Review: 'Our Kind of Traitor' brings smarts to the spy game
Posted Tuesday, October 18, 2016 at 3:57 PM Central
Last updated Tuesday, October 18, 2016 at 3:58 PM Central
by John Couture
If there's one thing that is absolutely true in this world, it's that John le Carré is a much better writer than he ever was as a spy. The British author of over 20 espionage novels has a leg up on his fellow spy hacks in that he actually lived the life of his protagonists, at least for a little bit.
After a successful first novel, he came to the conclusion that writing paid better and you are less likely to meet a deadly end during an author's meet and greet than on whatever assignment he was given by the Secret Intelligence Service. Interestingly, it seems that Hollywood is finally starting to show an appreciation for his high-brow, well-written spy stories over the gloss and explosions that James Bond is more known for.
The recent remake Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy featured a spectacular cast and a well-written taut cat-and-mouse game that was quite satisfying. Of course, those with little patience complained that the slow pace was boring and middling, but I found it to be a welcome respite from the wham, bam, thank you spy pace that most espionage films get sucked into these days.
Earlier this year, I was fortunate to review the limited series The Night Manager, also based on a John le Carré novel. Interestingly, there are many parallels between The Night Manager and Our Kind of Traitor, such as the use of a fish-out-of-water protagonist, but they both stand apart on their merits.
While The Night Manager was best served by the extended running time that a limited series allows, Our Kind of Traitor is perfectly told in its 108 minutes.
While stars Ewan McGregor and Naomie Harris are serviceable as a couple trying to mend their relationship that find themselves mixed up in an international spy operation, the real standouts for me were Damian Lewis and Stellan Skarsgard.
Damian has been so spectacular for so long with an American accent in Homeland and various other films, that I almost forgot that he was British. After I got over the shock of his native accent, I noticed that he commanded the film each time that he was onscreen and the story is truly his arc as he moves from hardened career politician to a man with a conscience. This deft maneuver takes place right in front of our eyes, but it's not until the end that we truly appreciate the subtle shift and its message that is as much applicable now as it was when the novel was written in 2010.
As for Stellan Skarsgard, he is uniformly spectacular in his roles, but this one was quite a bit of a departure for him. I don't think I've seen him play a Russian before and yet, he is quite convincing as a Russian Mafia money man. Instead of playing Dima as a one-note character, he has a lot of depth that really helps to sell the main thrust of the story. Without his performance, I fear that we wouldn't really care what happened to Dima and his family, thus undermining the entire film.
If you're a fan of le Carré's work, then I'm sure you are already aware of this film. But, if you're a fan of smart espionage thrillers, then I would recommend that you seek out Our Kind of Traitor and enjoy its tight twists and turns.
