“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” wasn’t just use one of my favorite films of last year, but also one of my top ten films of the year. In fact, it landed in the no. 3 slot just behind Steve McQueen’s “Shame” and Nicholas Winding Refn’s “Drive.” The thriller which landed Gary Oldman a long deserved Oscar nomination and proved that director Tomas Alfredson is a filmmaker to be reckoned with is finally out on DVD and Blu-ray today. The big screen adaptation of John le Carre’s 1974 novel is destined to be a classic and will find its fan base swell with repeated airings on cable over the coming years. The 80-year-old author didn’t spend much time on the publicity trail for “Tinker,” but that didn’t mean he wasn’t a fan of his best seller’s newest incarnation.
In a HitFix exclusive, le Carre talks about how he divorces himself from the movie version of his books and how “it’s a huge thrill to work with very creative people, in a different medium, and see them at work.” He also has a fond recollection of Alec Guinness’ reaction to his presence on set during the production of the 1979 British “Tinker” mini-series. Whether you’re a fan of the film, the book or le Carre overall, it’s well worth checking out. The clip is embedded at the top of this post.
“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” is now available on iTunes, Blu-ray and DVD.