This film starts out with infinite potential and then flounders into mediocrity with a script that isn't enough to challenge the mind of someone watching their first thriller. The whole concept of involving an ordinary guy in a deep international intrigue isn't novel and in this case it isn't done well at all.
It's just completely stupid to think that even a lousy intelligence service would involve complete amateurs to pull off a delicate bit of work yet in this story they do it again and again. I guess they needed to justify having the leading roles around for more than a couple scenes. After one chance meeting with the mob accountant they most certainly wouldn't risk having the amateur anywhere near their target the second time in Bern. It's just too preposterous.
The truth is that the novels of Le Carré almost never translate well on film. His best chance at a good movie was The Little Drummer Girl and they f-ed that up quite a bit in the casting. This story was doomed from the start.
It's truly amazing to me how much money and effort went into the making of such a mediocre film.
It's just completely stupid to think that even a lousy intelligence service would involve complete amateurs to pull off a delicate bit of work yet in this story they do it again and again. I guess they needed to justify having the leading roles around for more than a couple scenes. After one chance meeting with the mob accountant they most certainly wouldn't risk having the amateur anywhere near their target the second time in Bern. It's just too preposterous.
The truth is that the novels of Le Carré almost never translate well on film. His best chance at a good movie was The Little Drummer Girl and they f-ed that up quite a bit in the casting. This story was doomed from the start.
It's truly amazing to me how much money and effort went into the making of such a mediocre film.