Favorite Movie from a Le Carre book?

I've watched a lot of these in the past year, and thought it might be interesting to poll the group. Leaving out the wonderful BBC Alec Guiness productions, what is your favorite film from John LaCarre's works?

 

I voted for Tailor of Panama just because I think it's underrated, though I wouldn't argue with TTSS. Hope they make a movie of 'A Delicate Truth'. Good story.

 

The Spy Who Came in from the Cold

 

Has to be Tinker Tailor I think, but Spy Who Came In From The Cold is as good. Looking forward to Smileys People on film but the series is great to watch.

 

I voted TTSS. I like the series for A Perfect Spy.

 

You left out A Most Wanted Man, though I haven't seen it yet. I voted for Constant Gardener though it's awfully bleak, even for Le Carre. Smily's People is my favorite book by far (read it what, maybe 10 times?) and I'd love to see a film version -- is one in the pipeline?

 

Voted for Tinker but Spy Who Came In is a close second since I can enjoy it in a single sitting. It's one of my favorite (and best looking) spy films in general.


And Burton is very good in this one.

 

Philip Seymour Hoffman is great in A Most Wanted Man. I knew there was one missing on the original list. Thanks for thinking of it before I irritated myself trying to think of it.

 

Unforgivable of me for forgetting it. We had to drive 15 miles to a theater to catch it before it was run out of town.
A film with the tempo of Spy Who Came in--starts so slow and leisurely and by the climax, the tension is riveting.

 

Yes, apparently so, not sure when it's due though.

 

I think Le Carre's work would be better adapted to a television miniseries. So much detail and subplotting gets lost when it's condensed into a block of time that's less than three hours. I know that the BBC has done a mini-series of one of his books, but I haven't seen it. Tinker Tailor, I think it is. I did see the film, which was good, for what it was. Gary Oldman did a pretty good job playing George Smiley. But a lot was left out. I'm not sure how well I would have understood the plot if I hadn't read the book.

That's why I'm ambivalent about the idea of seeing A Most Wanted Man. One of my favorite Le Carre novels- yes, I'm a fan, I've read practically all of them- but I don't think I'd care for the inevitable abridgement of the plot and character details in a film treatment. Granted, the plot is relatively straightforward.

As for The Little Drummer Girl, I doubt I'll ever watch it, unless it shows up on TCM and takes me by surprise when I am entirely out of better ideas for how to spend a couple of hours. That book is a tour de force. There's no way to adequately squeeze it into a feature film.

Absolute Friends is awesome, too. It would make a splendid TV miniseries. And a crummy movie.

 

Actually I think Little Drummer Girl was a good film and saw it several times, though the last time was many years ago. I'd like to see it again and see how I like it with the passage of some time. It's one of my favorite Le Carre novels.

I'm was a very active book collector for a long time. Most of my books have to do with travel and Asia, but I think I also have a complete set of Le Carre hard covers.

This week I have a contractor redoing part ofmy living room make over, mainly for sound and video upgrades. I spent today packing books and disks to empty out the room and among them were all those Le Carre books, which have been on an upper shelf for many years. Packing them up, I realized that I really have an emotional attachment to them. He's a fantastic writer and I have greatly enjoyed those books.

Surprised that Constant Gardener only got one vote (mine). I thought the film 100% worked and was 100% true to his novel.

 

I've tried to watch Spy a number of times over many years. Just can't make it through. Puts me to sleep every time.

The Tailor of Panama, on the other hand is a very good film by John Boorman. I voted for that one.

 

Constant Gardener is one of the LeCarre books I haven't read (I think there's only one other one, Russia House.) As it happens, I have seen the film, which I thought was very well-done. Maybe that's what has put me off of the book, heh.

 

Little Drummer Girl has a very good performance by Klaus Kinski.

 

Agree that many of LeCarre's plots are better served by the miniseries format. While Gary Oldman was excellent in Tinker, Tailor the film couldn't address the plot's complexity the way Alec Guinness did in the miniseries. And the subsequent miniseries, Smiley's People, was excellent as well. And in that one, in addition to seeing Guinness in his prime, you get to see a young Patrick Stewart playing Smiley's nemesis Karla. (By the way, the three novels [Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, The Honourable Schoolboy and Smiley's People ] have been issued as a trilogy a few times--one trilogy was named 'The Quest for Karla.)

 

Tinker Tailor original TV series now out on remastered Blu Ray, not sure how long it's been out just got it today so looking forward to watching. It's 4:3 1080p and Mono DTS MA