Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (***)

Directed by: Tomas Alfredson

Starring: Gary Oldman, John Hurt, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, Mark Strong, Ciaran Hinds, Benedict Cumberbatch, David Dencik, Stephen Graham, Simon McBurney, Toby Jones

Seen: March 13^th 2012

*** Out of ****

If you’re a fan of spy movies but find the usual action packed shootouts and chase sequences too much while yearning for a stronger and more complex story, then Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is for you. The movie trusts that intrigue and the story itself will keep the viewer nailed to his seat, expectantly trying to figure out what will come next, and while this won’t be the case for many, it is very rewarding for those who keep up with the complexities of the spy trade as presented. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is probably a much more accurate portrayal of the spy industry in the early 70’s than many spy movies made to thrill and excite the audience with flashy visuals and a barrage of stunts.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy starts with Control (Hurt) at the head of British Intelligence, or the Circus. His right hand man George Smiley (Oldman) is a formidable force in the intelligence world, but even this doesn’t help them when a Control-sanctioned mission fails. The mission: agent Jim Prideaux (Strong) is sent to Hungary to retrieve intelligence regarding a high-level mole at the Circus, a with only Prideaux and Control in the know. Prideaux is shot, Control dies of illness soon afterwards, and Smiley is forcibly retired. This makes room for Percy Alleline (Jones) to take over, with the rest of the Circus not changing much; there’s Alleline’s new deputy Bill Haydon (Firth), with Roy Bland (Hinds) and Toby Esterhause (Dencik) as close allies, all former members of the Circus under Control.

Smiley is approached at home by a field agent, Ricky Tarr (Hardy), who tells Smiley of a mole in the Circus, and when Smiley takes this information to Oliver Lacon (McBurney), a government Intelligence Servant, the recurring of this allegation has them installing Smiley to find the mole. Smiley unearths Control’s old documentation, and with the help of Ricky Tarr, the young but promising agent Peter Guillam (Cumberbatch), and recollections from Prideaux, Smiley sets of to find the mole among the current Circus members, codenamed Tinker, or Alleline; Tailor, or Haydon; Soldier, or Bland; Poorman, or Esterhause; and even Smiley himself, Beggarman. 

The acting in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is top notch, Gary Oldman leading an accomplished cast in telling a very complex and well formulated story. Nothing is given away and right up to the last moment of revelation the mole can be practically anyone. Only two female characters appear: Circus secretary Connie Sachs (Burke), and Irina, a Soviet national assisting Tarr in spite of Russian Spymaster Karla being on her tail. This is punctuated in one throwaway scene where the words “Women are the future” are clearly visible as graffiti on a wall in the background – I found this small detail very interesting in light of the male dominated cast and story of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is for those who desire a very strong story and can stand its apparent slow pace. it feels like the 70’s, and really pulls you into the story. I enjoyed the movie for its intrigue and well-told story combined with fantastic acting and a sense of immersion into everything. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a spy movie that reaches deeper, and rewards you all the more for it.