ANALYSIS:

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.   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.    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.

SPECIAL FEATURES:

Interviews with Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, Director Tomas Alfredson & Co-screenwriter Peter Straughan, and author John le Carre.  The 32 minute author interview is very candid as he talks about the novel, Cold War espionage, the TV adaptation of the book, and how he considers the film as its own beast he was excited to see come about.

TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY: FIRST LOOK is a EPK promotional piece with interviews from cast, crew, and the author in addition to clips from the film.

The deleted scenes were cut for pacing reasons.   Nice to watch- yet they don't add anything to the film.

Feature audio commentary with Director Tomas Alfredson and actor Gary Oldman

FINAL ANALYSIS:  TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY is a complex film that gets better with each viewing.   The most worthwhile extra is with the book's author.

this review is (c)3-22-2012 David Blackwell and cannot be reprinted without permission.  send all comments to feedback@enterline-media.com