Despite a one season run of the TV show in 1979, “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” is the first film adaptation of John Le Carre’s book of the same name. Set during the high-tension times of the Cold War, the film focuses on George Smiley, a retired spy who has just been summoned out of retirement in order to track down a Soviet agent who has infiltrated MI6 or the British Secret Intelligence Service. Now some of you out there might be familiar with MI6, because this also happens to be the place of employment for another well-known secret agent: Mr. James Bond. Unfortunately, those who see this movie hoping to strap down for hard hitting, car chasing, shoot’em up secret agent thriller will be let down.
Now, just because this movie does not fit into the ranks of box office giants such as the Bond flicks, “Mission Impossible,” or even the “Bourne Identity” trilogy, does not mean you will be falling asleep. Every level of this film is top notch. Tomas Alfredson’s directing style is a constant stream of beautifully constructed shots that manage to tell the story in a very artistic way.
Alfredson manages to convey the extremely high tension in every scene through leering glances, loud silences and cold shoulders without one word being said. Of course, when working with some of the best acting talent to ever come out of Britain, it makes the director’s job a bit easier. Gary Oldman gives a stunningly chilling performance as George Smiley, a man of few words but of great intensity.
While Oldman’s performance could easily, and probably will be, mistaken for “under-acting” or a lack of acting, I believe his performance as George Smiley is a perfect example of an actor making great use of restrain within his role. Just one look at his taut, rigid face and you can almost see every gear in his head churning a mile a minute and although he may not be physically active, mentally, George Smiley is an Olympian. This performance has Oscar Nomination written all over it. The all-star cast also includes veterans such as Collin Firth (Oscar Winner for Best Actor 2011), Mark Strong, Benedict Cumberbatch, and John Hurt, to name a few. Their performances as British spies are incredibly blasé, cold and emotionally imperceptible, which makes the film that much more interesting and exciting to watch.
From the start you never know who is telling the truth and like the over used cliché, you can “trust no one.” The only character that lets himself be controlled by emotion is the lowly field agent Ricki Tarr, who finds himself trapped in the middle of this mess. Tarr is played by Tom Hardy, another up and coming British talent who will also be seen this year as Bane in “The Dark Knight Rises.” Though he is in few scenes, Hardy delivers a very powerful and emotionally driven performance, which makes for a breath of fresh air for the audience.
One scene in particular startled me in which Tarr brings himself to tears when speaking about his past experiences. The idea that an agent living in this world is actually crying, actually letting his emotion stream down his face in the presence of the rest of these dispassionate men really speaks volumes about this character. It is very interesting to watch the difference in the emotional character of Ricki Tarr juxtaposed with the incredibly cold and silent performances of the rest of the cast.
Although the film is beautifully directed, and phenomenally acted I have to admit, at times, I did find myself absolutely lost in what on earth was going on. The plot can get overly intricate and at times there is just too much happening to have a clear understanding of the plot as a whole. The end of the film is also very ambiguous and can be confusing, but these are not problems that can’t be fixed without a good long discussion and reconsideration of the film afterwards. A good film should get people talking. A good film brings us together.
This film does have its fair share of gun fight and bloodshed but if your looking for a film that trades in it’s bullets for words, a film of paranoia and deceit, a film full of tension and incredibly loud silence then look no further. “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” is what you have been waiting for.
