Don't run away only because the genre is "conspiracy thriller". It is deliciously bleak, swinging from horrifying to morbidly hilarious on a whim, but without whiplash. The conflict is not a black vs. white cliche, since the "good guys" are everymen in almost every sense of the word and the "bad guys" do what they do out of genuine concern for the world. Nobody really trusts eachother, and to be frank, it's only natural that they don't.

Did I mention the wonderful production values yet? It may as well have been a German indie film, with all the saturated colors and haunting electronic soundtrack. Possibly the best looking/sounding TV show after Breaking Bad. 

Never seen the movie so I can't tell how similar the series is, but I can tell you it is wonderful. Probably prefer it to True Detective. It's a very neatly told tale about temptation, consequences of a lone wolf passing by through a peaceful countryside, and a timid man's descent into his true asshole self. 

Oh yes but does it have that quaint, subtle humour of Fargo? Bet it doesn't.

Just watched "Now You See Me", I thought it really good, and I didn't pick the ending. 

First I must say I really love Cohen movies. Among them, Fargo is one of my faves. I saw it several times and I was in serious doubt about that series. Let me say this. Go for it without hesitation! It's a masterpiece! Same gritty humour, same snow, same 'local people wit behind apparent dumbness'. A special reward goes to the script and acting. The leads are just fantastic: B.B. Thornton, Martin Freeman (best character yet, imo), Colin Hanks (just perfect)... I could go on that way but, long story short, I you liked Fargo, the movie, you gonna LOVE the series! 

Fargo is lovely, great Cohen stuff.
I cant compare it to True Detective though
They are both very good but to me very different

I dont know why, I really have this feeling a lot of people although really liking True Detective are missing some things/layers about it which make it something really really very special. 

Martin Freeman (best character yet, imo)

I only started watching Fargo because of Freeman and now I can't see him as anybody else but as Lester. 

havent seen it yet though, waiting for the blu ray. 

have you seen s2 of Utopia or just s1? Just wondering if s2 is one the same level. 

Most people disagree but yeah, it's just as good as the first. The season premiere in particular is a peach of an episode. 

I've heard people say that the latest episode was the weakest one overall, while IMO it was miles better than 1x02 which nearly made me give up on the series wholesale. 

quaint, subtle is very much how I'd describe TV Fargo's humor. 

<@Vigil> hmmh
<@Vigil> Edge of Tomorrow
<@Vigil> The Grand Budapest Hotel
<@skacky> grnad budapest hotel is excellent
<@Vigil> Borgman
<@negke> you can watch us derp daikatana episode 4
<@Vigil> Snowpiercer
<@Vigil> Only God Forgives
<@skacky> ^
<@skacky> though ogf is super slow
<Melonbler> did i mention that Edge Of Tomorrow was fucking great?
<FuckBlerDaz> yeah looking forward to that
<FuckBlerDaz> ps fuck you
<@skacky> but only god forgives has to be one of the most visually beautiful movies I've ever seen tbh
<@skacky> every shot is a piece of art
<@skacky> reminded me of suspiria somehow with the choice of colors 

Enemy (2013) is from the director of Prisoners, so I was intrigued. Turned out to be shit. You have to love researching, interpreting and overanalysing movies to like this one I guess. Overly dramatic 50s horror flick movie that was more annoying than effective. Overly dramatic everything. Pretty architectural shots in dirty yellow though. 

Your dismissal only makes me want to see it more! 

http://i.imgur.com/E9cQqNh.png 

Long, slow and complicated espionage film focused on institutional rivalries and intelligence methods, very well-cast, especially Philip Seymour Hoffman (RIP, great performance here as usual), Willem Dafoe (perfect casting), and Rachel McAdams (also convincing and sympathetic). Despite being confusing and slow especially around about the 2/3 mark, it pays off with an intense ending. The director is really good at filming urban environments; the portrayal of Hamburg and the way it was shot kind of reminded me of the way they show London in "Luther." 

I thought it was great, very Tinker Tailoresque despite the more modern setting. So I would say if you liked that you should like this and if you didnt, you might still like this as it is a little more accessible but more chance of having the same reaction.

Snowpiercer on the other hand was wildly chaotic in both a good and bad way. Still not sure what to make of it. 

I liked season 1 in spite of (because of) its soap-operatic elements.
Watched the first couple episodes of season 2 and was kind of turned off for a number of reasons - didn't find the cases all that compelling, found the whole caretaker scenario stilted and meh.

worth picking up again? 

yes, if only because Season 2 episode 3 and 4 feature some of the best criminals in the series (and, aside from Idris Elba's great performance, it's the criminals that make the show entertaining). Season 3 continues the same general declining quality (some predictable moments / bad writing, but same positive elements - unique criminals and Idris Elba - heh). With short seasons (4 episodes each) I'd say it's worth finishing the series.

Tinker Tailor I actually didn't like; it was indeed similar to A Most Wanted Man in being slow and confusing, but at the end of Tinker Tailor I actually didn't understand most of what happened, whereas this movie ended in a way that really tied everything together and explained it, no matter how frustrating. Tinker Tailor did have its moments though, like Oldman's speech on the Russian head guy's silence (a hardcore dedicated soviet... "some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money...." lol). 

and I am super pumped about A Most Wanted Man.

It's funny, I've never actually read one of Le Carre's novels. At the rate they're being adapted I guess I should just for the lit cred.

another one coming up:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1995390/

Could be a good one. Kind of an odd director/screenwriter combo: Director of Nanny McPhee, and the screenwriter's filmography is just all over the place, re genre AND quality. 

dense maybe, but not confusing.

Drew, if you dont mind older films, I think the best Le Carre adaptation is The Spy Who Came in From the Cold, a 60s film.

Oh, and Luther is worth watching all the way through :) 

seen it, loved it.
What others are there? Are there any I should outright avoid? 

there is The Tailor of Panama although that is more of a satire than a straight Le Carre adaptation, but well worth watching. There is also The Constant Gardener although the novel was atypical Le Carre and the movie basically relegates the conspiracy stuff to the sidelines and focuses on the central relationship. It's a fine film though.

Apart from those, there are also The Russia House and The Little Drummer Girl. I'm not a fan of either but they are still quite watchable. 

Tinker Tailor I actually didn't like; it was indeed similar to A Most Wanted Man in being slow and confusing

TTSS managed the amazing feat of using time compression editing to such a degree that it was easy to get bewilderingly lost, while still seeming to move unbelievably slowly.

Luther

LOOFAH