Although you may not know the name John Cornwell, his pen name is synonymous with the spy thriller genre – John le Carré.

Under that name he has written 26 books, many of which were not only international bestsellers but also adapted for the stage and screen.

This film by Errol Morris not only features a very rare, in depth interview with the man, but it also happened to be his last, before his death in 2020 at the age of 89.

This film by Errol Morris not only features a very rare, in depth interview with the man, but it also happened to be his last, before his death in 2020 at the age of 89.

Cornwell spent a number of years working for British intelligence, in both MI5 and MI6, which is no doubt where the germs for his gritty spy thrillers came from. But as the film reveals, his success as a spy can be directly connected to his childhood.

His father Ronnie was a con-man, which led to the family spending a lot of time on the road, avoiding the trouble that Ronnie left behind. It was a life that John’s mother couldn’t cope with, who chose to leave the family unit when John was only five. He wouldn’t see her again until he was 21. So after watching his father in action, it’s no wonder he became a spy.

Morris is hugely fortunate to have been able to spend so much one to one time with the author, and you can tell from his line of questioning that there’s a sense of rapport and respect between the two.

But at the same time, you also get the feeling that perhaps the director is still a little weary about his subject, and considering his long history in intelligence, it’s understandable.

And as fascinating as the documentary is, don’t be surprised if you come away with it still somewhat in the dark about his life. There is no detail about his relationship with his brother, who also had to put up with his father’s antics, and there is nothing at all mentioned about his private life. So as many times as he proffers that he’s an open book and that he will answer any question as honestly as ‘he can’, there is a sense that what we have here is just skimming the surface.

To illustrate the drama in his life, Morris creates filmic scenes, which if they weren’t from his own life, could easily be lifted from the pages from one of his novels. More than anything they prove that Cornwell’s stranger-than-fiction life is premium material for a film itself, featuring the kind of twists and turns his fellow thriller writers would die for.

It’s certainly the kind of documentary that leaves you curious for more, but then you wouldn’t expect an ex-spy to dish all the dirt now would you?

What Morris does achieve is to give his subject the kind of platform that audiences can lap up, delivering the kind of warm and charming personality that holds their attention throughout, and like the best authors, have them hanging on his every word.

It may not give you the kind of in depth insight into the man’s life hoped for, but there’s enough there to come away very much coloured intrigued from time spent with this creative force, giving off the kind of enigmatic presence usually associated with many of his characters.