This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Arts & Entertainment

Spies, Stars at the Rafael Film Center

"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy," a new film version of John LeCarré's Cold War classic, is among three local film events this week

Fans of spy novels, spy films and Gary Oldman will find plenty to applaud on Tuesday night when the new feature film version of “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” screens at .

It is one of three major film events at the theater this week, including screenings of the Academy Award-winning “The Help” (2010) and the breakthrough war comedy “M*A*S*H” (1970).

The event is made doubly notable by the presence of , who stars as career spy George Smiley, and director Tomas Alfredson, both of whom will answer questions at the screening. The event begins at 7 p.m. and it is sold out; iff seats become available, they will be sold to patrons in the “Rush” line on a first come, first served basis.

Find out what's happening in San Rafaelwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

The film is based on the 1973 best-seller by John LeCarré, who also penned “The Spy Who Came In from the Cold” among a number of other novels of sophisticated espionage. It was previously made into a television mini-series starring Alec Guinness in the lead role, which aired on BBC in 1979, and later that same year on PBS in the States.

This time the role of Smiley is taken on by Oldman, the English actor who has played types from punk icon Sid Vicious to composing genius Beethoven, assassin Lee Harvey Oswald to Tom Stoppard’s Rosencranz. Lately the 53-year old actor has been moving away from borderline psychotics to more sympathetic characters such as Sirius Black in the Harry Potter films.

Find out what's happening in San Rafaelwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Director Alfredson’s breakthrough film was “Let the Right One In,” a psychological mystery about a child neighbor who turns out to be a vampire. He has directed a number of other movies for TV and theatrical release in his native Sweden.

John LeCarré is the pen name of David Cornwell, a former member of the British Secret Service (MI5 and MI6). Cornwell based “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” on the betrayal of double agent Kim Philby, who along with at least three other Cambridge students were recruited during World War II and continued to spy for the USSR into the next decade.

Ironically, Cornwell himself – already a successful novelist – had to resign from MI6 when his cover was exposed by Philby. The author used the term "the Circus" to describe the inner circle of the espionage agency.

Also in the all-star cast are reliable English actors Colin Firth, John Hurt and Toby Jones, as well as Tom Hardy (“Inception”) and Ciarán Hinds.

The screening is one of several high-profile events at the theater in days to come, including a special screening of “The Help” on Thursday, with actors Viola Davis and Octavia Spencer as well as director Tate Taylor in attendance.

On Sunday, Nov. 20, actor Elliott Gould appears in conversation with congressional candidate and writer Norman Solomon in a special screening of “M*A*S*H,” the film version directed by Robert Altman.

For more information or advance ticket sales, go to the Smith Rafael Film Center box office or online at www.cafilm.org

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?