Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
TINKER TAILOR SOLDIER SPY
STUDIOCANAL
RELEASED 16 September 2011
In 1979, the BBC adapted John le Carré’s ‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’ with Alec Guinness forever immortalising George Smiley. Running at around six hours, it must have been quite a task to adapt le Carré’s dense novel into a two-hour movie, but screenwriters Bridget O’Connor and Peter Straughan have done it. Considering the pace of the movie is so slow, it’s even more amazing how director Tomas Alfredson (‘Let the Right One In’) has managed to pack it all in, but he’s done it too, creating an intelligent, if somewhat cold, tale of Cold War espionage.
George Smiley (Gary Oldman) is tasked with discovering the Soviet mole in ‘the Circus’, the nickname for the top-level brass at MI6. His predecessor, Control (John Hurt), was already aware of the mole, and Smiley must now finish what he started. There appear to be four candidates, and they’re codenamed ‘Tinker’, Tailor’, ‘Spy’ (no ‘Soldier’ as it sounds similar to Tailor), and ‘Poor Man’. Smiley must walk through a maze of lies and deception to discover the truth.
Beautifully directed, Tomas Alfredson has followed the huge success of ‘Let the Right One In’ with another classy movie. Just like that vampire tale, ‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’ takes things at it’s own pace, never feeling the need to insert a Hollywood-style action sequence. The closest we get is a tense scene where Peter Guillam (Benedict Cumberbatch) attempts to steal documents from the Circus for Smiley. Even that is played at walking pace. You’re hooked on the complex lives these secret agents lead. Flashbacks to Control’s reign are intercut with the current investigation, illuminating all the major players.
Gary Oldman is calm-personified as Smiley, a world away from past turns as Prince Vlad (‘Bram Stoker’s Dracula’) or Beethoven (‘Immortal Beloved’). We already knew he was one of Britain’s best actors, but with ‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’, fifty-three year-old Oldman broadens his range even further. This film indicates that we may not have seen the best of him yet, a prospect to truly relish.
The rest of the cast remind us of the quality Britain brings to the movies. John Hurt, Colin Firth, and Mark Strong are the big stars, but rising stars Tom Hardy and Benedict Cumberbatch have more showy roles and they do brilliantly. There’s even a key role for Kathy Burke, who could easily have commanded a bit more screen time.
The 70’s are gleefully recreated (the colour brown, afghan coats, and the Knickerbocker Glorious Wimpy!) with immaculate detail, and there’s a foreboding soundtrack from Alberto Iglesias.
I doubt mainstream cinemagoers are going to enjoy ‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’ quite as much as hardcore film fans, as it’s something of a film to admire for all it’s technical virtues rather than one to love. The story and characters are too cold to warm too, which created a slight problem as to whether you’re really bothered who the mole actually turns out to be.
Like a fine wine though, ‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’ will age well, and I’d be happy to sample it again in years to come.
FOUR OUT OF FIVE
