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This 1987 BBC miniseries, based on the novel by John le Carré, is thought by many aficionados to be the best screen adaptation of a work by this perennially bestselling author of spy stories. The exceptionally well made production is among the finest of its type. A Perfect Spy doesn't preoccupy itself with extraneous cloak-and-dagger stuff; at heart it's a character study, a portrait of a man whose enormous capacity for guile, deception, and self-delusion make him particularly well suited to the life of a secret agent. Magnus Pym (Peter Egan) has grown up practicing the dubious art of duplicity, which he mastered at the knee of his rapscallion father (Ray McAnally). Recruited into the fraternity of spies by the master himself, Jack Brotherhood (Alan Howard), Pym over a period of years exhibits preternatural abilities that elevate him to the top of his field -- but not without tremendous cost to his personal life. Le Carré's sprawling narrative occupies more than six hours of screen time, but the story is so crammed with plot, incident, and character interplay that it never becomes tedious or repetitive. The narrative calls for Egan to age some 55 years, a feat he accomplishes handily thanks to convincing makeup and a subtle exhibition of the physical and emotional changes wrought by the passage of years. In his hands Pym is a charming rogue, albeit one called upon to do some frightening and despicable things. In general tone le Carré's story is, like so many of his yarns, cold and cynical -- but it translates into unusually fascinating screen fare nonetheless. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

Acclaimed British spy novelist John Le Carre's most personal tale, A Perfect Spy focuses on British Foreign Service operative Magnus Pym (Peter Egan). Inspired by his relationship with his own father, a noted con man and shady operator, Le Carre sets Pym emotionally and morally off course, his evolved skills of deception and duplicity eventually leading him down the path to treason. This 1988 BBC production features Ray McAnally as Pym's father, Rick; Rüdiger Weigang as Axel, his contact on the other side; and Alan Howard as Jack Brotherhood, his main ally at "The Firm." Filmed on location in England, Europe, and the U.S., the six-episode A Perfect Spy originally aired in the U.S. as part of Masterpiece Theatre's fall '88 schedule. This DVD edition includes the full BBC cut of the miniseries, with footage snipped from its U.S. broadcasts. Hal Erickson

Product Details

• UPC: 054961853991
• Source: ACORN MEDIA
• Language: English
• Time: 6:30:00
• Sales Rank: 14,811

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