Spy vs. spies
I have a friend in his 80’s who was a CIA spy. During the Korean war, the agency dropped him behind enemy lines to do field reconnaissance. He hasn’t shared much more of it than that, but I’m hoping he’s going to. With the recent release of a new filmed version of “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy,” I got what I thought was the brilliant idea of taking him, and some other friends, to see the movie, and then out for a drink afterward where we could hear from an actual former spy what it was like to work for a spy agency during the Cold War. The only thing is, this event is proving impossible to schedule; my friend and I are both available, but we can’t seem to get a night that works for our other friends. One guy is president of his school’s PTA and has a meeting on Tuesday night; I’m watching my kids on Monday night; someone else doesn’t have Wednesday night — I don’t think James Bond ever had these problems.
Speaking of Mr. Bond, it’s worth noting that my friend has none of the qualities cinematically associated with spies. Rather than a roguish charm, he has the demeanor of an affable shoe salesman. Which, I would think, would make for a better spy: someone who could really blend in. (Not, I realize, in North Korea.)
More to follow on this, perhaps, assuming we get to see the movie.