“TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY” (2011) – 4 STARS

Bringing “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” to the big screen was a pretty tough challenge. The movie is adapted from John le Carre’s complex 1974 spy novel of the same name. In 1979 it was adapted for television in the form of a seven part mini-series. So trying to condense the story down to two hours while maintaining its tense spy thriller feel was quite an undertaking. But hats off to director Tomas Alfredson and screenwriters Bridget O’Connor and Peter Straughan for not only pulling it off but for delivering a deep and enthralling picture.

I was first attracted to “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” thanks to its stellar cast. The film features a veritable who’s who of british actors. Any movie that features the incredible talents of Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, Mark Strong, John Hurt, Toby Jones, and Ciaran hinds (who is actually Irish) is automatically off to a good start. Some of my favorite actors are in this bunch and here they really shine. Each perfectly relay the antsy Cold War paranoia that this type of movie calls for. Not one performance is disingenuous or fake. In many ways you can call this an acting clinic.

The film takes place in the early 1970’s. George Smiley (Oldman) is called back to British Intelligence, also known as “The Circus”, to root out a high level “mole” who is believed to be leaking highly classified intelligence to the Russians. One year earlier Smiley along with his boss Control (Hurt) had been forced out after a botched assignment caused the capture of an agent (Strong) in Hungary. Since Control has been removed, the Circus is being run by Percy Alleline (Jones). Working alongside Alleline is Bill Haydon (Firth), Roy Bland (Hinds), and Toby Esterhase (David Dencik). Smiley puts together a team to help find the mole. An important piece of the puzzle is an agent named Ricki Tarr (Hardy). Tarr is the one who made the allegation of a mole and may have even more information that could bring everything to light. Smiley must sift through the misdirections and false leads to find the identity of the mole and the four Circus higher-ups are prime suspects.

“Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” rewards patience. It’s a story that unfolds through a slow leak of clues and cleverly timed flashbacks. It’s a complex and layered story that requires a lot of attention and that could be what attracts many people to it (myself included). On the flip side I can see where some may be dissuaded after seeing the story as a muddled, convoluted, and almost laborious exercise. I’m not going to lie and say I completely grasped everything I was seeing. It did take a few rewinds and a little research to really put everything together. In some ways that did take away from the experience but on the other hand everything was presented. While it’s deliberate and sometimes dry, O’Connor and Straughan’s script is tight, structured, and clearly intends to make the audience work right alongside of Smiley.

Another thing you will instantly notice is the careful attention to the look and presentation of the movie. Alfredson’s direction is quite good and the mood and tone is just right. The movie is saturated with blues and greys that creates a cold, sullen atmosphere. The steel-faced agents are in a constant state of seriousness to the point that any smile automatically evokes suspicion from the audience. Oldman’s understated performance is pitch-perfect. Smiley is tired and worn but committed and resolved. His weathered poker-face hides his thoughts and intentions from the other characters and from us. Even Tom Hardy’s strange-looking blonde wig seems perfectly in tune with the picture.

This isn’t a spy movie in the same vein as James Bond or Jason Bourne. I’m certainly no expect of being a secret agent but this feels as real and grounded as any spy movie I have seen. It’s slow-moving and sometimes difficult to navigate but it’s also smart and completely engaging. It’s top-tier cast makes things even better and the movie would be worth seeing just for the wealth of acting talent involved. “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” isn’t a film for everyone. But I found myself completely invested even if it did take a little work to get the full thrust of the story.

11 thoughts on ““TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY” (2011) – 4 STARS

  1. I want to see that cast at work but I have been put off by a lot of the reviews. My dad keeps telling me the TV mini-series is much better and I think it might be worth me checking that out first to hopefully be able to enjoy the film better. Sounds um… challenging!

    • It is a little challenging. But I have to say it’s quite good. I was really impressed. Again, it’s an acting clinic by a superb cast but is also an enthralling story. It’s a slow burn but worth it.

  2. I loved this film! One of my Top 15 of 2011. It does not hold your hand, for sure–but it is an intelligent and sophisticated thriller. I said in my review that I believe THIS is what real espionage is like–a bunch of guys sitting around talking and trying ot out-think each other. Great Review!

    And oh, by the way, you may not know me but I picked your site for a Liebster Blog Award! I’ve been following you and appreciate your site! 😀

    • Wow! Thanks so much for that! I’m still trying to find more ways to make it more interesting but it means so much when people say they enjoy it. I just love the chance to talk movies with folks.

      You’re right about “Tinker”. It’s really good and personally I enjoy movies that require you to think. And as I mentioned, it’s an acting clinic. Glad you checked out the review and feel free to comment anytime.

  3. Hey Keith, nice review, I thought TTSS was once ok you get over the smell of cigarette smoke and green plaid. lol Honestly, it wasn’t that I could not follow the plot, it was just that everything was so staid and buttoned up, it started to get on my nerves. George catches Bill banging his wife and his response is a mild cringe? I just had a lot of trouble relating to some of the character responses. The exception being Tarr (Hardy) who seemed to be human.

    • I can see where you’re coming from. I think several people probably share your opinion. I really responded to the characters and felt they relayed the tense, paranoid, and not particularly forthcoming personalities that you would see in those environments. But I’ve talked to those who had different reactions.

      Thanks for the comments and I appreciate you checking out the review. Hope to see you around here again! 🙂

      • Keith I have been here a few times I think its my new gravatar throwing you off. Our blog is at 3guys1movie and I know you have been there a few times. 🙂

Leave a Reply

Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in:

WordPress.com Logo

You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. Log Out /  Change )

Facebook photo

You are commenting using your Facebook account. Log Out /  Change )

Connecting to %s