We got the theatrical version of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy in the mail today, and Mme Reclus and I just watched it.

It was a disappointment. I knew ahead of time it would be unfair to compare it to the masterpiece 6-hour PBS/BBC miniseries with Alec Guinness, but even taking that into account and making allowances for it, it just didn’t work for me.

This new version is well done, and certainly well acted, and they did do a fairly good job of getting the essentials of the story while cutting out all the sublplots, character development, exposition and claustrophobic atmospherics. But it still left me flat. Maybe if you haven’t seen the miniseries it may be entertaining (although I suspect half the time you will be lost, I was, and I am familiar with the plot). Mme Reclus agrees with my assessment. I still recommend the TV version. If you can find it, get it.