Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy 2011

Impenetrable stillness..

Mark-Roulston Flicks Superstar (?)

Flicks User Ratings

• Nobody
• Wannabe
• B-Grader
• A-Lister
• Flicks Superstar
• Find out more

Swedish filmmaker Tomas Alfredson is nothing if not ambitious. Following the success of 2008′s Let The Right One In (one of the finest films of the past decade), the director turned his attention to John le Carre's beloved novel Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, previously adapted into a highly regarded BBC mini-series in 1979, for his English language debut. All of the pieces seemed to fit: a supremely gifted emerging director, the huge potential in the source material, and a cast assembled from the top tier of British acting talent. Surely Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy couldn't miss, right? Not quite.

The film follows the story of retired intelligence agent George Smiley (Gary Oldman), tasked with discovering the identity of a traitor in the upper echelons of the British secret service during the Cold War. Told largely through conversations which serve as launchpads for a number of flashbacks, Tinker Tailor is, from a technical standpoint, flawlessly crafted, and Alfredson's meticulous attention to detail rewards viewers who can keep up with the level of concentration the film demands. Oldman gives a stunning performance as Smiley, one which will rank highly alongside his absolute best, not least of all for the level of restraint he displays. Where many of his best characters in movies past required some level of mania or unhinged-ness, with Smiley he is so still and expressionless that it's something of a revelation. Smiley is an observer, and Alfredson cleverly devotes much screen time to close-ups of Oldman's face and eyes, framed beautifully with his enormous bifocals (which also serve a more important, audience orientation purpose in the flashbacks). He conveys so much by doing so little, and while the supporting cast are all excellent, it's unquestionably Oldman's film.

So Tinker Tailor certainly has a lot going for it, and the look and atmosphere of the film are something to be admired to be sure. So why was it that I walked out of the cinema so confused and frustrated? Clearly, setting tone is something that is important to Alfredson, and the moodiness and creeping sense of dread in Let The Right One In is one of that film's greatest strengths. With this film however, Alfredson devotes so much to generating an appropriate mood that, in hindsight, he possibly shoots himself in the foot from a narrative standpoint. Tinker Tailor takes its time to build a wonderful tone, yet the story progression is all but impenetrable. Perhaps reading the novel or seeing the BBC series would make the film more accessible, but for those of us who haven't experienced either it can be incredibly difficult to fathom exactly what is happening for the bulk of the running time. Added to this, Alfredson refuses to use technique to assist the viewer, with the exception of the aforementioned glasses gag. Tinker Tailor demands so much from its audience that many people may find themselves, like I did, frustrated at not being able to closely follow the plot. Films that challenge you to keep up without holding your hand are all to rare, but maintaining such a level of concentration over 127 minutes is not easy for even the most perceptive filmgoer, and while it's encouraging that Alfredson assumes a level of intelligence in his audience, he may have pushed it a little too far with Tinker Tailor. But then again, perhaps I'm just not as clever as I'd like to think.

tinribs27.wordpress.com

good

CSBright Flicks Superstar (?)

Flicks User Ratings

• Nobody
• Wannabe
• B-Grader
• A-Lister
• Flicks Superstar
• Find out more

i thought it was entertaing but what i did not get it

Baby it's cold outside...

adamatdramatrain Flicks Superstar (?)

Flicks User Ratings

• Nobody
• Wannabe
• B-Grader
• A-Lister
• Flicks Superstar
• Find out more

Tomas Alfredson's 'Let The Right One' was a stunning revisioning of the vampire genre - bleak, cold, moody, austere and wonderful to behold. So what of his version of Le Carre's 'Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy'? Well, it too is moody and austere. A slow-burn experience amidst the flash, bang, wallop of the likes of 'Tintin' and 'MI: Ghost Protocol.' Thoughtful, beautifully and methodically shot and acted... but disengaged. I admired it in every way - but the director keeps you at a distance, and that may well be the point of course - but that ensures the audience are left out in the cold. In a world of double agents, lies disguised as truth and ruthless trickery, the individual sacrifices their essential humanity to protect... what? And there's the point. I enjoyed it and if you liked Robert de Niro's 'The Good Shepherd" you will too!

A stunning evocation of the Cold War era

Weds_Loafers Flicks Superstar (?)

Flicks User Ratings

• Nobody
• Wannabe
• B-Grader
• A-Lister
• Flicks Superstar
• Find out more

We have been looking forward to this film and we were not disappointed. It is outstanding, as we have come to expect of the Brits with films of this nature. Further, this movie is a worthy rendition of John Le Carre's famous novel; Le Carre was an executive producer and plays a non-speaking part in a crowd scene. The casting, settings and cinematography are all superb. To fully appreciate this film, however, one needs to have come to grips with John Le Carre's style, with its abundance of understatement, insinuation and subtlety, otherwise, even with highly focussed concentration, some of the story will be lost. Readers new to John Le Carre seldom gain a great appreciation of his work on reading their first novel. If there is a negative, at times it seemed somewhat slow moving, that is the style. 4.5 stars (though 3 of us gave it 5).

When spying was low tech with knobs and switches.

filmlover Flicks Superstar (?)

Flicks User Ratings

• Nobody
• Wannabe
• B-Grader
• A-Lister
• Flicks Superstar
• Find out more

Looking back at the cold war it would seem that spying was a career created to keep civil servants in work. Everyone was spying for everyone and those who weren't spying were keeping the spies under control.This was in incredible mini-series once upon a time with Alec Guiness as George Smiley. The movie holds up well against it with terrific performances all round.
But be warned! If you aren't old enough to remember the cold war this film may seem dull and slow.
I grew up in England during this era, and I loved it!!

Jason bourne? Bro, real spys do it drunk!

I_GO_BY_MYSELF Wannabe (?)

Flicks User Ratings

• Nobody
• Wannabe
• B-Grader
• A-Lister
• Flicks Superstar
• Find out more

I wasnt sure what to expect, but, thats Gary Oldman for you. Nice to see him with a hard-to-deliver Character this time showing his full arsenal of delayed and timed speech capped of with what my mum would call -elocution? the only Man that trusts Batman, the dreadlock wearing drug dealer, and the completely wrong haircut bad guy holds this slow, yet absorbing story together. (i wont spoil it!) and If you've seen romeo is bleeding then you know he can hold a great character even though the film is more about the story than the main character. fully 60's and never detracts from it, this is a classic spy thriller, a real spy thriller, where the worlds fate of 'mutually assured destruction' (nukes!) is at stake, and even has a slight poke at the politics behind the spy game. the best conversations happen over booze, and the violence, although graphic at times, is more vignette than action sequence. I'd tell myself to watch it.

Beautifully crafted, yet slightly...archaic.

THEWATCHER A-Lister (?)

Flicks User Ratings

• Nobody
• Wannabe
• B-Grader
• A-Lister
• Flicks Superstar
• Find out more

Really, wildly, completely brilliant in it's recreation of an era and a secret service, yet TTSSpy's plotting and sweetly taciturn characters make it drag a little. But you're always delighted by what you see, and you're always trying to figure out what's going on, so there's plenty of enjoyment to be had. It's just that the pace and the timing is from another era too, so you need to unbuckle yourself from 2012 and just give in to the beauty and the detail and the astonishing craft. Mark Strong steals the show, with, really, the most complex character who goes on the biggest journey.Not a date movie. One to see with your dad, and then go have a whiskey and chat about it in detail with him. What other films can you do that with?

Intelligent Filmmaking, Epic Acting!

BrionyJae Flicks Superstar (?)

Flicks User Ratings

• Nobody
• Wannabe
• B-Grader
• A-Lister
• Flicks Superstar
• Find out more

I was originally drawn to this film because of the massive range of absolutely stunning actors - I mean, Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tom Hardy... all in one movie?! YES PLEASE. They did not disappoint, either! The slow pacing was a refreshing change from other 'wham-bam' films these days, and I am in awe of the attention to detail. All the small noises, such as the scratch of a pen on paper, all worked to create the suspenseful atmosphere. As well as this, I was struck by the fact that there was much less dialogue than other films - so much was said without words, and it was far more impacting and touching for this. It probably isn't a film for everyone, but that won't stop me from recommending to everyone! :)