A Perfect Spy

Based on the novel by John Le Carré, this 1987 BBC miniseries represents one of the better screen adaptations of the perennial bestselling author's spy stories. 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 brotherhood of spies by the aptly-named master himself, Jack Brotherhood (Alan Howard), Pym exhibits—over a period of years—preternatural abilities that elevate him to the top of his field…but not without tremendous cost to his personal life. Le Carre's sprawling saga plays out over more than six hours, and 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 age. In his hands Pym is a charming rogue, albeit one called upon to do some frightening and despicable things. Although the image quality is so-so and the only DVD extras are text biographies, this is still bound to be greatly appreciated by Le Carré fans and is highly recommended. (E. Hulse)