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Anyone else watched this yet? I suppose I probably count as a LeCarre fan, but I thought this was chuffin marvelous.
Casting seems really good - great role for Olivia Coleman, and Hugh seems to fit the bad-guy really well.
I can't decide whether to get the book and read ahead...
Visually very nice too - some amazing locations.
Odd seeing Hugh Laurie as the bad guy though.
I can't decide whether to get the book and read ahead...
There was an interview with LaCarre in one of the papers last weekend. Lots of changes from the book (with his agreement).
I can't decide whether to get the book and read ahead...
There was an interview with LaCarre in one of the papers last weekend. Lots of changes from the book (with his agreement).
Hmm - I think the paperback has only been out for a while, so I assumed that was an effort from him to keep selling a few, even though people had just watched it on telly.
Also..... Aure Atika:
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Lots of changes from the book
Well, yeah. Burr was a bloke in the book...
Also..... Aure Atika:
Then you need to watch Spin, in which her character is still alive and well.
Recorded this and not got round to watching it yet. Think lunchtime viewing has been decided. Bargain Hunt can wait!
I wanted to like it but despite the cast found the script and plotting clunky. Next to recent shows like London Spy it felt tame - there was no real sense of jeopardy
Part of the problem might have been that all I could think of was
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I can't decide whether to get the book and read ahead...
I believe it's been around a while - since the early '90s. It's pretty good if memory serves - and I'm not a huge Le Carré fan - but I'm aiming to watch the adaptation anyway.
'93 apparently.... NINETEEN YEARS AGO. Bloody hell.
Just watched it. Lovely production, had a slight sensation Hugh Laurie was playing it for laughs which took the edge of it for me. Looking forward to next week though.
I wanted to like it but despite the cast found the script and plotting clunky.
I was the same. The whole story starts because Sophie wants to make copies of extremely sensitive documents....... so she trusts them to some random bloke in a hotel to copy? My belief in any plausibility started wavering immediately.
Somewhat undermined by the seemingly random nature of the Inventory of dodgy weaponry for sale:
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Hmm, Trident D5 missiles and Vulcan Bombers for sale eh? I'll take two of each...
It's quite a warehouse they've got.
Loved it. Big fan of tom which helps. I also laughed at the list, it was such a silly mix. Ak47 or a f22? I will take both...
What idlejohn said
I want to like it but it all comes together all too easily
Do you reckon they will have a 35% off clearance sale like Planet X?
Stock list seems as consistent.
'93 apparently.... NINETEEN YEARS AGO. Bloody hell.
Interesting Independent article from '92 re. Interarms in Salford (and Le Carre).
[url= http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/weapons-dealer-bites-bullet-in-arms-recession-christopher-bellamy-meets-the-man-with-the-1539436.html ]Interarms article[/url]
I'm not sure I would have taken on the job.
wasn't really sure what the stuff going on in Devon was for in last nights episode - if it was a backstory then it was kinda odd?
As odd as the west country accents....
wasn't really sure what the stuff going on in Devon was for in last nights episode....
Building his legend so that Hugh Laurie and Tom Hollander believe he's worthy of being inducted into the their organisation.
Next to recent shows like London Spy it felt tame - there was no real sense of jeopardy
I sincerely hope it won't turn out to be worse than London Spy - that was awful.
Building his legend so that Hugh Laurie and Tom Hollander believe he's worthy of being inducted into the their organisation.
Needed a good reason to be on the run from the Uk too.
still not convinced by hugh laurie, tbh
but its enjoyable, if somewhat cliched
Needed a good reason to be on the run from the Uk too.
But they made it look like he had died? Also later they asked for a load of stuff to be made up so why bother concocting this weak backstory of a small time drug dealer. Didn't really get why he used the alias of the ex of the local girl either.
Because he'd never had a passport before, so no old records for Dr House to go and check back on for photo's/travel history etc.Didn't really get why he used the alias of the ex of the local girl either.
but its enjoyable, if somewhat cliched
Which is what you expect for its Sunday night timeslot.
But they made it look like he had died?
Or that he killed someone, ie the bloke who he had an altercation in the pub.
okay, I'm enjoying this for the hocum it is, but feel the need to pick up on a few points:
- the shopping list: twitter thinks this is meant to be a joke, for the entertainment of geeky freezeframers, eg it has the Trident D5LE that's only due to enter service on US/US subs in 2017. It's not quite 'deathstar' or BFG-9000, but in that direction.
- they made it look like he'd committed a murder. As well as being well badass amongst the rustic rude mechanicals. That would be the first thing I'd do on moving into Doc Martin type village - beat up the local dealer and then tell him I was expecting a big shipment in a week or so...
Anyway, I think the guy from blackadder does fine, but tom hollander's acts excellent short. And the civil servants are good, obviously. Le Carré characters tend to spend more time in meetings and reading endless hard-copy files, than James Bond would tend to do.
Most unbelievable bit of the whole show?
Olivia Colman - clearly pregnant enough for people to notice and comment, 4 months on maybe?, recruits Loki in Switzerland.
6 months later, according to the caption, She's swanning round Mallorca, still pregnant, but not massively so.
Will be watching future episodes closely to see just how overdue this baby turns out to be.
I reckon a gestation period of 18 months is not unrealistic.
Well made enjoyable tosh, that looked at times like an extended try out for Daniel Craig's vacated slot. Laurie, Colman, Hollander all great.
I think I'd have gone for a swim, myself....
Oh, and stever, you're right - Bond audition!
Building up nicely.
The Devon bits were filmed a few miles from me and a couple of friends were extras in it. Im quite enjoying it but cant really get my head round Hugh Laurie as a baddy.
Pish.
Rev...and Laurie...playing hardmen?
Apart from a nice few locations and some pretty faces , it's all been a bit underwhelming for me. Three episodes in and basically nothing has happened.
Three episodes in and basically nothing has happened.
It is John Le Carre, not James Bond, the big stuff happens in meetings.
I'm enjoying this, and - oh my - who is this handsome Hiddleston chap I've never seen before? *swoons*
He's getting my vote for Bond.
Rev... ...playing hardmen?
Not seen him in Hanna than?
He's genuinly menacing in Hanna, bit of a daft film but once you set aside the plot inconsistities it's a good romp
For me this is the best thing on the BBC since Luther.
It is a drama not a documentary so you need to go along with it and get over the idea that Hugh Laurie really is Lt. George from Black Adder, he is actually an actor. The fact that they add stuff for the geeks to spend hours pouring over in the way of arms shopping lists is great. It distracts them from getting over excited about theories on missing planes etc.
Still, Hugh's girlfriend is stunningly beautiful. She's keeping me interested in it. I could spend days just staring at her and I love her fair skin, such a lovely tone. I think I have a crush on her 😳
Best thing on the Sunday 9-00 pm slot since Downton finished. There I've said it!
(and yes Hugh's GF is very easy on the eye!)
I'd completely missed this. On my mums recommendation, we watched the first 2 episodes in time for the 3rd last night. Absolutely bloody brilliant!
Roper's lair is the lighthouse across the bay from Port de Pollensa. I always thought is was owned by the military. But looking on google maps it is off the second hairpin up to the viewpoint if any of you have cycled there. I will check it out in April 😀
Ahh - I was thinking it might have been Pollença but was struggling to place it 🙂
Just watched episode 3 - yep, really enjoying it. I think Rev is super-menacing, great bit of casting.
Really enjoying it.
Ref Roper's Lair, this STW-banned link will tell you everything you need to know about "How much did BBC pay Tory embroiled in Kids Company scandal to use his 'villain's lair'?", except of course how much they paid to film there.
Apparently you can eat at the restaurant from episode 2 without having £30M or a flotilla of speed boats.
It is John Le Carre, not James Bond
This.
Tinker Tailor beats Goldeneye any day.
I bloody told you!
http://www.theguardian.com/film/2016/mar/06/tom-hiddleston-fuels-james-bond-rumours-huge-fan-007
Just watched 1 on iplayer - Stuart Broad's a good actor too?!?
Enjoyed it - 2 on the commute home
Hypothesis1: Neil Morrisey's character is "Halo".
Hypothesis 2: Roper is working deep undercover for HMG.
... and sooner or later, Hiddleston's character and the "hard man" bodyguard are going to have a "Now you're a big man, but you're out of condition..." moment.
Rev...and Laurie...playing hardmen?
They aren't though they are business men.
Hoping to catch episode three tonight.
Hypothesis 2: Roper is working deep undercover for HMG.
That wouldn't surprise me at all, I may even throw that in when watching it with Mrs J
I'm not getting this at all, seems like complete tosh..he nicks the only phone in the place and noone cares or even bothers to look for it, the super secret alarmed room that has the alarmed turned off at the same time everyday... 🙄 The 2 worst bodyguards ever..they let the kid get grabbed by armed intruders, but the fella picks the kid up to put him on his shoulders and they spring into action, Laurie's mate who he's "shared many a foxhole with" gets thrown to the wolves on the whisperings of a rumour started by a suspicious stranger! And if I'm a mega rich international arms dealer I'm having different female company every night...
^ Agree with most of what you say apart from
And if I'm a mega rich international arms dealer I'm having different female company every night...
I'd happily have her around every moment of every day and night...
I'm sure she's a lovely lady, but for me she'd have to bring a mate...
Well, I am really enjoying it - despite the slight leaps of faith that you have to make to keep the storyline plausible.
In terms of plausibility it is a million times better than Deutschland 83 - although I still found that entertaining despite the toe-curlingly childish plot.
I really love Le Carre - he always seems to create characters with just the right amount of screwed-up-ness and manipulates them through their attempts to be 'good'.
I'd recommend reading 'The Looking Glass War' if you want to be really dismayed by cynicism(!)
For a Sunday night it's not bad viewing...
But Laurie's role/acting is rubbish .... worst baddie ever !!
About as menacing as my Gran and no evidence of how his arms deals have been detrimental to the Uk or the wider world .... I mean, we know illegal arms deals aren't great (legal are hardly brilliant) but we haven't even seen a flippant comment about he couldn't give a stuff to the suffering he creates.... He comes across as a likeable family man... all be it a powerful one, due to the money ??
but we haven't even seen a flippant comment about he couldn't give a stuff to the suffering he creates.... He comes a cross as a likeable family man
The comment about his meeting being screwed up due to the girl's suicide wasn't exactly "The Waltons" was it 🙂
Hmmm .... scary 😕
I don't mind him not being scary...he can pay people to be scary for him...he just seems a bit stupid! Just to reiterate I mean the character and not Laurie..:)
I'd have thought one of the arts of being a successful evil person is to not appear outwardly evil?
😕
Maybe that's the ethos for the programme..they're trying to make an interesting spy thriller by making it look dull and uninteresting..
I'd have thought one of the arts of being a successful evil person is to not appear outwardly evil?
MWA HAH HAAAAAAA!
Yes. Yes. Yes.
More, please!
It is very good but the British secret service folk are ever so slightly infuriating.
Anyone else spot the author's cameo?
About as menacing as my Gran
It's kind of odd really but in my life, at two different wedding receptions, I've been sat next to two thoroughbred international arms dealers on one side and their gorgeous wives on the other. And on both occassions, they came across entirely as you would expect someone who made their money in a slightly dubious fashion; as perfectly decent, agreeable if not clearly massively wealthy people. That's kind of the point. If you're going to make your money this way, you don't really want to stick out as the quintessential bond villan. It sort of blows your cover.
Anyone else spot the author's cameo?
The injured party on the table next to them following Corgi's handiwork? I hadn't spotted that but now you mention it, doesn't Le Carre make other cameo appearances in other films?
After being spoiled rotten with Scandi Dramas, we couldn't even bear more than 15 minutes of this dross. British TV drama production really has hit a low point. We rarely watch any Brit Drama these days, with the odd exception like Happy Valley (Sally Wainwright is brilliant).
^ I think that's a bit harsh.
Although I do think that they are in a wierd no-mans-land between the bond-esque opening sequence, baddies with speedboats/castles/private jets etc... and the muted Le Carre style of "everyman" agents in brown anoraks and sensible shoes. It does feel like the production team has got a bit carried away with itself.
The cyclist vs vans sequence had me cringing though - again, trying to oversell it, and it ended-up looking like a Benny Hill sketch.
After being spoiled rotten with Scandi Dramas, we couldn't even bear more than 15 minutes of this dross.
However, note that it is directed by Susanne Bier, director of In A Better World, After The Wedding and other Scandi classics.
After being spoiled rotten with Scandi Dramas, we couldn't even bear more than 15 minutes of this dross.
One's a spy caper, so (even written by LC) isn't going to be that realistic. The others are police thrillers which set out to be grim and 'realistic'.
I hope the Puerto Pollensa philes have clocked where the villa is.
Just caught up with episode 4 last night, can't see it ending well for Pine / Birch / Oak whatever his name is....
....but he did get a happy ending
Merh.
Enjoyed that. Greatly.
bit of a naff ending, but leaves the door open for series 2 if the Beeb can afford it