Viewed in
2012
Formats
HDTV
Premise
Based on the novel, Gary Oldman plays George Smiley, a retired MI6 agent brought back to find a Soviet spy.
Loved
Enthralling visuals, bad-ass cast.
Disliked
Rushed ending.
Thoughts
I really enjoyed it.
This was all atmosphere and mood. Director Tomas Alfredson kept things at a deliberate pace with a great eye for visual aesthetics. Every shot was thoughtfully composed not just for style but to also show off the time and place, and more importantly, story-tell these characters through presence instead of dialog. These were not chatty fellows, so their subtlety was deafening. You'd think you'd get bored from constant dialog-less character moments, but I couldn't get enough of it in this film.
Obviously you need a great cast to help pull something like this off, and this one was star-studded and talented. I recognized a lot of these fine British actors, like Bane, Sherlock, Ollivander, a bunch of other Harry Potter alumni, and of course Colin Firth. I liked how the moviemakers cast the characters in broad strokes, making it easy to distinguish between all the taciturn, mysterious gentlemen in suits. Of course, this movie wouldn't have succeeded without Oldman as the lead. He was cool, calm, and in command, as the jilted former agent brought back into the fray. He totally deserved the Best Actor nomination. I loved the scene when he finally breaks down and drunkenly recalls his singular encounter with arch-nemesis Karla. It was a risky, but ingenious, monologue that circumnavigates the lazy flashback.
Overall, I was happy with the pacing, except near the end. I guess it spent so much time leisurely imbibing the character moments that they had to rush to fit in all the revelations and twists. Afterward, I had to go online to catch what I missed.
Aside from that, I really dug Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Some might find it too slow and quiet, but for me I almost didn't want it to end, just so I could keep soaking in the beautiful visual mastery and cool characters vibes. I doubt I'll ever read the novels, but I hope the same film makers will continue adapting the other George Smiley books. I'm really tempted to re-watch it.
