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Rating:  - Central Role Badly Miscast
A Perfect Spy is a complex novel, very difficult to film because it is essentially a psychological exploration rather than any sort of conventional narrative, much less a spy story. What one makes of the film will depend largely on how one reacts to Peter Egan as Magnus Pym. For my taste, he was absolutely awful, and he was hardly helped by the plodding direction. The only way Egan seemed capable of displaying the character's inner life (what the film is really about)was to grin throughout like a demented hyena, which was then forced upon the viewer in suffocating close-ups, a sure sign of a hack director. The script is intelligent, and the rest of the cast is first-rate, but hardly helped by a director who insists upon the sort of pretentious "pregnant pauses" that destroy all sense of natural pacing. The middle episodes are the best. The last two are interminable. There is no suspense really about the ultimate outcome, but what should be an intense and riveting experience leading up to the inevitable denoument instead becomes a boring caricature of psychological disintegration. I was seriously disappointed in this work.
Rating:  - A Perfect DVD
This John Le Carre adaptation is almost as good as Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, there's no legendary performances here but the screen play by Arthur Hopcraft and a strong cast make it a pleasurable viewing experience. The suspense and understanding the psychology of a spy builds through each episode and for such a slow paced film at times it really is surprising edge of the seat stuff. Just a quick note on Peter Egen, at first i had trouble not picturing him standing next to Richard Briers (Everdecreasing Circles) but once you get over this initial shock by the end you realise what good job he does for the part and that he is actually a rather splendid actor.
Rating: - Le Carre's Great Book Adapted for Film
This version of a great novel has a straight-forward screenplay, and is much easier to follow than the many circumlucations of the book's narrative. The story of Pym's father's childhood is dropped and the first of three chronolgoically presented Pyms, the child, is a bit too strange though clearly manipulative. The second Pym is a good actor without rating a wow. But the actor playing the mature Pym is great, and the second half of the filming is something very special indeed.
The movie covers many years, and a viewer should realize this is for the most part a slowly paced internal drama, and not a Bond-like adventure film.
It is also NOT a film for children or teenagers.
The film is very tough emotionally - life in this film is definitely not sugar-coated: women are especially badly treated. The main subject is human betrayal of friends, family and finally oneself.
This review is based on the Video, but hopefully should help in deciding on a purchase of the DVD.
Rating: - One of the best mini-series done for TV
An outstanding adaptation of the Le Carre's book. Long and deliberately slow moving, it may not be for everyone. Very little 'action' as such, but an exceptional character study of what makes a 'Perfect' Spy. There is a certain sadness which permeates the film, and becomes quite powerful at the end. Highly, highly recommended for those who prefer thoughtful, deliberately paced movies.
Rating: - A PERFECT SPY
A MASTERPIECE FROM ONE OF THE BEST!!
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