Our Kind of Traitor (2016)

Not the best big-screen adaptation of a John LeCarre novel but even a second-rate LeCarre offers its pleasures. The plot of "Our Kind of Traitor" may be a tad far-fetched but then the plots of most good spy yarns often are. The Cold War having ended it's the Russian Mafia who take centre-stage here and as the Russian oligarch who wants to defect Stellan Skarsgard is one of the best things in the picture. Indeed, it's well cast throughout, (Damian Lewis is particularly good as a cynical MI6 operative), and typically there is some nice location work nicely shot by DoP Anthony Dod Mantle. If the director Sussana White doesn't do anything particularly innovative with the material at least she doesn't muck things up. Minor, then, but also surprisingly entertaining, too.

I watched it last night. I expected a spy story, with such a cast ,a sophisticated spy story. If I can imagine a scenario that fits just what I saw, I would say its just as if an amateur writer was asked to have a crack at a spy story. Listed before the writer were several plotlines that had to be fulfilled, including a certain kind of ending. Using that information just go ahead and do your best with the development of the story. The characters were not developed so as to have any sort of opinion about anything that happened to them. The disjointed plot just dragged all the players toward a contrived pre ordained ending. It wasn't enjoyable because the characters, plot, and story development were not consistent with each other. Sometimes spy stories can be puzzlingly complex, but this one was puzzlingly amateurish.

Naomi Harris but it seemed the males were not vert strong personalities. It was a decent rendering then again it seemed like a contract obligation by Le Carre towards what contract he currently has with what publisher. The action wasn't the problem as much as the sub plot was bare bones.. As many have stated a fairly predictable plot. For me it was akin to 'the Night Manager' then again perhaos tis was Le Carre 'borrowing' heavily from that script to flesh out a 6 episode series for Tom Huddleston, Hugh Laurie et. al..Daniel Lewis was at his best - controlled but believable. The best rendition of a Le Carre was the old 'Tinker Tailor Solider Spy' with Alec Guiness 'because' it had the luxury of stretching out the plot over 7 episodes nearly 40 years ago (1979).

It's sad that the UK always seems to revert to dealing in dubious economics whenever its more traditional industries flounder. Elizabeth I sent out so-called privateers who were really just pirates and now the UK is hosting dirty money from all over the planet. This story has had little play in the movies probably because no one wants to stop the money train. But this movie is a refreshing attempt to rectify all that and that in itself is worth the price of admission.Just as cinema, Stellan Skarsgard, Damian Lewis and Ewan McGregor give memorable performances that treat the subject matter with the seriousness it deserves. Damian Lewis is particularly effective as the spymaster who is trying to expose corruption at the highest levels. One scene near the end where the bespectacled spymaster is home cooking made me immediately envy his gorgeous London pad, and the location shots are just something extra that you'll likely enjoy.There's plenty of action in this thriller but the best thing about it is the choice of an unusual villain the financial district in London called The City. True, the script could have used a little tuning up but it is all clear enough by the credits.