Few authors have had a better shake at the movies than John le Carré, whose sophisticated novels of Cold War atmosphere, moral ambiguities and wryly observed backroom machinations have long attracted talented filmmakers and leading actors. While Alec Guinness’s definitive performance as George Smiley in the BBC mini-series versions of “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” (1979) and “Smiley’s People” (1982) are currently not available to stream in the U.S., there’s still a range of quality le Carré adaptations to sample over a half-century stretch. These seven films and two mini-series give the flavor of le Carré’s uniquely jaundiced take on the spy thriller genre. Rent it on Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, Vudu and YouTube. Though rights issues kept the studio from using the name George Smiley, James Mason plays the same character as a dreary cuckold whose wife (Harriet Andersson) hates him and whose job satisfaction is hitting rock bottom.

Source: International New York Times December 14, 2020 17:26 UTC