{"id":12923,"date":"2011-09-14T23:42:30","date_gmt":"2011-09-14T22:42:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.filmdetail.com\/?p=12923"},"modified":"2011-09-16T12:18:10","modified_gmt":"2011-09-16T11:18:10","slug":"tinker-tailor-soldier-spy-review","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.filmdetail.com\/2011\/09\/14\/tinker-tailor-soldier-spy-review\/","title":{"rendered":"Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This impeccably crafted adaptation of John le Carre<\/a>\u2019s Cold War thriller<\/a> finds new resonance in an era of economic and social crisis.<\/p>\n

Set in the murky world of British intelligence<\/a> during the 1970s, retired agent George Smiley<\/a> (Gary Oldman) is hired to find out the identity of a Soviet double-agent inside \u2018the Circus<\/a>\u2019 (in house name for MI6) and solve a looming crisis.<\/p>\n

Along with his new partner Peter Guillam (Benedict Cumberbatch) and an agent in hiding (Tom Hardy), Smiley focuses on a group of suspects whom their former boss (John Hurt) had given nicknames: Percy \u2018Tinker\u2019 Alleline (Toby Jones); Bill \u2018Tailor\u2019 Haydon (Colin Firth); Roy \u2018Soldier\u2019 Bland (Ciaran Hinds) and Toby \u2018Poor Man\u2019 Esterhase (David Dencik).<\/p>\n

Rather than comparing it to the acclaimed 1979 TV series<\/a> with Alec Guinness as Smiley, it is better to think of this as fresh adaptation of the original novel, as it not only skilfully compresses the action into 127 minutes but also introduces some clever changes which establish a fresh version of le Carre\u2019s world.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>The screenplay by Peter Straughan<\/a> and the late Bridget O’Connor<\/a> moves things around, but preserves the essential story inside a clever flashback structure, which along with a key Christmas party scene (not in the book) neatly fuses the themes and plot.<\/p>\n

But it is the hiring of Swedish director Tomas Alfredson<\/a> and his cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema<\/a> that proves the real masterstoke.<\/p>\n

Fresh from the success of Let The Right One In<\/a> (2009), they convey the slow burn tensions of the time with a piercing outsiders eye.<\/p>\n

The framing of shots and muted colour palette are accomplished with laser like precision, whilst the the drab horror of the Cold War and the incestuous, Oxbridge world of UK intelligence is evoked with remarkable aplomb.<\/p>\n

This is augmented by some wonderful production design from Maria Djurkovic and costumes by Jacqueline Durran, which convincingly depict an era which can be prone to kitsch or parody.<\/p>\n

Also worth noting is the impressive sound design by John Casali, which seems to be channelling Walter Murch<\/a>\u2019s work in The Conversation<\/a> (1974) – another film where a weary protagonist tries to process a world in which appearances can be deceiving.<\/p>\n

Alberto Iglesias\u2019 score<\/a> lends the film a distinctive mood with its sparse piano and mournful strings, whilst some of the musical choices are judged to perfection, especially a memorable montage sequence involving a Julio Igelsias version of \u2018Le Mer\u2019<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The action frequently involves a patient Smiley quietly venturing between the strange, slang-infected<\/a> world of \u2018the Circus\u2019 and meeting various people with whom silence is frequently more telling than the words that come out of their mouth.<\/p>\n

Gary Oldman is vital in making this approach work, with his tangible screen presence and deliberately restrained performance. Marking a pleasant change from the raw energy of his earlier career, he imbues Smiley with a weary, quiet dignity.<\/p>\n

The supporting cast is crammed with stellar British acting talent: Colin Firth, John Hurt, Mark Strong and Benedict Cumberbatch are particularly excellent in smaller-than-usual roles in an ensemble which snaps together like a particularly satisfying jigsaw puzzle.<\/p>\n

Two key supporting characters are shrewdly never shown in this version even though their presence is keenly felt. They gain greater meaning via their absence, especially as it impacts on Smiley and further stokes the themes of trust and deception.<\/p>\n

In his writing career, le Carre managed to mine his own Cold War experiences to create lasting depictions of the simmering intrigue and tensions of a period when the world flirted with nuclear annihilation.<\/p>\n