This Film Is A Mess

Rating: 6/10 (23 September 2011)

This film would make your head spin. I still haven't quite figured out how Smiley figured out who the bad guy was, or did he figure it out at all? Did he just lay a trap and figure it out that way? I'd have to watch the whole mess again. The thing is thick with flashbacks, to the point where you don't know if you are coming or going. Here's a good tip; any time you see a Christmas party, that is a flashback. So many confusing aspects! For instance, yes, the guy you see living in a trailer outside the school he is teaching in is actually the guy you saw shot near the beginning of the film; but no, this is not a flashback in this case. How did he get there? Pay attention, and you may find out toward the end of the film. So many other things wrong. In the trailer for this film, you see Smiley and a suspect walking across an airfield with an aircraft landing behind them; the way it is done is gimmicky and unnecessary. Worse, you can clearly see the heat haze rising from the ground; but the men are wearing their coats as if it was the middle of winter! It appears the director strained to squeeze the film into 2 hours, yet the beginning of the film crawls along. I found myself looking at my watch after 1 hour, begging for the film to just move along.