Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
Saw this Oscar contender yesterday afternoon in a sudden decision to take advantage of matinee pricing. I have never read the novel and didn't see the BBC mini-series, so I went in cold, with no prior knowledge except that Gary Oldman's performance has been lauded, that his character's name was George Smiley, and that it had something to do with the spy business.
Generally speaking, I thought the film was very good, though occasionally hard to follow. (Much more discerning viewers than myself seemed to think so as well.) I had to really concentrate and make detailed mental notes about who was who and what was what. There was a certain amount of going-on-faith involved, a skill one develops when reading science fiction novels because, in this film as in good science fiction, the worldbuilding is detailed and very important. One must understand the world of shadows in which George Smiley has lived: Cold-War-era distrust, secrets on top of secrets, identities on top of identities, a political environment in many ways very different from today. I managed it. But the core story--the suspicion that there's a mole at the top of the British Secret Service--is pretty straight forward. Control (John Hurt) calls in The forcibly-retired George Smiley is called in to do a secret investigation of the men at the top to figure out where the leak is. Smiley's the only one that Control trusted enough for the work, and Peter Guillam (Benedict Cumberbatch, the BBC's current and compelling Sherlock Holmes), a younger agent, is provided as a resource for Smiley inside the organization.
The story of how the leaks began and who's behind them is labyrinthine (see above re: paying attention and concentrating) and fascinating. I agree with oldmangrumpus who observed that the key suspects in the mystery aren't given enough meaty screen time for the viewers to get a sense of who they are and what their motives may or may not be. The viewer gets to know Guillam far better, and Cumberbatch, frankly, gives a terrific performance, his facade more penetrable than his more seasoned coworkers, and his investment more obvious. When it comes time for Smiley to corner the culprit, I found myself less invested in solving the mystery than I was in Smiley's vindication. Now, that may have been the point that the writers and the director were trying to get at, but I think that in some ways, I would have enjoyed the film more with a little more of a sense of who these key players were so that I could puzzle it out along with Smiley.
Someone on Facebook asked me if the film was slow, as she'd heard. I wouldn't say it's slow so much as I'd say that it harks back to a time when films weren't about fast cuts and car chases. It's all about atmosphere and character and, in that respect, it's spot on. Oldman is wonderful as Smiley, reserving his reactions and keeping his face neutral while his mind pores over possibilities. When his facade does crack, it's intensely personal and very dramatic just because he is otherwise so unreadable. John Hurt's craggy, world-weary presence is perfect for the role of Control. Colin Firth is at his most dashing. And I was delighted to see Ciarin Hinds and Toby Jones, both of whom aren't given much to do but--Jones especially--make the most of their screen time. Recommended? Absolutely.
Generally speaking, I thought the film was very good, though occasionally hard to follow. (Much more discerning viewers than myself seemed to think so as well.) I had to really concentrate and make detailed mental notes about who was who and what was what. There was a certain amount of going-on-faith involved, a skill one develops when reading science fiction novels because, in this film as in good science fiction, the worldbuilding is detailed and very important. One must understand the world of shadows in which George Smiley has lived: Cold-War-era distrust, secrets on top of secrets, identities on top of identities, a political environment in many ways very different from today. I managed it. But the core story--the suspicion that there's a mole at the top of the British Secret Service--is pretty straight forward. Control (John Hurt) calls in The forcibly-retired George Smiley is called in to do a secret investigation of the men at the top to figure out where the leak is. Smiley's the only one that Control trusted enough for the work, and Peter Guillam (Benedict Cumberbatch, the BBC's current and compelling Sherlock Holmes), a younger agent, is provided as a resource for Smiley inside the organization.
The story of how the leaks began and who's behind them is labyrinthine (see above re: paying attention and concentrating) and fascinating. I agree with oldmangrumpus who observed that the key suspects in the mystery aren't given enough meaty screen time for the viewers to get a sense of who they are and what their motives may or may not be. The viewer gets to know Guillam far better, and Cumberbatch, frankly, gives a terrific performance, his facade more penetrable than his more seasoned coworkers, and his investment more obvious. When it comes time for Smiley to corner the culprit, I found myself less invested in solving the mystery than I was in Smiley's vindication. Now, that may have been the point that the writers and the director were trying to get at, but I think that in some ways, I would have enjoyed the film more with a little more of a sense of who these key players were so that I could puzzle it out along with Smiley.
Someone on Facebook asked me if the film was slow, as she'd heard. I wouldn't say it's slow so much as I'd say that it harks back to a time when films weren't about fast cuts and car chases. It's all about atmosphere and character and, in that respect, it's spot on. Oldman is wonderful as Smiley, reserving his reactions and keeping his face neutral while his mind pores over possibilities. When his facade does crack, it's intensely personal and very dramatic just because he is otherwise so unreadable. John Hurt's craggy, world-weary presence is perfect for the role of Control. Colin Firth is at his most dashing. And I was delighted to see Ciarin Hinds and Toby Jones, both of whom aren't given much to do but--Jones especially--make the most of their screen time. Recommended? Absolutely.