MOVIE REVUE: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Anyone who has read much John le Carré is probably well acquainted with George Smiley, the quintessential British spy character of the Cold War era (no, it’s not James Bond). In Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, which is the first book in the Karla trilogy (released later as the omnibus The Quest for Karla), Smiley is tasked with eradicating a KGB mole who has infiltrated the sanctum of SIS (British Intelligence). In the film, Swedish director Tomas Alfredson paints a picture as raw and uncompromising as the 1974 novel and more engrossing than the 1979 BBC miniseries with Gary Oldman turning in an Oscar worthy performance as the MI6 veteran.

MOVIE REVUE: A Good Return on The Debt

Oftentimes when thrillers attempt to weave the realism of a historically relevant era into their plot, they get wrapped up in the mechanics of what the characters are doing instead of the characters themselves. The Debt, John Madden’s re-imagining of the 2007 Israeli thriller Ha-Hov, does precisely the opposite. Communicating its intentions through  emotional complexities, raw tension and the organic feel of its environment, The Debt accomplishes something a little different – it allows us to sympathize with the spies.

MOVIE NEWS: The Debt Arrives in Theatres August 31st

 

The espionage thriller The Debt will be distributed for Miramax by Focus Features and Universal Pictures International. Focus, starring Helen Mirren and Sam Worthington will release The Debt  on Wednesday, August 31st.

MOVIE REVUE: A Supernatural Eclipse

 

Director Conor McPherson has brought the fear and supernatural realm into his latest film, The Eclipse. This movie brings the type of horror film that I personally would like to see more of in today’s movies. Eclipse brings the ghost stories we grew up to while combining a budding love story with a hint of raw human condition making it into a beautifully crafted work of art. It shows us through the lead character how we all must carry on living after we mourn the death of a loved one. This movie goes to show that it does not need gallons of blood and guts to emphasize the storyline. If there was ever a haunting Irish tale to be told on screen, then my lads and lasses, I would not dare disappoint you with this review.