robertguttman
Those whose idea of a spy thriller is James Bond will be disappointed in "Smiley's People". George Smiley is definitely NOT James Bond. George Smiley uses no high-tech gadgets, gets into no spectacular car chases, doesn't go to bed with a single sexy woman, and there is not one single explosion in the entire six-part miniseries. "Smiley's People" is a spy thriller intended for grownups, not adolescents. Those points being granted, however, "Smiley's People" is a brilliant, intricate, thinking-man's spy thriller, worthy of the author of "Tinker, Tailor, Solder, Spy" and "The Spy Who Came In From the Cold". An aging Russian émigré suddenly contacts British Intelligence with information about the activities of a Soviet spy-master and demands a meeting, which goes tragically wrong. Restricted by bureaucracy from getting involved in any sort of skullduggery, British Intelligence summons retired spy-master George Smiley out of retirement as an independent contractor to sort the mess out. Alec Guinness, who probably played more different sorts of characters than any other actor, considered George Smiley to be his favorite role. Unlike most of Guinness' other roles, there is nothing flashy about George Smiley. Smiley is quiet and thoughtful. He stays within himself, asking questions but giving little away. His face remains impassive and rarely betrays what he is thinking. His manner is quiet and conservative, the sort of man who would attract little attention. However, he is extremely astute and one of the most brilliant counter-espionage agents around. The fact that he is so bland meant that the part of George Smiley was probably a whole lot more difficult to play than most of the flashy character roles for which Guinness was known.Give this one an 8 for it's intricate, thoughtful plot and the superb performance by Alec Guinness.
paul2001sw-1
'Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy' was one of the standout television series of the 1970s, a perfect adaptation of John Le Carre's best book, a spry thriller, a detective story, and a character study of every shade of English eccentric, brought to life by a perfect cast. 'Smiley's People', made a few years later, is a slightly different beast. It's a lower key tale, set right at the end of the careers of Le Carre's favourite protagonist, the fanatical moderate George Smiley and his perpetual nemesis Karla; for a thriller, there's an awful lot of sitting around while not much happens. If it lacks the claustrophobia and urgency of the previous effort, it still has the unsurpassable Alec Guinness in the lead role; and in odd moments, such as where we see Smiley visiting his neglectful wife Ann, Guinness is truly masterful in conveying so much while saying so little. It might not make too much sense if you haven't seen its predecessor; but together, the two are arguably the best work of Guinneess's long and distinguished career.
Prismark10
I enjoyed Tinker Tailor and found the mini series riveting as they try to unearth a Soviet mole deep in the inner bowels of the circus.I caught up with the recent repeat showing of Smiley's People and during the first episode I thought we are in for a treat here as we had intrigue and plot development. By the second episode I started to feel bored as it comprised of long conversations, long stares, cars being driven. The third episode felt even more padded as we had more long stares, more cars being driven, more long conversations and the foreign location shooting did not enliven things much. The series just meanderedIts only the final episode that regained my interest but by then I knew this was a sandwich with no filling.So Smiley comes out of retirement to investigate the death of one of his agents, a Soviet General who discovered information about the infamous Karla.The series has two actors famous for portraying James Bond villains in Roger Moore movies. We have brief cameos from Patrick Stewart, Sian Phillips and Beryl Reid.The most interesting aspect is that the character of Toby Esterhase, one of the people in charge of the Circus in Tinker Tailor. Ever so English, uptight and humourless. Here unveiled as being Austro- Hungarian complete with some kind of Italian/German/European accent and unrecognisable as a character from the first serial. Now Esterhase is a dodgy art dealer drawn back in by Smiley and loving it.We see a more nastier side of Smiley here. We guessed a skilled spy who ran a set of agents would be tough, cunning and ruthless and this was heavily hinted in the first series. Here he is called a sexist fascist after he visited Connie and we see an unlikeable, temperamental Smiley as well as someone who by the end is just tired and run out of energy.I can imagine BBC producer Jonathan Powell congratulating himself at another prestige production. The series was a severe disappointment. Its slow and boring, it should had just been a three parter.
elisedfr
When General Vladimir, a former MI6 agent, is murdered, no one thinks of warning an old Russian lady settled in Paris. No one knows he was Mme Ostrakova's only hope to understand the weird and perhaps dangerous situation she is into, after Russian authorities approached her to permit her estranged daughter to join her in France, and that she has still never seen the sight of her. On the other hand, George Smiley, the middle aged spy master, is once again put out of retirement to investigate about this mysterious case. Or rather, from Whitehall's imperious order, to bury it. And the more he looks into it, the more he's convinced this would be a very bad idea...Smiley's People happens a few years later TTSS: actually the third part of a novel trilogy by John Le Carré, whose second part, was never filmed. George Smiley is not the Circus chief anymore and has come back to semi-retirement and complicated marriage with Ann. His successor, Saul Enderby, is "an Atlantic man", a bureaucrat just as scrupulous than Percy Allelline, but a bit more clever. And Smiley is quite reluctant with working for the Circus again, until he learns it could lead to the fall of his old nemesis Karla : the elusive, cause-committed, high officer of Moscow Center. In some aspects, this miniseries is very similar to the previous : from the almost identical casting to the same idea of Smiley investigating through reminiscences of the past and crucial encounters. And yet, the rhythm as well as the mood, leave the impression of a change. While a part of TTSS's charm and almost flawless tempo was in a highly structured a plot, SP drifts, slows down then gets quicker, taking Smiley from London to Hamburg, Paris, Berne and finally Berlin. Because of this, the spy's quest looks more hazardous , almost blurring. The tone is also different, both cruddier and sadder. A feeling of danger wraps all the episodes and sheer violence explodes once in a while, often in the most powerful moments : in the screams of panic of Tatiana, a young schizophrenic girl, in the brutally erotic dance of a Hamburg brothel, and most of all in the discovery of a butchered body on a boat while ashore, some guys are trying to break Smiley's car. And the general atmosphere is one of nostalgia and failure (though humor is still present): this is the post- Haydon era, after the mole has been found out to be the most charismatic person of the Circus. The shadow of his treachery is still very alive for the characters, who have lost those last hopes they possessed in TTSS. George Smiley, among all, has felt the blow. Turning from a compassionate spy to a wandering, self-doubted soul, who will go for every method to get Karla, and still asks himself if it's worth it. Alec Guiness did a magnificent job in pursuing his portray of Smiley, suggesting disgust and disillusion behind his calm facade. Supporting characters have grown weary as well: Connie Sachs, (Beryl Reid), is almost dying and she works harder than ever to give her precious memories to Smiley, Peter Guillam (Michael Byrne, the only important cast change who's fine but not as much as Jayston in TTSS) still likes fast cars but seems to have said his youth goodbye, Karla ( Patrick Stewart) appears as a frail little old man, who makes dangerous choices out of concern for his daughter; Ann Smiley (Sîan Phillips) must face definite separation. Even Cabinet Secretary Oliver Lacon (Anthony Bate) is going through a depression after his wife has left him. Only Toby Esterhase (refreshingly funny Bernard Hepton) who has gone back to his Hungarian origins and his profession of selling forgeries, seems to enjoy himself now- yet, it's Esterhase who says to Smiley: " We're over. They don't want us anymore".New characters fit well this feeling of discouragement. The young ones are outshone by their heroic oldsters:they try to escape from them and fail like Villem; or to reach their level and fail, like Mostyn. Old timers such as Vladimir (Cürd Jurgens) and Otto Leipzig (Vladek Sheybal) who want to go back on the battlefield are not trusted and treated as mild eccentrics by the Circus. Enderby appears as an ambiguous new chief of MI6 : his smarmy attitude and cynical jokes indicate a mocking despise for both his colleagues and adversaries; and yet he seems almost fascinated by the obstinate fight Smiley wages, so different from his own. He's played well, if a bit over the top by Barry Foster. There is also a little Russian bureaucrat (Michael Lonsdale), an ordinary man with human faults, who gets stuck in a secret plan he understands better than he's thought of. As for Tatiana " the daughter of a man too important to exist" (Tusse Silberg) , she's probably the most moving figure of the story-An innocent girl who sees too clearly the shadows of her traumatizing past.Pehaps a shade less limpid than its prequel, this mini -serie still gets a fine direction by Simon Langton, a compelling script, a lot of fascinating scenes which makes it truly unforgettable. The reunion between George Smiley and Toby, his oldest protegé, with friendship coming over mistrust; Grigoriev's interrogation, from light humor to drama; Smiley meeting Tatiana at the Swiss clinic: "Are you God?" asks the girl, "No, I'm just an ordinary person" answers Smiley; and the final, empty exchange of looks of the spy and Karla near the Berlin frontier. Oddly enough, my favorite moment is when Smiley is unable to enter in a boat which is far away from the pier and shouts for help. James Bond would have taken a submarine out of his pocket. That's the kind of things that makes Smiley close to us. Imperfect, sure he was, like all his people- spies, clerks, crooks, politicians, victims, double-agents... But he really was human.
