{"id":7910,"date":"2024-07-21T13:25:52","date_gmt":"2024-07-21T19:25:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/interestingauthors.com\/blog\/?p=7910"},"modified":"2024-07-21T13:28:17","modified_gmt":"2024-07-21T19:28:17","slug":"smileys-people","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/interestingauthors.com\/blog\/film-reviews\/smileys-people\/","title":{"rendered":"Review\u00a0\u2014 Smiley’s People"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605\u2605<\/span>\n\n\n\n

Smiley’s People<\/a><\/em> is the standard by which all other spy movies are judged. In whole or part it is based on Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy<\/a><\/em> by John le Carre’. Quite possibly the only good thing attending DeVry’s Lombard campus ever did for me was forcing me to read this book.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Alec Guinness plays the central character of George Smiley. Once you see this fantastic BBC production, you cannot ever imagine anyone else playing this role. This miniseries was made in 1982 and it is still relevant today. Honestly I just ordered a copy of this DVD set from Thrift books because I keep referencing this work when reviewing other spy movies<\/a>. A review is long overdue. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Slow Burn <\/h2>\n\n\n\n

This is not a XXX<\/a><\/em> with tons of action and things blowing up. If someone told me the BBC managed to make Smiley’s People<\/em> for $100K, I would actually believe it. Even though I read the book years before I watched this miniseries, I got pulled in. It is so well crafted and slow paced that you enter this world leaving all knowledge of the world it is based on behind.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What sells this, besides the acting, is being “shot on location.” It’s like they went to a thrift store, found some vintage suits, drove around England to find a vintage looking suburb, then rented a few old cars for people. I’m sure they were some scenes shot in a studio, but it doesn’t feel like it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Granted, You Have to Like Spy Movies<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Yes, I loved Vin Diesel in XXX<\/em> with all the action, hot women, and stuff blowing up. I also like spy movies. Real spy movies like Smiley’s People<\/em>. Unlike another British spy series you’ve probably heard of, James Bond<\/a><\/em>, they didn’t have out of this world spy gadgets in this. I’m actually saddened with what has happened to the James Bond<\/em> franchise. Sean Connery was right. In his day 007 would “charm” what he needed out of a woman or whoever. Real spy-craft. Today it is violence and big budget special effects. Oh, Sean Connery’s era had gadgets, read up on the re-breather<\/a> that brought inquiries from multiple militaries wanting to know if it actually worked. It’s just that today’s spy movies, 007 included, tend to rely on outsized quantities of violence and special effects.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

This is all about spy-craft:<\/p>\n\n\n\n