Many consider the 1979 mini-series adaptation of John le Carré's "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" to be not only the definitive le Carré adaptation but also that Alec Guinness to be the definitive George Smiley. Because of that, tackling the story again can be seen as a tricky task. Luckily, the team behind the film adaptation in 2011 found the right people to adapt the script, the right director to helm it, and the perfect actor to fill Guinness' shoes. Join us – Pete Wright and Andy Nelson – as we wrap up our John le Carré series with Tomas Alfredson's 2011 film Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

We talk about why Gary Oldman works so well in this part and how quiet his performance is. We look at the way the story is crafted and compare it to last week's film, looking at why this adaptation works and that one doesn't. And we look at the style Alfredson brought to the film.

It's a great film and one we have a great time chatting about. Check it out then tune in to this week's show! The Next Reel – when the movie ends, our conversation begins.

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Film Sundries

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Script Transcript
Original theatrical trailer
Original poster artwork
Tinker, Tailer, Soldier, Spy: A George Smiley Novel by John le Carré
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Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy • The Next Reel