When a disgraced spy surfaces with information concerning a double agent at the top of the British secret service, George Smiley (Gary Oldman), an ex-MI6 agent, is drawn back into the murky field of espionage.
Oldman's A Smiler
Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy is a thriller drama set in the cold war. Somehow the Russians are getting information about England and their plans, someone has been turned and is it left at the feet of George Smiley to find out who, but the real question is, will this throwback movie be James Bond or Jonny English?
Tinker, Tailor (as I will be calling it for the rest of the review) was a 1974 book, a 1979 T.V. Series and a 1988 book, but what is Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy doing in the cinemas?
What is it doing is causing somewhat of a storm, much like The Kings Speech from earlier this year, everyone has greatly underestimated the power of British cinema and Brit films, it shouldn't really come as a surprise considered we are the country behind Trainspotting, Billy Elliot and more. British cinema has always had a history of creating "sleeper" films, those movies no one really thinks anything of, until they are released. We also have a long history of making great spy dramas, and in truth Tinker Tailor is the latest in both.
There are no explosions or car chases, it has no need for such frivolous sequences; even though the film could be seen as a thriller there are very few thrills to be had. The movie is carried on the weight of it's talent and the sum of it's parts, and this is where it first succeeds.
The movie is directed by Tomas Alferdson (also behind Let The Right One In). Now, here is a man who knows how to shoot a movie, he knows how to capture a moment and create a mood, and capture he does, what Alferdson doesn't know is how to do is maintain tension for prolonged periods of time, and while the overall feel of Tinker Tailor is one of built momentum, at times the film just feels far to drawn out.
It's a difficult balance to strike because just as quickly as you could classify the film as "boring" you could also call it "paced" because Tinker Tailor is very much a slow burn, Alferdson has no fear of letting a single scene last 3 or 4 minuets or to hold the camera in one position for prelonged periods of time, but then with a cast like this who can blame him?
I'm fairly confident in saying that Gary Oldman is fast becoming the new Michael Cane, in as much as he can literally do any part and make it look both incredible and captivating. You can tell that Oldman is enjoying playing the reserved and controlled Smiley, and it reflects just how far he has come as an actor, the days of Lost In Space are truly behind him. The cast are truly all top draw talents and each bring their A game, even parts that are strongly limited like John Hurts Control, each one makes every moment count, and it's great to see Kathy Burke, Tobey Jones, Peter Gulliam and Mark Strong being given roles that suit for their talents. It's interesting to see that Benedict Cumberbatch (as great s he is) could easily be mistaken Paddy Considine, I'll let you decide if that is a compliment or an insult. Also, I still can't quite work out why Tom Hardy turns up playing to all intents and purposes Jamie Oliver.
Tinker, Tailor is a hard film to balance, I've heard many say it's just too complex, but then if it was simplified would people criticise it for being too simplistic and not staying true to the original novel?
In the end, Tinker, Tailor is a strong throwback spy thriller that is more akin to The 39 Steps than anything for the last few years, it is the alternative James Bond, the one that could be real.
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Please note this is a region B Blu-ray and will require a region B or region free Blu-ray player in order to play. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spyfinds George Smiley (Gary Oldman), a recently retired MI6 agent, doing his best to adjust to a life outside the secret service. However, when a disgraced agent reappears with information concerning a mole at the heart of the service, Smiley is drawn back into the murky field of espionage. Tasked with investigating which of his trusted former colleagues has chosen to betray him and their country, Smiley narrows his search to four suspects - all experienced, skilled and successful agents - but past histories, rivalries and friendships make it far from easy to pinpoint the man who is eating away at the heart of the British establishment. An acting masterclass from the crème de la crème of British film (Colin Firth, The King's Speech; Tom Hardy, Inception; Mark Strong, Kick Ass; Benedict Cumberbatch, Sherlock Holmes) and inspired direction from Let The Right One In's Tomas Alfredson make this gripping and tense adaptation of John le Carré's classic spy novel essential viewing. Special Features: Commentary with Gary Oldman & director Tomas Alfredson John le Carré Interview Deleted Scenes Smiley featurette Inside the Circus featurette Shadow World featurette Interview with Colin Firth Interview with Tom Hardy Interview with Director Tomas Alfredson and screenwriter Peter Straughan UK Premiere featurette Sky Movies featurette Photo Gallery Trailers Actors Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, Gary Oldman, Ciarán Hinds, Mark Strong, Stephen Graham, Benedict Cumberbatch, Jamie Thomas King, Amanda Fairbank-Hynes, Simon McBurney, Konstantin Khabenskiy, Roger Lloyd-Pack, Christian McKay & David Dencik Director Tomas Alfredson Certificate 15 years and over Year 2011 Languages English
Cold war thriller, based on the best-selling novel by John Le Carré, in which a semi-retired intelligence officer is assigned the task of uncovering a high-ranking Soviet agent within MI6. When British agent Ricki Tarr (Tom Hardy) discovers, courtesy of an affair, that there may be a Russian agent operating at a high level in MI6, it is clear that an investigation into the issue will be delicate matter. Enter George Smiley (Gary Oldman), an old hand in intelligence circles, and his associate, Peter Gulliam (Benedict Cumberbatch). The pair are assigned the task of tracking down the spy, but must do so under the radar of the MI6 leadership, for the very reason that they are all under suspicion...
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