In 1973, Control (John Hurt), head of the Circus
(aka British
Intelligence), sends an agent to Hungary
to find out the identity of a mole in British Intelligence. The operation goes wrong and Control is
kicked out (he takes his right hand man George Smiley with him). After control's death, George Smiley is
approached to put together a small group outside of the Circus and find out who
the mole is (if a double agent from Moscow
exists).
TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY is a densely plotted Cold
War spy
thriller. I would liken to what a spy
thriller would be like if it took place in the real world. You wouldn't have a super agent like James
Bond on big missions with tons of damage.
Espionage is about gathering information and doing it unnoticed as
possible. TINKER TAILOR SPY is the
second adaptation of the John Le Carre novel.
It has the feel of an old time
spy thriller mixed with a great cast of actors.
Gary Oldman plays the silences of
George Smiley out with great skill. Smiley is sometimes a man of inaction and a silent man of very few words, but people
listen when he has something to say. Sometimes it is more important about an actor
doesn't say and what the scene says about the character in it. Tom Hardy performs another chameleon trick
as he transforms himself yet again to play Ricki Tar.
TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY goes back and forth in time
as the
puzzle pieces start to be put together.
It is a movie where you have to pay attention and watch for the
character drama (and story). The film
manages to capture the paranoia and politics of the cold War while delivering
one of the best spy thrillers to fill in a spot left cold by James Bond while
we wait for the next Bond film to come out this Fall. TINKER TAILOR SPY is a fantastic English language directorial
debut from the director of LET THE RIGHT ONE IN. I wonder what Tomas Alfredson will direct next because he is a director
to watch. It is
definitely one of the best films I have seen in recent months and it is
refreshing to see a thriller not dependent on fight scenes to create a complex
spy film.
this review is (c)1-9-2011
David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission. send all comments to
feedback@enterline-media.com
