Tinker Tailor Solider Spy Review
By: Joshua “I don’t know about you George, but I’m feeling seriously under-fucked!” Richey
The spy film subgenre is as popular as it’s ever been thanks to films like Mission Impossible and The Bourne Identity; but it’s been a while since we’ve seen a good old fashioned spy film, a film that doesn’t involve car chases, well placed one-liners and beautiful women. Thomas Alfredson’s Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is just that, an old school spy thriller that’s based off John le Carre’s 1974 novel.
In the early 1970’s, Control (John Hurt) is forced to step down as the head of British Intelligence after a top secret mission to uncover an in house spy goes bad. George Smiley (Gary Oldman), Control’s protégé, is also forced out due to the mishap. Some years later, after Control’s death, Smiley is brought out of retirement to track down the mole, which is believed to be someone at the very top of MI6 and that is feeding information to the Soviets. George uses his mentor’s notes and the help of Ricki Tarr (Tom Hardy), an on the run agent that has been setup after stumbling upon information about the mole’s identity, to narrow the mole down to one of his four former colleagues: Percy Alleline (Toby Jones), Bill Haydon (Colin Firth), Roy Bland (Ciaran Hinds) and Toby Esterhase (David Dencik). One of these men are the mole, and it’s up to George and his assistant Peter (Benedict Cumberbatch) to track him down.
It’s important to know going in that Tinker Tailor Solider Spy is different from the spy films that we’ve grown used to seeing. Heck, even the film’s trailer makes it appear to be an action packed thriller that it just never is. Instead, it’s a dialogue driven chess match. While it’s still as captivating as anything that you would see in a James Bond film, there are those that will be turned off. (I noticed three people around me that were sound asleep not even 30 minutes into it) For those that can enjoy the slow build up, you’re in for a treat. TTSS has an incredible look, every scene shot with brilliant murky lighting that is topped off with the best efforts of an extraordinary cast. If you have it in you to enjoy substance over explosions, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is just right for you.
I give Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy 4 chess pieces – a tinker, a tailor, a soldier and a spy — out of 5.
