In Melena Ryzik's "A Word With ... Gary Oldman," the Oscar-nominated star of TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY talks about his career and life. It's a fun interview that dives into Oldman skill in playing bad guys and his desire to do some comedy. At one point, he defines the character of George Smiley in relationship to his more high-octane characters in terms of music.

There was something about  George. He did wonders for my blood pressure. [In my] career playing characters who - they burn from the first bar, they're like rock 'n' roll, and to me George is jazz. You slowly work to the solo.

On February 16, Gary Oldman talked with the AFI about TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY and why the role of George Smiley was the perfect part at the perfect time. See the clip here.

In his post, "TINKER TAILOR once more: Tradecraft," film scholar David Bordwell has dug deep into the structure and style of John le Carré and the narrative strategies deployed in TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY - both novel and film - to highlight some fascinating connections between storytelling and spying. It becomes clear that TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY's enigmatic structure is in perfect sync with the complicated hunt for a mole that is at the story's center. At one point, Bordwell analyzes in depth the scene in which Peter Guillam attempts to steal a file from the Circus, and how what we see only tells us part of the story. The other part is conveyed by what we hear, but don't right away connect ...

In USA Today, Elysa Gardner's article, "No Beginner: Christopher Plummer Could Win His First Oscar," surveys the magnificent career of the actor now up for an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for his role in Mike Mills' BEGINNERS. Plummer, ever gracious, points out how many great actors didn't get Oscar buzz till late in his career, if at all: "If you look back, men like Claude Rains were nominated (for an Academy Award) but never won. ... And Charlie Chaplin didn't get one until he was 83. Can you believe that?" But while much of the article points the spotlight on Plummer, he redirects the attention to the film, explaining, "I'm thrilled if, in any way, (my) winning some awards and being nominated here will help bring it back into people's minds." Plummer, in defining his part, explains: "Hal is a man who is determined to have fun; he's so relieved and fulfilled to finally be out in the open. He's shocked when he learns he's going to die, but he recovers. It's a terribly human little story, and a rather important one."

In the Los Angeles Times "L.A. at Home" section, David A. Keeps's interview with set decorator Coryander Friend "Set Pieces: The Neutra house in Mike Mills' BEGINNERS" takes a tour of the architecture landmark that houses Hal (Oscar-nominated Christopher Plummer). As the piece explains, "Hal lives in the Lovell Health House, the 1927 modernist masterpiece in the International Style by architect Richard Neutra." (To learn about other L.A. landmarks, see our video "Los Angeles For BEGINNERS.") Friend goes on to explain the way they matched the architecture and décor with the character of Hal, and where they got the interiors for the set...

In the Daily Beast, Lorenza Muñoz sits down with TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY's Oscar nominees Gary Oldman and Pater Straughan to talk about the film. The screenwriter and the actor dissect five key scenes from the film: (1) George Smiley telling Peter Guillam (Benedict Cumberbatch); (2) Smiley finding Bill Haydon (Colin Firth) at his house; (3) Ricki Tarr (Tom Hardy) confessing all to Smiley; (4) Smiley with the hilarious Connie Sachs (Kathy Burke); (5) Smiley with Toby Esterhase (David Dencik) on the airfield. Fascinating stuff. For the Esterhase scene, Oldman comments:

It was something ridiculous like a 2,000-millimeter lens. We are on the airfield and they were miles and miles away. The crew looked like ants from where we were standing. The lens crushes all the depth of field. The plane stopped a good hundred meters from where we are standing but it looks like it is going to decapitate us. And Esterhase is all panicked. It worked rather well. I think David forgot his line.

Time Magazine recently put together their gallery of Great Performances with a few lovely shots of recent Focus Features stars, including Christopher Plummer, Adepero Oduye, Michael Fassbender and Jessica Chastain. You can see a slide show of all the stars, luminously shot by Sebastian Kim, here.  In addition there is a series of videos, including one from BEGINNER's Oscar-nominated Christopher Plummer and PARIAH's Adepero Oduye. 

The now famed spectacles that Gary Oldman wore as George Smiley TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY can now be yours -- if you win the auction. The glasses have been donated for a charity auction through the Variety Foundation and its "CharityBuzz" page. The auction will begin imminently at www.CharityBuzz.com, and closes on Monday, February 27th. The glasses, which were fundamental for Oldman building his characterization of George Smiley, were found by the actor while in California, after a long search by director Tomas Alfredson and costume designer Jacqueline Durran for just the right pair.

For full details, see the press release.

Gary Oldman’s Glasses From His Academy Award-Nominated Performance In TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY Being Auctioned Off For Charity Through The Variety Foundation

The 2012 Orange British Academy Awards (aka the BAFTAs) were handed out on Sunday 12 February at London's Royal Opera House. And Focus Features took home 3 BAFTAs. TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY won Outstanding British Film (with prizes going to Tomas Alfredson, Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Robyn Slovo, Bridget O'Connor, Peter Straughan). See the videos of the Award being received here. And BAFTA for Adapted Screenplay went to TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY's Bridget O'Connor & Peter Straughan (who are also nominated for an Academy Award in the same category). Continuing his winning streak, Christopher Plummer won the Best Supporting Actor BAFTA for his performance in Mike Mills' BEGINNERS. See the complete list of winners here.

Out of Sundance 2012, Focus Features has acquired fest favorite FOR A GOOD TIME, CALL..., a debut comedy from director Jamie Travis with a star-studded cast and a hilarious set up. The film, written by Lauren Anne Miller & Katie Anne Naylon, focuses on two women -- Lauren (Lauren Anne Miller) and Katie (Ari Graynor) -- who, short on cash, decide to share a New York apartment together. When Lauren realizes that Katie works as at-home phone-sex operator, she decides to join in, and the two  create a profitable business and lasting friendship. The cast also includes Justin Long, Mark Webber, James Wolk, and Nia Vardalos. Focus CEO James Schamus commented, "The FOR A GOOD TIME... team have crafted that rarest of combinations -- a wildly funny comedy that's also a genuine and heartfelt celebration of friendship and love. We're so proud to join them in bringing to the world a film that not only lifted its cheering audiences at Sundance to their feet, but lifted our spirits, too."  For full info, go to the official Press Release.

Point Foundation, the nation's largest scholarship-granting organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) students of merit, is set to honor Focus Features at this year's Point Honors New York gala on April 16, 2012. Accepting the Point Inspiration Award will be Focus Features CEO James Schamus and President Andrew Karpen.

"The ethos of Focus Features and its films - celebrating diverse experiences, questioning the norm, promoting intellectual curiosity and creative expression - are the same qualities we encourage in our Point Scholars," said Jorge Valencia, Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer of Point Foundation. "Films like MILK and PARIAH speak to the values of diversity and empowerment Focus shares with Point and the LGBT community. It is so important that young people have an opportunity to watch films like these, where maybe they can for the first time find representations of themselves on the screen, and come away awed and inspired."

Focus Featurs has made and distributed such ground breaking work as Ang Lee's BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN and Gus Van Sant's MILK, as well as recently releasing such powerful LGBT-themed words as Lisa Cholodenko's THE KIDS ARE ALL RIGHT, Mike Mills' BEGINNERS (with Christopher Plummer being Oscar-nominated for playing a dad who comes out later in life), and Dee Rees' PARIAH. Other great LGBT-themed Focus films include Todd Haynes' FAR FROM HEAVEN, François Ozon's 8 WOMEN, and Pawel Pawlikowski's MY SUMMER OF LOVE. And FOCUS WORLD has James Franco's THE BROKEN TOWER available for digital distribution. Prior to co-founding Focus, CEO James Schamus was involved in a number of groundbreaking LGBT films, as Executive Producer of Todd Haynes's Poison and Tom Kalin's Swoon; and as Producer and co-screenwriter of Ang Lee's The Wedding Banquet.

For complete info, see our press release.

-  Company Heads Will Receive Award at Gala April 16 Event in NYC -

With MOONRISE KINGDOM ahead, Video DJ kogonada spins together a lovely concoction of scenes, all shot from above, from Wes Anderson films, set to Jonathan Elias' song "More to See."

TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY Co-Screenwriter Peter Straughan joins Larry Mantle of KPCC to talk about the travails and triumphs of adapting John le Carré's classic spy novel. On the KPCC site, there's a podcast of the radio show with Mr. Straughan talking about the complexity of adapting the complicated spy yarn and le Carré's enthusiasm for the project, as well as the tragedy of losing his wife and co-screenwriter, Bridget O'Connor, to cancer right before the film went into production. Great stuff.

In "Spy Work," a profile/interview of TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY's Oscar-nominated Gary Oldman in LA, the Los Angeles Times Sunday Magazine, Eric Estrin talks with the actor about his life and work. With photographs by Andrew Macpherson. The piece starts with an amazing story about how Oldman was beaten up by real punks on the set of Sid & Nancy, and then moves forward in time to Oldham wrestling with himself over taking the role of George Smiley in TINKER, especially after Alec Guinness had made the character  so famous. Oldman recalls, "That stopped me from committing to the project immediately. I had to slay the dragon in my head for about a month before I said yes." Lucky for us, the the part of him who wanted the role won.

In a lovely little video, the very chic writer/director of PARIAH, Dee Rees, talks to Italian Vogue about the film, herself and the path she took to get PARIAH on the screen. See the whole video here.

The funny NPR show "Wait, Wait, Don't Tell Me" recently invited TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY's Oscar-nominated Gary Oldman to join in. In the "Not My Job" section, where they ask celebrities to answer question about subjects they know nothing about, Mr. Oldman was asked three questions about the shiny, happy singing group Up With People. Test your knowledge, and then listen to the whole show at the "Wait, Wait" site. Here is one of the questions from host Peter Sagal:

The first Up With People concert at Mackinaw Island had a very unexpected act. Was it, A: Glenn Close, the actress, singing her own composition "The Happy Song." B: the young Vincent Furnier, soon to be known as Alice Cooper? Or C: the two year old Michael Stipe of REM mumbling happy birthday?

Cinema pundit David Poland delivers TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY's Oscar-nominated Gary Oldman in a very rich and expansive video as part of his DP/30 series. Oldman ranges about working, his career, public expectations and why TINKER, TAILOR was such a good movie. As one comment put it, "I could listen to this man talk for hours."

In case you doubt the dramatic power of TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY's Oscar-nominated Gary Oldman, you need only see his tour de force reading of the "Jersey Shore" episode recap on Jimmy Kimmel Live. Snooki has never sounded so intriguing. You can see the whole show on Jimmy Kimmel's site.