Though it’s described as a spy thriller, thrilling is not how I would refer to Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Adapted from the John le Carre novel of the same name and a story that was previously adapted into a well-respected, six-hour BBC miniseries back in 1979 starring Alec Guinness, director Tomas Alfredson (Let the Right One In) has trimmed those six hours into two and yet it still feels long. Alfredson, however, has made a technically marvelous film that lives and breathes its 1970s setting with grey skies, occasional amber hues and appropriate period attire, but technical proficient isn’t where filmmaking ends, you have to tell a compelling story and this search for a Russian mole near the top of Britain’s secret service just didn’t have enough meat to keep me interested.
The story is guided by George Smiley (Gary Oldman), an ex-agent who was forced out only to later be assigned the task of searching for the mole from the outside, with select members of the service at his disposal. Throughout his investigation, the past is either referenced in conversation or brief flashbacks, slowly peeling the layers away, revealing what has been hiding beneath the surface since the first few minutes of the film.
Admittedly, the methodical pace Alfredson maintains does work in his favor as the story draws nearer to its climax, and he never gives in to the natural convention of most spy thrillers, though there were times I wished he would bend even just a little. This isn’t James Bond, a gun may be drawn, but chase scenes and explosions aren’t the order of the day. Action, in this case, is reaction and realization. As Smiley navigates from one source to the next, his investigation soon casts shadows of doubt over several members of the secret service he used to sit in meetings with, members that include new chief Percy Alleline (Toby Jones), Bill Haydon (Colin Firth), Toby Esterhase (David Dencik) and Roy Bland (Ciaran Hinds).
Jones in particular stands out as Alleline, a character I would suspect many actors would be on their knees to play. He’s the snake in the grass, giving you the impression he’ll strike at any moment and Jones takes advantage of the opportunity. Also standing out is Tom Hardy as the mystery’s lynchpin character, Ricki Tarr, an agent who’s seen his name dragged through the mud as a result of what he’s seen and what he knows. Hardy’s performance is probably the only one in the film that hues ever so closely to the performance of his predecessor in the ’79 miniseries. Unfortunately for Hardy, the expanded running time of the BBC version gave Hywel Bennett much more scenery to chew up and yet Hardy’s portion of the story is still the most compelling.
One character I particularly became interested in was Benedict Cumberbatch’s Peter Guillam who serves as Smiley’s service insider. Not only does Cumberbatch give a great performance, but Guillam as a character has a few unexpected qualities and Cumberbatch manages to ever so gracefully touch on his intricacies, none of which I will spoil here. I will say, however, a showdown between Guillam and Alleline was perhaps my favorite moment of the entire film as both characters unflinchingly hold their ground, rattle off fiery lines and yet never betray their characters.
As for the man at the top, Oldman gives a measured and watchful performance. There’s no grandstanding here as he goes about his business, seemingly free of paranoia now that he’s working from the outside looking back in. Most of Oldman’s performance is in his eyes as he asks his questions and reacts to answers. Yet, as good as he is, there isn’t anything in particular that stood out. He simply carries the film on his shoulders and he does this, most of the time, by letting others tell the story.
For those wondering, other members of this superb ensemble cast are also flawless. John Hurt plays the man at the top known as Control and it’s a botched Hungarian job in which Mark Strong as Jim Prideaux is shot that sets the wheels of this story in motion. Hurt’s performance, particularly his outbursts, reminded me of his work as Chancellor Sutler in V for Vendetta, while Strong brings his character to life with a quiet confidence.
If you couldn’t tell by these descriptions, this isn’t your traditional spy thriller. It plays more like an investigative journalism piece, yet All the President’s Men looks like a Michael Bay film compared to this. I’d almost want to compare it to David Fincher’s Zodiac, but there’s a menace to that film that’s present throughout whereas Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is meticulous almost to a fault.
Alberto Iglesias’ score rarely reaches a fast pace as horns are quietly placed over the body of the film with the gentle touches of the xylophone maintaining a heartbeat. But as I said in the opening, this film is the epitome of excellent filmmaking, yet the quality of a painting isn’t only determined by how well it’s painted, but by how it moves and speaks to you. Only a couple of times while watching Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy did I find my pulse quickened and even then it was very brief. It’s emotionally cold outside of brief moments and I had a hard time finding a connection.
I can respect Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and I had no problem watching it a second time before writing this review, and yet, it’s simply not a film I would choose to return to all that often. It’s certainly an enigma in the current filmic landscape where slow and meticulous are words I can’t often use to describe a film, and while I can appreciate the fact Alfredson and screenwriters Bridget O’Connor and Peter Straughan don’t pander to the audience by dumbing down the screenplay, I just wish they would have injected it with a little more life and intrigue as this carefully crafted feature certainly has atmosphere, but it offers very little else in terms of entertainment.
