Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, a film based off the John le Carré novel of the same title, takes its audience back to time and form of the classic spy tale. A Russian mole infiltrates the highest level of British Intelligence in the Cold War era, and Mr. Smiley (Gary Oldman) must uncover and remove the deeply entrenched agent from its ranks. It’s a well-done and welcome return to the classic espionage genre.

The narrative is fresh despite the conventional genre tropes, and the screenplay is equally snappy throughout. Carré’s dark and subtle literary approach transfers well to the film, in a directorial tone that reflects a more calculated and cold atmosphere. Moreover, the program music is done wonderfully, complimenting the action perfectly. Special mention should be made of director Tomas Alfredson, who preserves a subtlety in Tinker Tailor without letting the film drift into incomprehensibility. The result is a work that’s accessible to most audiences, but especially rewarding to engaged moviegoers: the subtle hints and messages sprinkled throughout merge to thicken the excitement and anxiety. The greatest strength of Tinker Tailor, though, is Oldman’s career-defining performance as Smiley.

In a year where so many actors—Ryan Gosling, Leonard DiCaprio, etc.—have flexed their thespian muscles, Oldman brings to bear an equally impressive execution. Smiley is not a simple character to play. He has dealt with spouse drama at home, while serving at the head of British Intelligence for years. This results in a character with emotional turbulence, yet years of training and experience that condition an inability to reveal his feelings to others. Personally, seeing Oldman without his trademark moustache is enough motivation for me to go see the film, but his understated, brilliant performance re-convinced me of his ability to swing with Hollywood’s big boys. Oldman’s challenge in Tinker Tailor is imbuing the role with a visceral sensibility while maintaining the restraint befitting a high officer in the British Intelligence. He succeeds on both counts, stealing every scene in which he appears, even among scenery-chewing performances by Colin Firth and Tom Hardy.

The nuance and careful pacing of the film may wear on some attention spans, but for those looking to engage and interact with a classical espionage film, Tinker Tailor doesn’t disappoint. If the twists and turns of its screenplay aren’t enough to satisfy you, Oldman will.