tinker tailor soldier

Tinker Tailor Soldier Sleep

I think that Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is something I would rather have read than watched, and as a film I must admit that I found it dreadfully boring.

Based on John Le Carre’s novel of the same title, it is an espionage thriller set in the 1970s during the height of the Cold War. The complex plot would be better appreciated if there were time for more details and one was able to get absorbed into the story and its characters, as one would in a novel.

Instead it tries to cram all this into a film and still manages to feel slow and too long Furthermore, the assumption is made that the audience has read the book – a grievous fault made by many films adapted from books. The complex plot is not properly condensed and takes its time plodding along and explaining niche terms, losing the audience along the way.

The cinematography is staid and bleak and in this it does capture the grim feeling of paranoia that was rife during the Cold War. Based in the 70s, it also feels as if it was shot in the 70s. Lending the film an authentic feel, it further contributes to its gravity.

The cast, too, is superb. Gary Oldman delivers a terrific performance as the principal character George Smiley; the sombre calm and restraint that he brings across as Smiley is remarkable. As a true spy, his emotion is veiled beneath an imperceptible smile or discomfiting stare. Lending great support is a fantastic British cast including Colin Firth, Tom Hardy and Mark Strong.

The tension is there at times, but the thrills are not. Fans of Le Carre will enjoy it, as was apparent from the collection of senior citizens pouring out the cinema and eagerly comparing the film and the book afterwards. I am very open-minded when it comes to films and can enjoy something aimed at children, as well as a more senior audience, but this film just made me feel that I was too young and frivolous for it – which is not such a bad thing.

Originally published on Dinner and a Movie

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