Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Gary Oldman, John Hurt, Colin Firth, Benedict Cumberbatch, Mark Strong, Toby Jones, David Dencik, Ciaran Hinds, Tom Hardy, Kathy Burke

Dir. Thomas Alfredson
Scr. Bridget O’Connor & Peter Straughan (based on the novel of the same name by John le Carre)

This film is one hell of a slow-burner. And some, I can only presume, will find the burning simply too slow. I found it absolutely and utterly gripping. This isn’t Jason Bourne or James Bond. For my money, it’s better. It’ll get under your skin, into your brain and it’ll stick. The cast to top all casts will impress and delight. The story will compel and confuse and reward. Film of the year thus far, no question at all.

I’m not going to try and explain the plot. I don’t want to give too much away and, let’s face it, it’s simply too hard to explain in a paragraph. All you really need to know is that recently retired secret agent George Smiley (Oldman) is tasked with finding a senior mole in the British Intelligence. Set in the late 1960s, cold war paranoia runs riot. And no one can be trusted. ‘Nuff said.

I love the way this film feels and looks. So grey and shadowy, this movie reeks of suspicion. I want to heap much praise on director Alfredson in what is, I believe, his first English-speaking feature. He truly captures an era. Praise must also go to the screenwriters who have adapted such iconic writing in such a faithful and accessible way.

For me, there could not have been a more stellar and tremendous cast. How they were able to be assembled is a mystery but I thank the movie gods that they were. I can’t fault any of them, but a couple did stand out for me. Obviously, a lot rests on Oldman’s shoulders and he more than delivers – his portrayal of weathered and worn and deliberate and sure Smiley is simply perfect. The scene in which he recounts trying to convince a Russian agent to defect was breath-taking – in fact, until he had finished, I didn’t realise I was indeed holding my breath. Cumberbatch, most familiar to us now as over-the-top-and-far-too-fond-of-himself Sherlock, gives a superbly understated and poignant performance as Smiley’s right-hand man Peter Guillan. Firth plays Bill Haydon, one of the top men suspected of being the mole, with such aplomb and calculated charm. He is surprising and wonderful. Kathy Burke too gives a lovely, heart-wrenching, too short performance as a former Intelligence employee. And Mark Strong, ugh, he’s so good. I could go on. They are all absolutely ace.

I cannot recommend this film highly enough. Expertly paced, TTSS rewards the viewer who pays careful attention and plays along. Asked to put conventional morality aside, we are presented with a strangely melancholic place, where reason and loyalty rule. And I loved this place. Just one word of warning: try to avoid answering the call of nature during the film. You don’t want, and can’t afford, to miss a thing.

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George Smiley: We are not so very different, you and I. We've both spent our lives looking for the weaknesses in one another.