Some say James Bond single-handedly revolutionized the spy drama. But fans of John le Carré's best-selling novels will tell you that it was le Carré himself who turned that genre on its head in 1963 with his famed mystery "The Spy Who Came in Cold." And after seeing Tomas Alfredson's adaptation of le Carré's 1974 novel "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy," I think they might be right.
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The plot of "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" is so simple, it may strike the reader as unartistic. George Smiley (Gary Oldman) is the head of the English Circus (the British Secret Service). He is now retired though, and his life has been undone by a broken marriage with his wife. Just when he hits rock bottom, he uncovers a complex conspiracy inside the Circus: There is a Russian traitor somewhere in the Secret Service. Someone is leaking secrets, and it's up to George discover who it is before it's too late.
The film's simple plot quickly complexifies over time. The first hour is so laced with British slang, reveries within reveries, false leads and mysterious figures that the film can threaten to be frustrating. The pacing is also quite slow, much slower then the books airport parentage would suggest. For patient viewers, the speed with which things occur will prove to be calculated and suspenseful. "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" starts as a lethargic mystery, but at a critical point, it grabs you by the neck and refuses to let go.
Yet it's the ensemble cast and Alfredson's direction which really make this film great. In what could be one of the greatest British casts ever, Alfredson has managed to assemble Colin Firth, John Hurt, Tom Hardy, Toby Jones, Ciarán Hinds, Stephen Graham and, most importantly, Gary Oldman, and direct them in key.
Oldman has already been highly praised for his performance in "Soldier Spy," and there is good reason for this. Most of the acting he does in this film is portrayed through slight facial expressions. Oldman acts with a quiet wit, much like the rest of the cast and the film itself.
Alfredson stylizes the film to fit his actor's restrained performances. The cinematography of the film is absolutely gorgeous. The camerawork, full of leering tracking shots and beautiful telephoto zoom outs, is wild. Alfredson uses music in a similar way to Tarantino and films his actors with a coldness that could be compared to Kubrick. The marriage of the styles of two masters of cinema is effective. It couldn't be much better for a movie like this.
"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" is not the average spy movie. If you're expecting Judi Dench as Q, if you want beautiful women, or if you crave car chases, this is not your movie. Alfredson's film is, instead, modern cinema at its finest. "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" is one of the most thrilling films to come out in a long time. Alfred Hitchcock would be pleased.
