The New Republic

The New Republic

Tinker, Tailor, Boredom, Why? The first season of Showtime’s suspenseful television series “Homeland” came to a controversial close this past Sunday evening, and Tomas Alfredson’s film “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” has been released recently to lukewarm praise. Both, are recent successful, high-profile spy thrillers. But do their portrayals of intelligence communities really get spy games right? Read TNR film critic David Thomson on why so much is lost in translation in Hollywood’s attempts to depict intelligence communities, here. Photo courtesy of USA Weekend.
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Tinker, Tailor, Boredom, Why?

The first season of Showtime’s suspenseful television series “Homeland” came to a controversial close this past Sunday evening, and Tomas Alfredson’s film “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” has been released recently to lukewarm praise.

Both, are recent successful, high-profile spy thrillers. But do their portrayals of intelligence communities really get spy games right?

Read TNR film critic David Thomson on why so much is lost in translation in Hollywood’s attempts to depict intelligence communities, here.

Photo courtesy of USA Weekend.

CNN and the others gained, and, every time I chose to eavesdrop on the court, I had to endure a dirge-like ad for Google as a portal, and the prospect of most internet and cable sites being jammed with incessant, arid chatter on the case. Watching Casey only helped reveal how far attending—attempting to be part of our world—is a drug that deadens participation and understanding. Nothing is served by such trials except bolstering these feeble channels and excusing them from reporting news. The internet has actually deterred us from that demanding project. The global village it boasts of is a prison block where the conditions of servitude are ignorance, anonymity, and indifference. As Casey Anthony starts that life sentence she’ll be looking for a make-over. And, after our latest “ultimate reality show,” can we admit that our sense of reality has been undermined in advance of the economy, the weather, and the experience of “disaster”?
Zoom

CNN and the others gained, and, every time I chose to eavesdrop on the court, I had to endure a dirge-like ad for Google as a portal, and the prospect of most internet and cable sites being jammed with incessant, arid chatter on the case. Watching Casey only helped reveal how far attending—attempting to be part of our world—is a drug that deadens participation and understanding. Nothing is served by such trials except bolstering these feeble channels and excusing them from reporting news. The internet has actually deterred us from that demanding project. The global village it boasts of is a prison block where the conditions of servitude are ignorance, anonymity, and indifference. As Casey Anthony starts that life sentence she’ll be looking for a make-over. And, after our latest “ultimate reality show,” can we admit that our sense of reality has been undermined in advance of the economy, the weather, and the experience of “disaster”?