A Most Wanted Man *****

With the release this week of Philip Seymour Hoffman’s last film ‘A Most Wanted Man’, Declan Burke takes a look at the most influential spy films ever made

Alan Furst

Thrillers

The Spy Who Came In From the Cold was published 50 years ago and redefined a genre. Declan Burke on the genius of John le Carré.

Gary Oldman said the role of George Smiley “would be the perfect casting” for winning his first Oscar.

THRILLER writer John Le Carre has asked that his name be withdrawn from the shortlist for the Man Booker International Prize, disappointing judges who said they admired his work.

IN a world where so many people so viciously elbow for their 15 seconds of fame it is almost unheard of that a person should make a conscious decision to step away from the red carpets and the attendant burlesque.

John Le Carre

British star Rachel Weisz won the best supporting actress Oscar today for her performance in The Constant Gardener.

WESTERNER will start a warm favourite to confirm his status as the best stayer in Europe when he bids for back-to-back victories in the Prix Royal-Oak at Longchamp tomorrow.

Ralph Fiennes is to star in the film adaptation of John Le Carre's thriller The Constant Gardener, according to reports in Hollywood.

John le Carre, the British author of such classic Cold War thrillers as The Spy Who Came In From the Cold, is basing part of his next novel on the recent war against Iraq.