Old men wearing ugly ties stare angrily at each other. Disgruntled faces, covered in the dingy lighting, anguish over their stressful lives. At any given moment, it seems that one of other equally disgruntled faces will stab them in the back.
The perfect recipe for a good spy movie.
“Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” follows a veteran spy George Smiley (Gary Oldman) as he’s pulled out of retirement to investigate a Soviet mole that’s supposedly worked its way into the very top of MI6. Directed by Tomas Alfredson, known for “Let the Right One In”, the film is an adaptation of the British novel of the same name, written by John le Carré.
The first things you notice about “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” are the desaturated grays, browns, and blues that color the screen for the rest of the movie. The low contrast and grainy picture only adds to that dated, Cold War-era look. But don’t expect this movie to be a drag just because the the scenery is dull and the buildings gray; the several panning shots add a sense of movement to otherwise low key scenes. In keeping with the espionage theme, characters are often filmed from behind, almost as if they’re constantly being watched.
That’s because they are being watched, and not just by the audience. When “Tinker Tailor” says “spy movie”, it means a step above the James Bond franchise, which are often called spy movies despite the obscene amount of car chases and explosions within them. In “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy”, the closest thing we get to a James Bond moment is when a man is shot from behind. This is a real spy movie, where people swallow nervously when they lie and discover the clues by shifting through in inordinate amount of dusty paperwork.
At first glance, “Tinker Tailor” doesn’t have much to offer to the younger generation. The plot revolves around a time period that has little importance to people under the age of twenty, and the novel on which the movie is based probably isn’t one that young people are seeking out to read. However, closer inspection would reveal that “Tinker Tailor” has much appeal for those born after the Cold War, namely in the forms of the actors glaringly sullenly at each other on-screen. Mark Strong, who plays Jim Prideaux, was the villain in 2009’s “Sherlock Holmes”. John Hurt (Control) and Ciaran Hinds (Roy Bland) appear in several Harry Potter movies. Gary Oldman (George Smiley) can be seen as Lieutenant, and eventually Commissioner James Gordon from Christopher Nolan’s Batman trilogy. Benedict Cumberbatch (Peter Guillam) is best known for his role in BBC’s “Sherlock”. Tom Hardy (Ricki Tarr) became big in America thanks to his role in Inception, but before then had been one of Britain’s hotties, due to Wuthering Heights and Bronson. Colin Firth (Bill Haydon) would be familiar to someone who’s mother has a weakness for the Bridget Jones movies, and any true “Doctor Who” fan would know Toby Jones (Percy Alleline) as the Dream Lord.
“Tinker Tailor” is a big-name movie, and that is where a large amount of the appeal lies for the younger folk. This movie is full of familiar faces, which be all that’s needed to sit through this 127 minute long movie. But the actors aren’t the only thing keeping the audience engaged. The people criticizing “Tinker Tailor” may have a point when they say the plot has been dumbed down and simplified, but that might be the entire reason people who know nothing about the book are clamoring to see the movie. This version is something they can handle. It’s not quite as in-depth as the 1979 mini-series but deep enough to give them something to ponder over on the car ride back home. The theme of homosexual relationships is also explored in far greater depth, although still given the secrecy and subtlety that a gay relationship in the late 70’s would require.
Overall, “Tinker Tailor” is a good, well-crafted movie. Careful cinematography and unabashed deaths keep the movie from stagnating. Admittedly, the pacing might be slow for some, but there were enough reveals sprinkled throughout the movie to keep it interesting and the superb acting gave life to the characters. Despite the large ensemble cast, every character has real, fleshed-out personalities and relationships. While the plot might not always be very clear, the mystery is certainly investing enough that the audience finds themselves anxious for the next scene. This isn’t a movie you should go to see if you’re looking for something to tide you over until the next James Bond comes out. This is a movie you should go to see if you want to think, and apply the knowledge of a time period you’ve only studied in history class to the movie pictures up on the big screen.
