I could follow it anyway

Rating: 7/10 (26 March 2012)

I will say upfront I'm a mystery-suspense-spy fanatic. If a film has any of those elements, I've seen it.
"Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" is a story that has been around a long time, but one that has escaped me. When I tried to read the book, I couldn't understand what the heck they were talking about and had to stop. I may have tried to watch the Alec Guiness version, but I'm vague on it. I have a feeling I just couldn't follow it.
So I approached this film version with some trepidation. I was pleasantly surprised. It's actually a very straightforward story, if underplayed, about Smiley (Gary Oldman) and his search for a mole inside the "circus," the top echelon of the British Intelligence Service.
And what a cast - Colin Firth, Cirian Hinds, John Hurt, Benedict Cumberbatch (who seems to be everywhere except where I want him to be, in front of a camera filming another season of Sherlock Holmes), and Tom Hardy.
The film is set in the 1970s, and locations include Budapest, Paris, and Istanbul.
Though I believe this film could have used better editing - it slips in and out of the past and present very awkwardly, which makes it confusing - I liked it. It's very British in that it moves slowly but it still manages to be absorbing.
"Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" isn't your typical spy movie. It's not James Bond, it's not Jason Bourne. You won't be breathless from the excitement or special effects. But if you want a good story and good acting, you'll enjoy it.