Muddled and slow does not intellectual make!

Rating: 1/10 (7 March 2012)

I picked this movie because I like Gary Oldman and because the title sounded very intriguing, indeed. Also, I had read a review which said that the movie required a thought process and offered an intellectual experience rather than lots of shooting and explosions. I adore intelligent movies because there is such a dearth of them, so I sat down prepared to see something extraordinary.
All I can say after seeing it is: "Where did the whole great idea go wrong?" The movie focuses on finding a mole at the very top levels of British intelligence during the Cold War in Europe. Halfway through the movie, I realized that I didn't care who the "mole" was anymore and this must be saying something about the extremely poor execution of the original idea.
One of the most frustrating things about "Tinker, Taylor, Soldier, Spy" is the storyline jumps from past to present so many times that at one point you don't know where you are anymore – but what's even worse, you stop caring. That's because the movie fails to create any emotional involvement with the characters. The otherwise excellent Oldman does nothing but sit looking thoughtful all the time.
What a waste of talent because the movie is full of so many great actors! Gary Oldman, John Hurt, Colin Firth all seem wasted here. I can't even believe that this movie managed to generate any kind of Academy nomination and I have no idea what the reasoning behind this decision is. One more example of why the Oscars should never be trusted as guides of quality.