PA (Holly Aird), of which we got only a tantalising glimpse.

The principal targets, our relationship with USA, and the 'fog of intelligence', were well aimed at though, and the briefing meeting with the stroppy Home Secretary was sharp and very amusing.

Hare's direction was unspectacular but assured, and it was so refreshing to have no murders and car chases and intrusive 'dramatic' music.

Not particularly profound, but very enjoyable Sunday night telly.

Russ

[Anna]

I assume there are Smiley fans here. Next month is the release of a film version of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy with Gary Oldman as George Smiley and Colin Firth as Bill Haydon. Directed by Tomas Alfredson.

[aka Calum Da Jazbo]

whooopeee! hope it is good!