Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a throw back to the Cold War espionage thrillers I grew up with, both in film and books.  The movie stars an impressive list of British favorites like Gary Oldman (greatest actor on the planet), Colin Firth, and John Hurt as well as some new up an comers like Tom Hardy.

The film opens in the early 1970’s during the height of the Cold War with the resignation of the Head of British Intelligence, Control (John Hurt) after a botched Hungarian operation.  The upper executive team is disbanded, but not before Control warns that one of four men who comprise the highest level of British intelligence is a spy.  George Smiley (Gary Oldman) happily goes into retirement as he has had enough of his life as a spy.  Not long after Control dies, a senior government agent approaches Smiley to lure him out of retirement as he has been given information by a low level spy named Ricky Tarr (Tom Hardy) that corroborates Controls assertion that there is a mole at the highest level of British intelligence.  Since Smiley has been retired, he is viewed as an outsider and the only one that can be trusted.

The failure of the Hungarian operation and the subsequent rise of Operation Witchcraft, which provides almost too much valuable information about the eastern block, confirms in Smiley’s mind that there is indeed a mole.  He decides to take on the assignment and investigate.  He is determined to ensure that the British intelligence community is corruption free.  Whether he does this out of sense of duty or revenge for his inglorious discharge from the service, Smiley’s passive face never let’s on.  All that we know that, despite his age, Smiley is a consummate professional and a methodical analyst.  

The film is an assembly of flashbacks as Smiley attempts to piece together the puzzle of who the mole is.  It occasionally gets confusing because we sometimes have to take a moment to determine if we are in the present or in a flashback.  The film is skillfully done and the tension it creates is artful.  Like any ‘whodunnit’ film the clues rotate suspicion through all the suspects.  Just when you think you know who the guilty party is, some other piece of evidence pops up to implicate someone else.

This isn’t a bad film, but a little tedious and slow.  I do have issues with how Smiley came up with some of his conclusions as based on the evidence, it seemed like he pulled the connections out of thin air.  In fact, I’m not even sure how he made certain assumptions given the evidence.  It’s no fun in a ‘whodunnit’ if you can’t piece it together along with the protagonist.  

Overall, a worthwhile remake of the 1979 film based on the John Le Carre’s novel.  It just won’t make a big box office smash.  A nice nostalgic film ride from those who remember those types of film.  Easily forgettable though, despite excellent performances from a strong cast.

I give this **1/2  stars