Tinker, Tailor spins tangled web of intrigue, betrayal and frosty brilliance

Rating: 8/10 (8 January 2012)

In a way, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is one of those movies that's easier to admire than to love. From a technical standpoint, it's pitch-perfect with a top-notch cast of actors who effortlessly burrow into their parts without any of the usual "look at me!" theatrics, sets and costumes that meticulously recreate Cold War Europe and subtly elegant cinematography, all blended together with precision by a promising, up-and-coming director. Yet, it's not the type of film that will inspire feelings of warmth or ecstasy from many moviegoers, more likely to leave them wandering out of the theater deep in thought than giddy or excited. In most movies, the stern aloofness that pervades Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy would be a drawback, preventing the audience from connecting with or caring about the characters, but in this case, it works, effectively creating an atmosphere of suspicion and distrust where the viewer is as wary of the characters as they are of each other.
Based on the well-respected novel of the same name by former spy John le Carre, Tomas Alfredson's adapation manages to strip down le Carre's book to its bare bones – every scene, line of dialogue and gesture feels absolutely essential to furthering either plot or character, often both – without sacrificing its complexity or nuance. The story is elaborate, though its basic premise can be boiled down to "there's a mole at the Circus", code for British intelligence agency MI6, and as condescending as it sounds, it requires the audience to not only pay attention, but to think. At the center of it all is the famed George Smiley, played by Gary Oldman in what is probably the most low-key performance of his career, a stark contrast from the deliciously over-the-top grandiosity he has developed a reputation for over the past three decades. With his large, plastic-framed glasses, nondescript suits and soft-spoken manner, Smiley is reminiscent of an owl: outwardly, he's passive and remarkably still, virtually blending into the background, but there's also an aura of wisdom, the kind that comes with age and world experience, surrounding him; you can sense that he's constantly thinking, observing. Oldman conveys all this perfectly, easily inhabiting a role that should, but likely won't, earn him a long-awaited Oscar nomination. He's accompanied by a stellar supporting cast of some of the best British actors working today, including veterans John Hurt and Colin Firth, rising stars Benedict Cumberbatch and Tom Hardy, the always reliable character actor Toby Jones and Mark Strong, whose role here is the best he's gotten since first appearing on most people's radars in Ridley Scott's decent but otherwise unremarkable Body of Lies.
The movie as a whole is a lot like the character of Smiley. On the surface, it's positively serene, but underneath, there's so much going on that it can be hard to keep track of it all as tension quietly builds toward the gripping climax, which features not a shootout or frenetic car chase, but a waiting game. It's a labyrinthine mind puzzle as tightly constructed and methodical as the clocks ticking in the background of several scenes. Making his English-language debut after receiving much acclaim for the vampire coming-of-age movie Let the Right One In, Swedish filmmaker Tomas Alfredson proves himself to be a master of silence, of revealing everything using virtually nothing. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is the definition of a slow-burner, but for those willing to be patient and attentive, it offers ample rewards.