Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

"We are not so very different, you and I. We've both spent our lives looking for the weaknesses in one another."

In 1973, British Intelligence, also called the Circus, has a mole.  The head of the agency, Control (Hurt), believes the mole is one of his top agents.  After Jim Prideaux (Strong) is shot in Hungary, while on assignment, Control and his top agent George Smiley (Oldman) are relieved of duty.

A year later, Smiley is called back into service to investigate the mole in the Circus.  He follows Control's evidence, which narrows the list to 4 men: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Poorman.  Tinker is Percy Alleline (Jones), the new head of the Circus, who has a secret.  Tailor is Bill Haydon (Firth), a witty womanizer.  Soldier is Roy Bland (Hinds) and Poorman is Toby Esterhase (Dencik).  All four are involved in a top secret project called Operation Witchcraft, gaining value information from a secret Soviet spy.  Can Smiley and his team find the mole?


I have never read John le Carre's novel "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" or seen the 1979 BBC mini-series starring Alec Guinness... but I genuinely wanted to see this film when it premiered.  Perhaps it was the promise of a strong British cast of characters, or maybe it was the chance to see Gary Oldman in a stand-out performance... regardless, I this was one of the Oscar nominated films that I couldn't wait to see.

The cast is incredible... a nice mix of well-known Hollywood stars (Colin Firth, Oldman, Mark Strong), upcoming stars (Tom Hardy), character actors (Ciaran Hinds, John Hurt), and BBC actors (Benedict Cumberbatch from "Sherlock").

The story is strong and keeps you guessing.  An excellent film... and Oldman deserved his Oscar nomination.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011) 127 minutes
Rating: R for violence, some sexuality/nudity and language.
Director: Tomas Alfredson
Starry: Gary Oldman as George Smiley
Colin Firth as Bill Haydon
Tom Hardy as Ricki Tarr
Mark Strong as Jim Prideaux
Ciaran Hinds as Roy Bland
John Hurt as Control
Simon McBurney as Oliver Lacon
Svetlana Khodchenkova as Irina
Benedict Cumberbatch as Peter Guillam
Toby Jones as Percy Alleline
David Dencik as Toby Esterhase
Kathy Burke as Connie Sachs
Stephen Graham as Jerry Westerby

Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines

"The trouble with these international affairs is they attract foreigner."

In 1910, aviation was the new frontier.  British newspaper magnate Lord Rawnsley (Morley) sponsors an international air race from London to Paris, with a sizable cash prize.  The race garners international attention and competitors from around the world, but Rawnsley hopes an Englishman will win, specifically his future son-in-law Richard Mays (Fox).

The competitors gather in London to practice with their planes, under the watchful eye of Fire Chief Perkins (Hill), and gain airplane knowledge from each other.  There are 14 entries, including Mays, representing at least 7 nations.  There is incompetent airplane engineer Harry Popperwell (Hancock), who flies backwards.  Sir Percy Ware-Armitage (Thomas), a Brit, who "never leaves anything to chance" and forces his servant Courtney (Sykes) to help him cheat.  Count Emilio Ponticelli (Sordi) from Italy brings his large family and worried wife (Zena Marshall), and strives to find a good way to land without crashing.  Japanese naval officer Yamamoto (Ishihara, voiced by Villiers), is the most civilized and experienced.  German Colonel Manfred von Holstein (Frobe) does everything by the book, including flying.  The Colonel is mocked at every turn by the French team, led by ladies man Pierre Dubois (Cassel).  And Orvil Newton (Whitman) is the American entry, who needs to win the cash prize to keep his plane, but is more interested in chasing Lord Rawnsley's feminist daughter Patricia (Miles).  Will anyone make it across the English channel?  Will the German and French teams stop fighting long enough to get their planes in the air?  Who will Patricia chose, Mays or Newton?


Two years after the success of It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World, Hollywood decided to once again unleash a cast of well-known comedians on a high stakes race.  This time they tackle an air race, when planes were still a little shaky.  The film opens with a history of flying, acted by comedian Red Skelton.  The rest of the film focuses on the race and the contestants.

The casting is excellent, bringing various types of comedians together for a greater film.  Yes, the characters are cultural stereotypes, but somehow the characters emerge from that.  Gert Frobe is excellent as the strict German, who is always outsmarted by the French.  Frobe had a gift for playing villainous characters (see Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Goldfinger).  Jean-Pierre Cassel is a great foil for Frobe.  You want to see what else he has up his sleeves (or behind that mischievous wink).  The other standout performance is Terry-Thomas.  Thomas had a knack for playing snooty characters, and here is no exception.  He is the obvious villain, but you still root for him.  He has great chemistry with Eric Sykes, which makes their exchanges all the more valuable.  Thomas, Sykes, and Frobe all appear in the "sequel" to this film Those Daring Young Men in Their Jaunty Jalopies (which is currently in my Netflix queue).

An excellent comedy for the whole family... and when the film is over just try to get the theme song out of your head (it plays over the opening credits, the end of the intermission, and the closing credits, so you will know the tune and all the words by the end of the film).  It may not be as well-known as It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World or The Great Race (made the same year), but it is still a beloved classic comedy.  Definitely recommended!

Those Magnificent Men in Their Flying Machines or How I Flew from London to Paris in 25 hours 11 minutes (1965) 138 minutes
Director: Ken Annakin
Starring: Stuart Whitman as Orvil Newton
Sarah Miles as Patricia Rawnsley
James Fox as Richard Mays
Tony Hancock as Harry Popperwell
Alberto Sordi as Count Emilio Ponticelli
Robert Morley as Lord Rawnsley
Gert Frobe as Colonel Manfred von Holstein
Jean-Pierre Cassel as Pierre Dubois
Eric Sykes as Courtney
Terry-Thomas as Sir Percy Ware-Armitage
Benny Hill as Fire Chief Perkins
Yujiro Ishihara as Yamamoto (voiced by James Villiers)
Karl Michael Vogler as Captain Rumpelstoss

The Avengers

"You think you're the only hero in the world"

Asgardian Loki (Hiddleston) comes to earth to claim the Tesseract: a powerful cube of energy, and settle an old score.  To obtain the Tesseract, he needs to infiltrate S.H.I.E.L.D., and open a portal to transport an alien army to conqueror earth.  He manages to claim the cube and borrow a few S.H.I.E.L.D. employees to fulfill the master plan.

S.H.I.E.L.D. director Nick Fury (Jackson) calls for reinforcements to retrieve the cube.  He recalls assassin Black Widow (Johansson) and sends her to recruit Dr. Bruce Banner (Ruffalo) and his special expertise.  Agent Coulson (Gregg) is dispatched to bring Tony Stark (Downey Jr.) into the loop.  And Captain America (Evans) is brought up to speed and back into the world.  Soon Loki's brother Thor (Hemsworth) joins the group.  Can they stop fighting long enough to rescue Hawkeye (Renner) and Professor Erik Selvig (Skarsgard), stop Loki, and save the world?


The culmination of years of hype, Marvel Studios landed on a gold mine.  Everything about the film works.  The script by geek god Joss Whedon is awesome.  It is a fast paced, action packed story, that draws from the early days of Avengers comic books (Whedon is a fan of the comic books).  There is the right amount of action and comedy and some heartbreak.

The cast is great.  Everyone, but Mark Ruffalo, reprise their roles from previous films.  Ruffalo is the third actor to appear as Bruce Banner / The Hulk in the last decade.  He replaced Edward Norton, who appeared in The Incredible Hulk (produced by Marvel Studios).  Ruffalo finally manages to humanize the character, and make him connect to a mass audience.  Ruffalo also performed the Hulk character, in a motion capture suit, while Lou Ferrigno again provides the voice of the Hulk.  The other new face in the film is Cobie Smulders (from TV's How I Met Your Mother), as Nick Fury's 2nd in command Agent Maria Hill.  She works well in the part, and serves as a supporting player.

The film had the highest opening week ever, and continues to dominate the movie boards.  This success means there will be a sequel.  Until that point, fans can console themselves with the other Marvel Studio's sequels: Thor 2 and Iron Man 2, and eventually Ant Man.

The Avengers (2012) 143 minutes
Rated: PG-13 for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action throughout, and a mild drug reference.
Director: Joss Whedon
Starring: Robert Downey Jr. as Tony Stark / Iron Man
Chris Evans as Steve Rogers / Captain America
Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner
Chris Hemsworth as Thor
Scarlett Johansson as Natasha Romanoff / Black Widow
Jeremy Renner as Clint Barton / Hawkeye
Tom Hiddleston as Loki
Clark Gregg as Agent Phil Coulson
Cobie Smulders as Agent Maria Hill
Stellan Skarsgard as Professor Erik Selvig
Samuel L. Jackson as Nick Fury

My Top Cancelled TV Shows ~ #5

Monty Python's Flying Circus

"We interrupt this program to annoy you and make things generally irritating."

In 1969, Graham Chapman, John Cleese, Terry Gilliam, Terry Jones, Eric Idle, and Michael Palin created a sketch TV show.  Every episode began with an old man saying "it's" and included original artwork by Gilliam.  The best sketches are known simply by their monikers: The Parrot Sketch, The Lumberjack Sketch, The Spanish Inquisition, etc.


Like most, my first introduction to Monty Python was their quintessential film Monty Python and the Holy Grail.  In college I discovered Monty Python's Flying Circus, and started watching... I even used a scene from the show for a college presentation (the Spam sketch).  After college, I purchased the box set of the TV show and took a chance on the other Monty Python films: The Life of Brian and The Meaning of Life.

Like most sketch shows the scenes can be hit or miss ... some are ok but not memorable, and others are so good and memorable, that they have entered our lexicon.  Sure, you can watch clips on YouTube, but it is better when you watch the whole thing.  The show is awesome and set the stage for subsequent sketch shows.

To see the best of the best, check out And Now for Something Completely Different (the Python's first official film, made to introduce their work to American audiences) and Monty Python Live! at the Hollywood Bowl.

Monty Python's Flying Circus (1969-1974)
Starring: Graham Chapman
John Cleese
Terry Gilliam
Terry Jones
Eric Idle
Michael Palin
Carol Cleveland
Connie Booth

My Week with Marilyn

"It's agony because he's a great actor who wants to be a film star, and you're a film star who wants to be a great actress. This film won't help either of you."

Colin Clark (Redmayne) comes from a wealthy family and is afforded every opportunity, but what he really wants is make movies.  He uses his contacts to get a job on the set of the film The Prince and the Showgirl, directed by and starring legendary actor Laurence Olivier (Branagh).  Olivier hired American actress, Marilyn Monroe (Williams) to play the female lead.  But things on set are not smooth.

Marilyn is late to set and refuses to go anywhere without her acting coach Paula (Wanamaker).  Colin is tasked with getting her to set and keeping her happy.  Colin is intrigued by Marilyn, and is welcomed into her life: struggles and all.


Based on the journals of Colin Clark, about his experience on the set of The Prince and the Showgirl.  Clark served as the third director on The Prince and the Showgirl, and eventually turned the experience into two books "My Week with Marilyn" and "The Prince, the Showgirl, and Me," which became the basis for this film.

There is always a risk when you portray a famous actor or actress: people will always compare your version to the real thing.  Marilyn Monroe is an icon and consistently referenced in popular culture.  In addition to this film, she is the focus of the TV show Smash, which features a potential Broadway musical about her life.  I enjoyed Michelle Williams in the film, and she was nominated for an Oscar for her performance.  Kenneth Branagh is also a standout as Sir Laurence Olivier.  He captures Olivier's mannerisms and voice and slides perfectly into the role.  He was also nominated for an Oscar for the role.

The rest of the cast is ok, but not as engaging as Williams and Branagh.  Julia Ormond is ok, but forgettable as Vivien Leigh.  And Dougray Scott is an interesting choice for playwright and Marilyn's husband, Arthur Miller.  Overall, a decent cast, although it was weird to see Emma Watson play a character outside the Harry Potter universe.

A good film, but not great.  I enjoyed it while it was on, but don't remember much about the film afterwards.

My Week with Marilyn (2011) 99 minutes
Rating: R for some language
Director: Simon Curtis
Starring: Michelle Williams as Marilyn Monroe
Kenneth Branagh as Sir Laurence Olivier
Eddie Redmayne as Colin Clark
Dominic Cooper as Milton Greene
Philip Jackson as Roger Smith
Toby Jones as Arthur Jacobs
Julia Ormond as Vivien Leigh
Dougray Scott as Arthur Miller
Zoe Wanamaker as Paula Strasberg

Every Little Step (2008)

In 2006, Bob Avian, decided to bring A Chorus Line back to Broadway; the show originally premiered on Broadway in the 1970's, with Avain serving as the co-choreographer on the original production (with director Michael Bennett).  The casting process, and the stories of the dancers, are interspersed with the stories of the original dancers and the characters they inspired.

In the 1970s, Michael Bennett gathered a group of dancers to talk about their stories: why they dance, their heartaches, etc.  The recordings from the meeting inspired the dialogue and songs of the show, with many of the dancers portraying the character they inspired.  Avian, and his team, wanted to do justice to the show, without duplicating the cast of the original.


I fell in love with musicals at a young age... I loved everything about them: people randomly bursting into song, the choreographed dances, etc.  I especially love the dancing, as I am not graceful.  People always talk about the impact of A Chorus Line, so I decided to check it out.  It wasn't playing at any local theaters, so I was delighted to find a DVD version at the public library.  I raced home, eager to experience this legendary show... but I was sorely disappointed.  It was o.k., but didn't live up to the hype.  Then I started perusing YouTube, to listen to the songs again.  On YouTube I discovered the 2008 Broadway Revival cast recording, and fell in love; I even downloaded "What I Did for Love" (Natalie Cortez is amazing).

I understand why you would want to adapt the show for a broad movie audience, but the movie didn't work.  It seems to be contrary to everything the show is about: what it means to be a dancer on Broadway.  Last night I watched Every Little Step, the documentary about the Broadway Revival of the show.  This is the kind of movie I would prefer to see.  I recognized a few of the dancers from YouTube videos, and a few others from shows like So You Think You Can Dance, etc.

Every Little Step (2008) 96 minutes
Director: Adam Del Doro & James D. Stern
Starring: Bob Avian

The Trouble with Angels

"Ohhh! It's positively Medieval!"
"All it's missing is the Dragon."

The Sisters of St. Francis Academy prepare for another school year, but nothing can prepare them for two of their new girls: Mary Clancy (Mills) and Rachel Devery (Harding).  Mary is rebellious and has many ideas, and Rachel was pulled out of an experimental art school and doesn't know how to do anything well.  They give guided tours of the nuns living area (which is off-limits), they smoke in the bathroom, and terrorize Mary's cousin Marvel Ann (Hunt), and that's only in the first few months... Can the Sisters survive 3 years of Mary and Rachel?


A fun, funny film, starring one of my favorite child actors: Hayley Mills (Pollyanna, The Parent Trap, That Darn Cat).  Mills is great when she is matching wits with Rosalind Russell.  Both have been in better films, but they are great here.  Mary Wickes is also a standout as Sister Clarissa.  You may recognize Wickes from her other memorable turn as a nun: as Sister Mary Lazarus in Sister Act and Sister Act 2.

The film covers all 3 years of Mary and Rachel's time at St. Francis, telling snapshots of the school year.  The stories are funny, heartbreaking, serious, and absurd.  It's a great film to watch when you're feeling sick or the weather is ugly (or both).

The Trouble with Angels (1966) 112 minutes
Director: Ida Lupino
Starring: Rosalind Russell as Mother Superior
Hayley Mills as Mary Clancy
June Harding as Rachel Devery
Binnie Barnes as Sister Celestine
Camilla Sparv as Sister Constance
Mary Wickes as Sister Clarissa
Marge Redmond as Sister Liguori
Barbara Hunt as Marvel-Ann