Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (from now on called TTSS) is a classic British spy thriller set in the 1970s. It has all the right elements: bleak atmosphere, silent, monotonous characters, grey colours, cigarettes and secrets. A lot of secrets, well-hidden and carefully guarded.
George Smiley, played by Gary Oldman, is forced back from his retirement, to find out who the mole in the Circus is. Alongside Peter (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Mendel (Roger Lloyd-Pack, who I immediately recognized from Harry Potter), they start the search inside the "company", rulling out one by one.
Now, as I said, it can be a rather dull movie for some- for me, it was the first part, but right around the middle, or even before that, when Tom Hardy comes back into the picture and talks about his long lost Russian love and Cumberbatch steals information, I am sucked into the story and guess what? I am starting to enjoy myself- the plot thickens, the characters get more shadier, the secrets start pouring over, the music ascends....and in the end, we get our mole, all wrapped up with a bow. I have to admit it wasn't perfect and there are some loose ends, but overall, for a spy thriller, it was pretty damn good- well executed, great performances, fantastic sets and costumes and an interesting premise.
Acting-wise, you can never go wrong with Brits- they always seem to be on point. Colin Firth offers a swift change and a shocking turn in actions, Tom Hardy is convincing as a spy who falls in love with a Russian diplomate and tries to save her (I am starting to like him, I didn't before) and Toby Jones got my attention, he always surprises me. As for Benedict Cumberbatch- what can I say? This is was the first time I have ever seen him in a movie, and I actually loved him- although he has such a weird appeareance, not very attractive to say so, he is still very charming and has an appeal some work on for years; it's effortless, just like his performance.
Last, but not least, Gary Oldman- the man, the legend. I usually consider the wild, unpredictable, maniac performances to be the best, as they are rare to find in the real world, but mister Oldman proved me wrong tonight. He showed not only me, but everyone, that control is sometimes ten times harder to perform then a wild act. He played Smiley with such restraint and calm, that I do believe he deserves a lot more attention for this part that he is given now.
Overall, I think TTSS is a good movie and you should see it, if you have the chance! Brits rarely mess up and they didn't this time, either! Enjoy!
So looking forward to this one - Mark Strong is in it somewhere too, and I adore Mark Strong. Great review again, Diana :)
ReplyDeleteYou wrote your review for it before I wrote mine! I'll come back and read yours more throughly later, but I'm glad you enjoyed it. Some have cited the film for being to slow and hard to follow. I only had two questions about the film in the end I think I figured them out. The performances were awesome!
ReplyDelete@Ruth: Thank you, you're too kind! Yeah, everyone delivered big time, the performances are very good!
ReplyDelete@Max: Ha, beat you to it, but can't wait to read yours, as well! Yes, there were some questions, but overall it hasn't that complicated for me!
still waiting to see this one, but I am glad to see another fellow movie lover that enjoyed this film. I hope Oldman finally receives some Oscar recognition here.
ReplyDelete-T (previously TheScarletSp1der)
I can't wait to see it, I heard it's very confusing and quite difficult to understand. I love the cast - Strong is such a great actor and I hope he gets to play good role.
ReplyDelete@T: thanks for dropping by! I hope you see the movie soon, too, it's worth it, even just for Oldman!
ReplyDelete@Sati: That's what I heard the first time- it's hard to understand and confusing, but honestly, it wasn't that bad. Yes, there are some things I still don't know, but nothing major! Also, Strong is fantastic in it, as well!
Nice to see a fairly positive review. Thanks Diana. I am not convinced I will like it, maybe just appreciate it for it's style.
ReplyDeletethanks
Your lucky you stayed awake to get to the parts you enjoyed. I found this movie to be a bore. I did enjoy Oldman's performance as a man with schizoid personality disorder.
ReplyDelete@Scott: You might now, but you should definitely give it a shot and see it!
ReplyDelete@Threeguys1movie: Personality disorder? how come? :)
Just seen the movie, it was very ambigous at parts, but despite few flaws I thougt it was all right. The cinematography was exeptionally gorgeous.
ReplyDeleteSati: Glad you enjoyed it, and yes, the cinematography, sets, music, everything was in place! Like I said, the brits can do no wrong! Thanks!
ReplyDelete