Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Nowadays it seems like the "spy" genre is filled with fast paced James Bond style action. But John le Carré's novel "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" is quite the opposite.

After a blown spy mission behind enemy lines, major shifts in power have taken place in the British spy agencies. When vague but relevant evidence reveals that there may be a Russian mole near the top of the British secret service, retired agent George Smiley is put on the job to investigate. And as Smiley gets closer to the mole's identity, he also gets closer to figuring out what happened on that blown mission and why he was forced into retirement.

The novel's plot is delicately paced, but executed perfectly. It's slow, but it is deliberately slow. The story unwinds - going back and forth through time - until everything has been revealed. To be honest, at times it can wear on the reader's patience, but when the truth is revealed the novel is redeemed.

George Smiley - through whose eyes we see most of the novel, indirectly - is an interesting character. He has his obvious weaknesses, but a keenness with which he uses those weaknesses to his own advantage (if that can be understood and believed).

The book is weakest in terms of its length. There are many sequences in which we're provided detail after detail. Some of those details become quite important, but it's hard to parse those out as you read. Instead, there are huge monologues and flashbacks that the reader must pay attention to, even if the reader is unsure what they are paying attention for. This perspective puts the reader in almost the same position as the protagonist - trying to pull out the meaningful details from a hodgepodge of rumors and hearsay.

In fact, the process of finding out who the spy is dwarfs just about everything else, even to the point that the big reveal - when we finally find out who the Russian mole is - is almost anti-climactic. (This isn't to say that the reveal isn't important or exciting, though.)

Overall, it's an excellent novel. It is unique and well written, and definitely a cut or two above the usual pulp spy novel.

Confessions of a Dangerous Mind

Directed by: George Clooney

Written by: Charlie Kaufman (screenplay), Chuck Barris (book)

There are movies that are true. There are movies that are fiction. And then there are movies like "Confessions of a Dangerous Mind" in which the truth and fiction bleed together.

The movie is an "unauthorized biography" of TV producer Chuck Barris (Rockwell) known for creating and developing shows such as "The Dating Game," "The Newlywed Game," and "The Gong Show." As he rises to the top - or, to some, bottom - of television celebrity, he is simultaneously dragged into working for the CIA as an international assassin. All the while, he strings along long-time girlfriend Penny (Barrymore). The question is, how long can he keep up the juggling act? And which will destroy him first - his secret agent work, his television career, or his hollow love life?

(Side note: In this post, any reference to "Chuck Barris" will be a reference to the character in the film, not necessarily the real person. Although I realize that Barris is a real person and that the film purports to tell his life story, it is obvious that much embellishment and dramatization occurred. So, to prevent confusion, and to make the text clearer, Barris will simply be described as a fictional character.)

George Clooney's rookie effort as a director was strong, but ultimately evident as a rookie effort. The film's strengths lie in its actors and its stories.

All of the actors, from Rockwell and Barrymore on down - including Clooney himself, Rutger Hauer, and a brief appearance by Maggie Gyllenhaal - are absolutely fantastic. The characters are rich and consuming, and at no point does the audience slip into thinking of the actors as actors. Each performance is compelling and believable, although the plot of the film pushes the extent of belief.

The film follows three different story threads out of Barris's life: his TV production work, his romantic affair with Penny, and his involvement with the CIA. Each of these angles could have been a separate movie, but are combined and balanced in this film. In this way, we see Barris as a much more complex and deep character than if we'd only been exposed to one side of his life. The three different stories are juggled around well, always leaving you wanting more of one before moving on to the next.

One problem with the film was that it could have been edited down a bit. A few scenes run longer than necessary, and a couple scenes were harder to place within the larger narrative arcs. (Admittedly, these parts had significant symbolic value - but a symbol is most effective when grounded within the story itself and not used tangentially.)

The visual style was artistic and jarring. Unfortunately, it felt like some of the shots and design was used simply to use those specific shots and design. Again, like the symbolic scenes, these features could have been more effective if they'd been used as an element to advance the story. Instead, by the end, they'd lost their value.

The movie was impressive and is well worth watching, if only to see Sam Rockwell dominate his role in a way few actors could have accomplished. Don't be discouraged by the challenges presented in the first few scenes - it pays off later. Although Barris's life may have collapsed like a house of cards, this movie does not.