If you prefer Hollywood-popcorn films don't watch it and be ashamed of yourself.

Rating: 8/10 (14 April 2014)

"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" is a Thriller released in 2011 and the first English-speaking one by Swedish director Tomas Alfredson. It is based on the same-titled novel by the famous author John le Carré. The Story is about George Smiley, a MI6 agent who gets fired together with his friend, the MI6's boss "Control", after a failed mission in Hungary. The plot takes place in the mid-seventies so the cold war is the background of the film. Soon after his retirement, "Control" dies and Smiley is ordered by a state secretary to investigate the suspicion that there is a mole in the new leadership of the "Circus". He is supported by active MI6 agent Peter Guillam, who is very well played by British actor Benedict Cumberbatch. Tomas Alfredson has put together an amazing cast, consisting of such great actors as Colin Firth, John Hurt or Mark Strong. They are all playing their roles superbly, but still are all outshined by the unbelievable performance of Gary Oldman as George Smiley. He suits this role so well, expressing the emotions of this very inconspicuous though extremely intelligent character only by using little details, that even the creator of George Smiley, John le Carré, remarked how impressed he was by Gary Oldman. The overall atmosphere is well made due to good cinematography, prop work and soundtrack. The director has an incredible eye for details and this fits the movie very well. He uses a picture language which tells a lot without the audience hearing a single word of dialogue. The film is relatively close to the novel because John le Carré participated in the writing of the screenplay. This means that its pacing is slow. We like it very much because it allows for the building up of a much tighter atmosphere and creates more tension. But that is only our opinion and not everyone may like it. It is neither a James Bond film featuring exotic locations, loads of attractive women and unrealistic gadgets, nor a "standard" modern action movie like the Bourne Trilogy. It tells a story that could have happened in the seventies without tons of visual or special effects, without big gunfights or helicopter shots in huge collapsing set pieces. To make it short: You can clearly see that this film is a European production and none made in and by Hollywood. So if you like ambitious stories that may sometimes be somewhat confusing you must watch the film. If you prefer Hollywood-popcorn films don't watch it and be ashamed of yourself.
Christopher K., Jonas P., Mirco K.