Tags
2010's, Benedict Cumberbatch, Ciarán Hinds, Colin Firth, David Dencik, Gary Oldman, John Hurt, John Le Carre, Kathy Burke, Mark Strong, Simon McBurney, Spy, Stephen Graham, Svetlana Khodchenkova, Thriller, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Toby Jones, Tom Hardy, Tomas Alfredson
Film Title
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Director
Tomas Alfredson
Starring
- Gary Oldman as George Smiley
- Colin Firth as Bill Haydon
- Tom Hardy as Ricki Tarr
- John Hurt as Control
- Toby Jones as Percy Alleline
- Mark Strong as Jim Prideaux
- Benedict Cumberbatch as Peter Guillam
- Ciarán Hinds as Roy Bland
- David Dencik as Toby Esterhase
- Simon McBurney as Oliver Lacon
- Kathy Burke as Connie Sachs
- Stephen Graham as Jerry Westerby
- Svetlana Khodchenkova as Irina
Based on the classic by John Le Carre, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a labyrinthine spy thriller with a perfect eye for detail and intelligent plot full of puzzles and mysteries. Boasting an all-star cast, precise and articulate direction by Tomas Alfredson and hauntingly scored by Alberto Iglesias, the film proves that the intelligent spy film that favours covert affairs and deception over shoot em up action are not dead.
The time is the 1970’s and London is a dour place of muddy yellows and muted mauve. Control, the elderly head of British Intelligence( commonly nicknamed “The Circus”) sends agent Jim Prideaux on a mission in Hungary to uncover information. The mission goes wrong when Jim is shot, captured and later presumed dead. In the ensuring crisis, Control and his right hand man, George Smiley are pushed into retirement. A year later, Control has died and Smiley is contacted by Oliver Lacon, a civil servant with a particularly interesting case. It appears that Ricki Tarr, an agent who was believed to have defected, has unearthed knowledge of a Soviet mole at the top of British Intelligence. It is either one of a few men including; the new aggressive chief Percy, the suave deputy Bill Haydon, the slimy Toby Esterhase or the silently menacing Roy Bland. Before his death, Control had the same suspicions about one of these men and as a result George accepts the difficult task of finding who the mole is in a web of lies, covert information, shifting identities and Cold War intrigue. Prepare for a spy thriller with a precise plot and genuine sense of suspense as Smiley uncovers many things as he nears the mole he is so desperately searching for.
One word of advice before watching the film is to not expect an action-packed narrative, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy relies more on secret meeting, cryptic code names and shifting loyalties to keep the meticulous plot going. It is the kind of film that demands your attention, if you blink you could miss an important plot point or something of significance. There are those that will say it is boring, but if you like intrigue with intelligence then watch this. Tomas Alfredson directs with an inventive eye for detail and framing, capturing the weary existence that these characters occupy in this distrustful world. The complicated plot is carefully handled and you are really left wondering who the mole could be. The evocative score by Alberto Iglesias compliments the melancholy time and the many revelations uncovered in the course of Smiley’s investigation.
The biggest draw of the piece has to be the exceptionally talented cast assembled. Leading the cast is Gary Oldman in a restrained performance as George Smiley. Oldman excels at showing the rather unassuming looking and seemingly cold man but quietly revealing the immense intelligence that lies within him. His voice rarely rises above a whisper, but you can sense the emotions within him because of Oldman’s excellent portrayal. Colin Firth, Toby Jones, Ciarán Hinds and David Dencik all rivet the attention as the men suspected of being the Soviet mole within the high-ranking part of the service. Mark Strong is very effective as Jim Prideaux, the rather unlucky agent whose shooting opens the film. Strong imbues Jim with both a desolation and a determination that compliments his character’s journey in the complex narrative. Tom Hardy is another person who makes his part his own, as Ricki Tarr who wrestles with his duty whilst falling in love with a beautiful Russian woman in Istanbul. Benedict Cumberbatch is utilized to great effect as Peter, who becomes George’s right hand man in the search for the mole. The ever reliable John Hurt, commonly seen in flashback, is a great choice for the part of the elderly Control. In smaller parts, Kathy Burke and Stephen Graham appear as two staff members who were removed from the service. Simon McBurney has his moments as the pompous civil servant drawing Smiley into the ring of deception. Svetlana Khodchenkova is luminous and mysterious as Irina, the woman who steals Ricki Tarr’s heart whilst holding some valuable information.
As scrupulous as the mechanics of a prized watch and as twisting as a serpent, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a classy, stylish and complex spy film. There are those that will become lost in the many turns and become confused by the many facts thrown at them, but the film succeeds none the less at capturing a specific time and creating interesting characters who populate a labyrinth of uncertainty and intrigue.
Mark Walker said:
Fantastic review Vinnie. You point out all the things that i liked about it too; the look, the score, the cast and performances and it’s pace. It wasn’t in any rush to tell it’s story and I appreciated the fact that it had confidence in the audience to work things out for themselves. Glad to hear you enjoyed it.
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vinnieh said:
Thanks for the comment Mark.
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Cavershamragu said:
I do like this film a lot – indeed, I was surprised how much O enjoyed it because I did wonder how long a shadow the original BBC miniseries would cast over it. It does effect Oldman’s playing a bit I feel as he does seem to be channeling Alec Guinness at times and I do think given how much has had to be condensed, that they could have shortened the section devoted to Tarr since I think many did find it confusing and it does help if you’ve read the book or seen the earlier TV version (especially to understand that the final shooting is by arrangement and not just an absurd piece of serendipity). Great review Vinnieh, cheers.
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vinnieh said:
Thanks for the comment man, I’ve heard great things about the miniseries.
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Cavershamragu said:
The TV version doesn’t please everyone (Le Carre was critical of the way the chronology was restructured) and it can seem slow if you’re not into that mini-series style – but I love it.
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Colin said:
Great film.I have only the haziest memory of seeing bits and pieces of the TV series on its original broadcast but I read the book shortly before watching the movie. I think that helped a lot as there is the potential for that compressed narrative to become a little confusing.
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vinnieh said:
Thanks for your comment, glad you liked the review.
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verbalspew said:
What a fab review. You know, I haven’t even seen it yet. I have it here on DVD, somewhere… Ready to be watched but for whatever reason I never got around to it. Will find the time now. Again, nicely done.
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vinnieh said:
Thanks, hope you get to see the film.
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CMrok93 said:
Liked it when I first saw it, but something also tells me that I may have to give it another go-around, just to get the full feel on the material and all of the twists that occur. Good review Vinnie.
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vinnieh said:
Thanks, yeah I think I’ll have to see if again to check if I’ve missed any important details.
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Kim @ Tranquil Dreams said:
Awesome review! You just gave me the final boost to pull that unwatched DVD off of the shelf and check it out 🙂
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vinnieh said:
Thanks, glad you’re going to see it.
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sanclementejedi said:
i got to be honest this film bored the crap out of me. I had trouble staying awake during our viewing.
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vinnieh said:
A lot of people have had the same experience from what I’ve heard.
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TBM said:
I think I blinked once or twice while watching and got a little lost. Must rewatch it to see what clues I missed.
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vinnieh said:
Thanks, it certainly requires your utmost attention.
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Victor De Leon said:
Great review! Pretty insightful. I own a copy of this movie but for one reason or another I can’t seem to get around to watching it. I think I will move it up on my list. I am familiar with Guiness’ film but I do love Oldman so I have no excuse for not having watched this yet. Good job and I’ll let you know my thoughts after I’ve seen it!
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vinnieh said:
Thanks, it will be interesting to hear your thoughts on it.
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ruth said:
I might give this a rewatch as I LOVE the cast. I wasn’t wowed by it on initial viewing though, it was rather tedious. But there are certain moments that I appreciate, I think Hardy’s the scene-stealer here.
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vinnieh said:
Thanks for the comment, yeah Tom Hardy certainly stood out for me from a very talented cast.
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Jack Flacco said:
Great review. Very thorough. I’ve never seen it, believe it or not, and I love Gary Oldman. Ever since watching The Professional, he’s been one of my favorites. The look of the characters seem authentic. I’m actually placing this in my queue to watch in the next few weeks. Thanks for the recommendation!
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vinnieh said:
Thanks for your positive comment, yeah Oldman is great in this and the attention to detail is so meticulous.
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cevans1982 said:
Great review of a really well done spy thriller with phenomenal casting. I was gripped by the endless twists and turns and was not bored for a single minute!
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vinnieh said:
Thanks for the comments, yeah it sure makes for gripping viewing.
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Mr Rumsey said:
Man this film has a great cast! Nice review buddy 🙂
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vinnieh said:
Thanks man, yeah the cast was the main draw for me.
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drakulus23 said:
You had me sold at Gary Oldman, I love movies like this and i’ll definitely check this out. Have you seen Lucky Number Slevin by any chance? That’s another really good my in my opinion.
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vinnieh said:
Thanks for the comment, I’m glad I’ve interested you in it. I haven’t seen Lucky Number Slevin but I will try and check it out.
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drakulus23 said:
It’s a movie like this, there is very little action in the movie and it has a kickass cast in. Bruce Willis, Morgan Freeman being amongst them. I highly recommend it :]
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vinnieh said:
With a cast like that, I’m certainly watching it. Thanks for the suggestion.
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drakulus23 said:
No problem, a movie like that has to been at least once by any Bruce Willis, or Morgan Freeman fan.
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table9mutant said:
I think this sounds really good – not sure why I haven’t watched it yet. Oh yeah – because the hubby insists I watch the original first… Good job! 🙂
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vinnieh said:
Thanks, I haven’t seen the original myself. If you do see the film, let me know what you thought of it.
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Terry Malloy's Pigeon Coop said:
Nice review mate. Saw this at the cinema and thought it was great but definitely want to give it a rewatch to fully appreciate it.
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vinnieh said:
Thanks for the comment mate.
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