Incoherent Plot, Ugly Production Design, Sluggish Pace -- Three Strikes and You're Out

Rating: 3/10 (3 February 2012)

Egads, what a terrible movie!
Fifteen minutes in, I was lost, and never again found my way. The basic plot involves the efforts of the British intelligence trying to root out a Russian spy in their midst, but this film is so preposterously hard to follow, not to mention glacially paced, that I found myself gazing at the decor for nearly the entire running time. Unfortunately, since the film is set in the drab Soviet world of the 1970s, the decor is mostly brown, gray and murky, much like the cinematography.
I can't even tell you whether Gary Oldman, who received an Oscar nomination for his performance, is any good, not to mention any of the other recognizable actors (Colin Firth, Mark Strong, Toby Jones, Tom Hardy, John Hurt) who make up the rest of the cast. To know whether or not an actor is doing a good job, you have to understand the character he is playing and where that character fits in with the other characters and the general plot. This movie is like watching a bunch of random scenes strung together with no relation to one another.
Here's a tip: if you're going to make a completely plot-driven movie, you better damn well make sure that plot can be followed by someone who hasn't read the book first.
Grade: D