I’ve just come home from seeing Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy with Anthony. Despite its high acclaim, I was completely lost. Between the spy jargon, several dozen names and characters that disappeared after 10 seconds of screen time, and the unclear time transitions between the past and present sleuthing (the only key giveaway was Gary Oldman’s glasses but unless he was in the flashback, I did not have a clue) made me struggle to keep up with the film over its length.

I acknowledge the skilled acting of Oldman (who probably said only about 15 lines in the whole film,) thought that Cumberbatch had an excellent wig, and I am not afraid to admit that my lady boner forever remains strong for Mark Strong. However, I feel kind of let down. Has anyone read the book? Should I bother giving it a flick through to appreciate the film more, or should I just remain strong for Strong?