What I Watched -- Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

It turned out that my big V-day date with T was go to see the new version of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, because I can't think of anything more romantic than Cold War espionage.

This movie takes some work to watch.  You really have to pay attention to every detail, but it's worth the trouble.

Gary Oldman is sublimely reserved as the disgraced George Smiley.  There will be the inevitable comparisons to Alec Guinness, who starred in the BBC miniseries on which this movie is based.  While I have seen the miniseries - five hours of spy-tacular goodness - it was a long time ago and I don't remember the details well enough to share my thoughts with you.  (The miniseries, in turn, was based on John le Carre's book of the same name, which is itself part of the Karla Trilogy, also including The Honourable Schoolboy and Smiley's People.  Call for the Dead, The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, and other le Carre books also star Mr. Smiley, in case you want further reading, but not part of the trilogy.)

But anyway, the story.  George Smiley is a lifelong spy who was unceremoniously run out of "the Circus" by the newer, younger guys.  Something wasn't right about that, and the reappearance of one of their men who had gone AWOL turns up information that one of the men at the Circus is a mole, a double agent working for the Soviets.  But is the information true?  If so, who is it?  How does this all fit with that Smiley knows from his time there?  Watch, and you'll find out.

Also stars John Hurt, Colin Firth, Ciaran Hinds, Toby Jones (who you don't know you know, but you do if you're a Harry Potter fan), and the man with the best name of all, Benedict Cumberbatch.

Bottom line: a classic spy movie.  While there is some blood and guts, don't go in expecting Bourne-style action.  But if you can do that, you won't be disappointed.