Director Tomas Alfredson breaks genre stereotype in low-key thriller
For years now, the spy thriller genre has been dominated by explosions, car chases, fancy high-tech gadgets and one name: Bond, James Bond. Those 007 and “Mission Impossible” aspects, including the cool gadgets, the death-defying stunts and beautiful women, have come to define the genre so much that it is almost getting tiresome.
Thankfully, director Tomas Alfredson (“Let the Right One In”) gives audiences an engaging, low-key espionage thriller instead of another high-octane spy action film — one that features a strong cast and complex screenplay.
Based on the John le Carre novel of the same name, “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” is set in 1970s London at the height of the Cold War.
Gary Oldman plays George Smiley, a well-respected veteran agent who is forced into retirement, along with the director (John Hurt), after a failed mission in Budapest. Percy Alleline (Toby Jones) becomes the new Chief of the Circus, aka MI6, and establishes an operation on delivering high-grade Soviet intelligence, code-named “Witchcraft.”
But when word comes that a mole has infiltrated the highest levels of the Circus, a government minister asks Smiley to figure out who it is. Code names are given to some of the suspects, who have senior roles within British Intelligence. Alleline is “Tinker,” Bill Haydon (Colin Firth) is “Tailor” and Roy Bland (Ciarán Hinds) is “Soldier.” However, the top officials at the Circus as well as the former director have had their suspicions about Smiley.
Not only does the director perfectly capture the glum atmosphere of London during the Cold War era, but he also offers that sense of inherent paranoia that comes with the spy world. Alfredson uses vivid details and beautifully photographed scenes to instinctively set the mood, generating a suspenseful environment and allowing the scenes of high tension and red herrings to be sufficiently plausible.
The action is minimal, with no car chases, no explosions, no hanging off ledges, no CGI effects and no gunfights. Instead, Alfredson spends his time diving deep into the emotional turmoil of these characters as they are haunted by the past.
Aside from its significant attention to detail and slow pace, “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” is basically a performance-driven film, boasting a strong and colorful British cast that deliver top-notch performances with Gary Oldman at the center. Oldman gives a complete tour de force performance as a melancholy, disheveled Smiley, the anti–James Bond. Smiley is battered, washed out and beaten down by life. As an agent, he is a silent spectator, taking in the details and considering the larger picture while mulling over the information.
Colin Firth (“The King’s Speech”) is the womanizing operative who is widely known to have been Smiley’s wife’s lover. Toby Jones (better known as Dobby the house elf in the Harry Potter films) is the smug operative who thinks he is the smartest guy in the room. Tom Hardy (“Inception,” the upcoming “The Dark Knight Rises”) plays Ricki Tarr, a hit man who makes the mistake of falling in love while on a mission, and Mark Strong (“Sherlock Holmes,” “Green Lantern”) is the operative who fails in the Budapest mission and becomes haunted by his memories of torture.
If there is one flaw that comes with this movie, it’s that it requires close watching. The storyline, though greatly layered, will require some audiences to stop and ask themselves questions like, “Who is that guy again?” and “What is their relationship?”
The timeline sometimes shifts from present to past, which may confuse audiences but gives great insight into these characters and their emotional distress. By the time the movie reaches its climax, the audience’s patience is greatly rewarded with an involving thriller.
If viewers can embrace “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’s” demand for patience and concentration, as well as its lack of action, they will be pleased by the film as it is a refreshing reminder that spy flicks don’t have to be filled with action-packed sequences to find the thrill.