A Great, Solid Movie for Those with the Patience for it

Rating: 8/10 (12 June 2012)

You've got to have a bit of patience when settling in to watch TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY. It's not the sort of secret agent/spy film the general public has come to expect; this is no James Bond or Jason Bourne. The movie is based on a novel from John le Carré and depicts a more realistic view on the world of espionage. The action is minimal and the plot is dense. After my first viewing, I had a good grasp on what had gone down but I was still a little confused as to how it all came together. There are a lot of characters to keep tabs on and twists and turns in the story to follow as it leads you to the final reveal. From Swedish director Tomas Alfredson, the movie is a slow-boiler that stars some of the biggest names in British cinema. The movie is set in the midst of the Cold War in 1973 Britain. The head of the British intelligence service, Control, believes there is a mole embedded within the organization's highest ranks but a mission to flush it out ends in failure and Control's forced resignation along with his right-hand man, George Smiley. Control dies soon afterward and information arises that might mean Control was right, and Smiley is asked to return as head of an unofficial investigation and determine which of the remaining heads of MI5 is selling the nation's secrets to the Russians. No explosions, no car chases, just sold storytelling and powerful performances.
Right off the bat, this movie will loses a lot of peoples' interest in its execution. This movie is a little more than two hours of talking heads. Information is doled out slowly and gives the chance to try and come to conclusions at the same pace as our hero, George Smiley. The problem, and the film's only weakness in my opinion, is that there is just so much information to track. At the end, I wasn't surprised at the reveal of the mole and I understood his motives and even spotted some of the clues, but I had a rough time getting there on my own. When the movie finally gets to that point, I just readily accept it and try to follow the path a little better in a second viewing when I know what (and who) I'm looking for. Despite its often baffling density, I really did enjoy this movie. It's not often we get an espionage movie that isn't just a series of action scenes and a villain with a grand scheme. These spies use subterfuge and misdirection as their tools. The pace is slow but the story grabs you; it doesn't need expensive effects to entertain its audience. The movie is a bit of a brain teaser and I dig that. And the production design is superb in its recreation of the sights, sounds, and styles of 70's era England. Alfredson and his crew paid amazing attention to detail in their immersion into the era.
And the best part of the movie is the cast. Seriously, they have pulled together some of the best for this movie. First and foremost, there is the spectacular Gary Oldman in the film's main role, George Smiley. He was nominated for an Oscar for his role here, and it was deserved. He is a tense man with a lot boiling under his surface while maintaining his cool the entire time. He's the penultimate polite Englishman here and the ultimate professional. His colleagues include Colin Firth, Toby Jones, David Dencik, and Ciarán Hinds. Some receive more attention and screen time than others but all put forth fantastic performances, especially Jones and Firth. The movie also boasts John Hurt (in a limited role as Control), Tom Hardy (in my opinion one of his best performances as a suspected turncoat), Mark Strong, and Benedict Cumberbatch. Cumberbatch, who I'll admit I never heard of before this film, is an integral role in the movie as Smiley's inside man and nails it. This cast really is a collection of some of the best Britain has to offer, and they have to be because the movie rests entirely on their shoulders. I would love to recommend this movie more widely but I can tell right off that the majority of general audiences would be bored to tears. So if you have a bit of patience and love an intricate plot, I certainly recommend this film but be prepared for a second viewing if you want to walk away with a solid understanding of its events.