"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" Review

"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" is one of the year's best films, a brilliant old-style spy thriller with a commanding performance from Gary Oldman. Based on the novel by John le Carre, the film is set in the halls of British intelligence organization MI-6 (affectionately known as "the Circus") at the height of the Cold War. Agent George Smiley (Oldman) has recently been forced into retirement, but he's secretly brought back into the organization to learn the identity of a Soviet informant who may have climbed to the very top levels of the Circus. The suspects, provided by the secretive agency director known only as Control (John Hurt) are Percy Alleline (code named "Tinker" and played by Toby Jones), Bill Haydon ("Tailor," Colin Firth), Roy Bland ("Soldier," Ciaran Hinds), and Toby Esterhase ("Poor Man," David Dencik). With the help of his young assistant Peter Guillam (Benedict Cumberbatch) and rogue agent Ricki Tarr (Tom Hardy), Smiley must secretly investigate each of the suspects as the tension continually escalates.

"Tinker Tailor" is an extraordinarily atmospheric film. There is very little action and the film is overwhelmingly dialogue-driven, but I was riveted the entire time as director Tomas Alfredson continually ratchets up the intensity with suspenseful scenes, meaningful exchanges, and occasional bursts of shocking violence. In terms of the feel of the film, it is perhaps a distant cousin of the excellent thriller "Drive," though the styles employed in the two films are drastically different. Here, Alfredson employs a very methodical style, and the mood is fed with outstanding production and costume design, bleak, washed-out, grainy cinematography, impeccable sound design and a minimal but menacing score. Oldman is outstanding as Smiley; I haven't seen the BBC adaptation that starred Alec Guinness in the lead role but I can't imagine anyone playing the character more perfectly than Oldman. The supporting cast is rich, but the most outstanding turns come from Hardy and Mark Strong as Jim Prideaux, two characters who probably have the most emotional involvement of any in the story.

Overall, "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" is simply an excellent film. It's not James Bond or Jason Bourne by any means, but for those who can adjust to the slow, methodical, menacing style it's absolutely worth seeking out. I'm hoping to publish a list of my top ten films of the year in about two weeks as there are a few more films I still have to see and a few more I need to rewatch, but as of right now, "Tinker Tailor" is very close to the top.

"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" is rated R for violence, some sexuality / nudity, and language.
Running time: 127 minutes.
Released domestically on December 9, 2011, by Focus Features.
3.5 stars out of 4.