Excellent Spy Thriller and Mystery

Rating: 8/10 (21 April 2013)

In the bleak days of the Cold War, espionage veteran George Smiley (Gary Oldman) is forced from semi-retirement to uncover a Soviet agent within MI6.
Other reviewers have complained that the film is too "obtuse", and in fact the movie was recommended to me because the person who watched it did not know what they had seen and wanted to know if I could figure it out any better. And yes, it takes a while to get the timeline and characters straight.
But I think this is a strong movie for just that reason. While not the fun, feel-good movie of the year, it is an intelligent spy mystery. You might have to watch it two or three times to really figure out who is working for who. And you may as well -- the actors are incredible, the cinematography gorgeous. Heck, it might even take a second viewing to figure out what "circus" and "witchcraft" are.
Ebert wrote that the film "looks, sounds and feels exactly right." That about sums it up.