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Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is all sleek, stealthy elegance. High-ranking intelligence officer George Smiley (Gary Oldman) was forced out of service when a mission in Hungary went very wrong, but rumors of a Soviet mole hidden within the agency bring him back into play. If the theory of the former head, Control (John Hurt), is to be believed, the mole is at the very top, one of four senior officers, played by Toby Jones, Ciarán Hinds, Colin Firth, and David Dencik (of the Swedish Girl with the Dragon Tattoo). With the help of a lower-ranking agent with a few secrets of his own (Benedict Cumberbatch, Sherlock) and a field agent who may be a source of disinformation (Tom Hardy, Inception), Smiley slowly draws out the clues he needs to lay a trap for the mole. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy moves gracefully, with brief but unhurried scenes that give a hint of information here, a dollop of implication there, until the larger picture (painted in a cinematic chiaroscuro of grays, blues, and browns) comes tantalizingly into focus. Don't expect Hitchcock-like suspense, though there are a few anxious sequences; this movie captures the blend of dread and bureaucracy that marks real-life intelligence work. Oldman plays Smiley as uncannily opaque and, on the surface, harmless--but his eyes hold a deep bitterness that can turn sorrowful or cruel. The masterful cast glides through the film, their subterfuges and machinations orchestrated like a dance by director Tomas Alfredson (Let the Right One In). --Bret Fetzer
Product Description
Gary Oldman leads a stunning all-star cast in this masterful adaptation of the John le Carr‚ bestseller. At the height of the Cold War, a precarious operation goes deadly wrong, and the head of British Intelligence wonders if a double agent is leaking vital secrets. Brought out of retirement to expose the potential mole, master spy George Smiley (Oldman) is the only one who can be trusted to expose one of their own. Or can he? As the emotional and physical tolls mount on the high-ranking suspects, Smiley will be forced into the ultimate international spy game where everyone's motives are in question. Filled with powerful performances by Academy Awardr winner Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, John Hurt, Toby Jones, Mark Strong, Benedict Cumberbatch and Ciar n Hinds, it's the powerful and deeply resonant film that Esquire hails as "the year's most stylish and sophisticated thriller!"
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
260 of 280 people found the following review helpful
By Jiang Xueqin
This is a movie that is essentially a time warp. We are warped back into the seventies, when film was more grainy, the camera was actually steady, actors had substance, movies actually had a story to tell, and the audience was patient and intelligent.
By the standards of contemporary movie-making, when the first five minutes is usually an appetizer action sequence with a lot of explosions, this novel takes a really long time to get started, and the conflict slowly unfolds. Gary Oldman does an excellent job of playing the understated George Smiley, who must uncover a Russian mole within the leadership circle of British intelligence while battling old age/insignificance and the loss of the love of his life. George Smiley is the unlikeliest of all action heroes, and this spy thriller the opposite of James Bond. It doesn't have the epic scale and consequence of "The Good Shepherd," which was a great spy thriller in its own right. But "Tinker, Tailor" does work, and is a rare breed of film: a movie that stays loyal to the book while transforming onto the big screen.
What ultimately makes it work is the director's steady hand, his willingness and courage to test the audience's patience as he slowly builds up the plot, just as George Smiley patiently built his strategy to track down the Russian mole.
By the standards of contemporary movie-making, when the first five minutes is usually an appetizer action sequence with a lot of explosions, this novel takes a really long time to get started, and the conflict slowly unfolds. Gary Oldman does an excellent job of playing the understated George Smiley, who must uncover a Russian mole within the leadership circle of British intelligence while battling old age/insignificance and the loss of the love of his life. George Smiley is the unlikeliest of all action heroes, and this spy thriller the opposite of James Bond. It doesn't have the epic scale and consequence of "The Good Shepherd," which was a great spy thriller in its own right. But "Tinker, Tailor" does work, and is a rare breed of film: a movie that stays loyal to the book while transforming onto the big screen.
What ultimately makes it work is the director's steady hand, his willingness and courage to test the audience's patience as he slowly builds up the plot, just as George Smiley patiently built his strategy to track down the Russian mole.
190 of 206 people found the following review helpful
By JEP
Format:DVD|Amazon Verified Purchase
Probably like a lot of modern viewers, I had heard of but not read this book, nor seen the BBC TV series - Both were issued in the 1970's.
I did though read a few summaries, knew that it was loosely based on the hunt for British turncoat spy Kim Philby, and went into the movie understanding that it requires very careful attention to keep up with the involved plot. Seeing it cold, I still thought it was great, with terific performances by many decorated actors throughout the movie, and Gary Oldman is fantastic in the lead. In some ways, if like me you see it without knowing the story first, his character is done in a way that helps take you into the story, as he barely says anything in the first 15 or 20 minutes of the movie and just seems to be watching what all is going on. By the end, he has transformed into a strong character that has figured out the whole scheme.
While I loved the movie, even without having read the book to know the full story, it felt like the plot was overly compressed to fit within 2 hours. I watched it intently, but there were still a couple of developments in the plot, as done in the movie, that seemed like huge leaps. Hopefully there will someday be a director's cut that fleshes the movie out a little better.
One viewing tip, courtesy of the Seattle Times movie reviewer - the many flashbacks can sometimes be confusing, but one way to help keep them straight is the glasses worn by Gary Oldman. He buys a new pair at the start of the movie, so the flashbacks show him with his old glasses - for the current events, he is wearing the new ones.
Postscript:
-----------
With the release of the movie on dvd and cable, many reviewers have now complained that the show is slow and boring. This is definitely not an action movie. If you're looking for the latest James Bond type flick, this movie is not for you.
On the other hand, director Tomas Alfredson (and John Le Carre in the book) probably assumed that the viewer would understand that this is a story of the very highest stakes - As mentioned above, it is widely acknowledged to be a fictionalized account of the hunt for British turncoat spy Kim Philby. Philby and his fellow Cambridge spies turned over vast amounts of classified British and US atomic and military information to the Soviets during the height of the Cold War. Philby also later admitted providing the Soviets with the names of hundreds of Western agents during his long years as a Communist mole, and many of those betrayed were captured and tortured or killed by the KGB. Le Carre could rightfully assume his readers in the Cold War era recognized the stakes involved without expressly stating such. Alfredson apparently assumed the same for the movie, as nothing was added to the script to make this clear for modern viewers. Personally, I think that was a reasonable approach, as it is apparent that the mole is at the highest level of British security, but it is clear from all of the reviews here that find the movie boring, many viewers feel otherwise.
By the way, while the British eventually confirmed he was a Communist spy, Philby actually escaped to the Soviet Union before he could be prosecuted and was later honored on a Russian postage stamp....
I did though read a few summaries, knew that it was loosely based on the hunt for British turncoat spy Kim Philby, and went into the movie understanding that it requires very careful attention to keep up with the involved plot. Seeing it cold, I still thought it was great, with terific performances by many decorated actors throughout the movie, and Gary Oldman is fantastic in the lead. In some ways, if like me you see it without knowing the story first, his character is done in a way that helps take you into the story, as he barely says anything in the first 15 or 20 minutes of the movie and just seems to be watching what all is going on. By the end, he has transformed into a strong character that has figured out the whole scheme.
While I loved the movie, even without having read the book to know the full story, it felt like the plot was overly compressed to fit within 2 hours. I watched it intently, but there were still a couple of developments in the plot, as done in the movie, that seemed like huge leaps. Hopefully there will someday be a director's cut that fleshes the movie out a little better.
One viewing tip, courtesy of the Seattle Times movie reviewer - the many flashbacks can sometimes be confusing, but one way to help keep them straight is the glasses worn by Gary Oldman. He buys a new pair at the start of the movie, so the flashbacks show him with his old glasses - for the current events, he is wearing the new ones.
Postscript:
-----------
With the release of the movie on dvd and cable, many reviewers have now complained that the show is slow and boring. This is definitely not an action movie. If you're looking for the latest James Bond type flick, this movie is not for you.
On the other hand, director Tomas Alfredson (and John Le Carre in the book) probably assumed that the viewer would understand that this is a story of the very highest stakes - As mentioned above, it is widely acknowledged to be a fictionalized account of the hunt for British turncoat spy Kim Philby. Philby and his fellow Cambridge spies turned over vast amounts of classified British and US atomic and military information to the Soviets during the height of the Cold War. Philby also later admitted providing the Soviets with the names of hundreds of Western agents during his long years as a Communist mole, and many of those betrayed were captured and tortured or killed by the KGB. Le Carre could rightfully assume his readers in the Cold War era recognized the stakes involved without expressly stating such. Alfredson apparently assumed the same for the movie, as nothing was added to the script to make this clear for modern viewers. Personally, I think that was a reasonable approach, as it is apparent that the mole is at the highest level of British security, but it is clear from all of the reviews here that find the movie boring, many viewers feel otherwise.
By the way, while the British eventually confirmed he was a Communist spy, Philby actually escaped to the Soviet Union before he could be prosecuted and was later honored on a Russian postage stamp....
144 of 158 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
"Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" is a well-executed adaptation of John Le Carre's classic espionage novel of the Cold War, with a first-rate cast, a haunting atmosphere, and a compelling narrative.
"Tinker" goes right to work. The opening sequence has field agent Jim Prideaux (Mark Strong) on an off-the-books mission to Hungary for the head of the British Secret Intelligence Service, known as Control (John Hurt). Control suspects a mole within the upper reaches of the Service, and asks Prideaux to send back a codeword identifying the spy, using the children's nursery rhyme. The mission is compromised, Priddeaux is shot, and Control and his deputy George Smiley (Gary Oldman) are fired.
A restless Smiley is recalled to duty by a senior civil servant to investigate some unfinished business involving Ricki Tarr (a blonde Tom Hardy), a field agent who claims to know a vital Soviet secret and who has gone off the grid. With the assistance of Tarr's desk officer, the young Peter Guillam (an astonishingly good Benedict Cumberbatch), Smiley quietly renews the search for the mole. Some old-fashioned detecting leads Smiley and Guillam down a thin trail of clues to four suspects and a fateful confrontation at a house in London.
Although only two hours long, "Tinker" manages to work in the key elements from a long novel, and gets some terrific work from the cast, especially Gary Oldman as Smiley, a weary Cold War veteran whose long brooding silences speak volumes. The 1970's setting of the novel is evoked in detail with hair and clothing fashions, music, and technical props such as typewriters, old-fashioned teletypes, and reel-to-reel tape recorders. The pacing of the story keeps the suspense alive to the end.
The inevitable comparison is with the superb BBC TV mini-series of the late 1970's starring Alec Guinness as Smiley. It is a weakness of the movie that at just two hours, it lacks the time to properly introduce the many characters or the period to a modern audience who may not have experienced the Cold War. There isn't a lot of exposition in the movie, and this reviewer, who was very familiar with the novel and the mini-series, suspects some viewers may have trouble following the story.
"Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" is highly recommended as an excellent and atmospheric spy drama.
"Tinker" goes right to work. The opening sequence has field agent Jim Prideaux (Mark Strong) on an off-the-books mission to Hungary for the head of the British Secret Intelligence Service, known as Control (John Hurt). Control suspects a mole within the upper reaches of the Service, and asks Prideaux to send back a codeword identifying the spy, using the children's nursery rhyme. The mission is compromised, Priddeaux is shot, and Control and his deputy George Smiley (Gary Oldman) are fired.
A restless Smiley is recalled to duty by a senior civil servant to investigate some unfinished business involving Ricki Tarr (a blonde Tom Hardy), a field agent who claims to know a vital Soviet secret and who has gone off the grid. With the assistance of Tarr's desk officer, the young Peter Guillam (an astonishingly good Benedict Cumberbatch), Smiley quietly renews the search for the mole. Some old-fashioned detecting leads Smiley and Guillam down a thin trail of clues to four suspects and a fateful confrontation at a house in London.
Although only two hours long, "Tinker" manages to work in the key elements from a long novel, and gets some terrific work from the cast, especially Gary Oldman as Smiley, a weary Cold War veteran whose long brooding silences speak volumes. The 1970's setting of the novel is evoked in detail with hair and clothing fashions, music, and technical props such as typewriters, old-fashioned teletypes, and reel-to-reel tape recorders. The pacing of the story keeps the suspense alive to the end.
The inevitable comparison is with the superb BBC TV mini-series of the late 1970's starring Alec Guinness as Smiley. It is a weakness of the movie that at just two hours, it lacks the time to properly introduce the many characters or the period to a modern audience who may not have experienced the Cold War. There isn't a lot of exposition in the movie, and this reviewer, who was very familiar with the novel and the mini-series, suspects some viewers may have trouble following the story.
"Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" is highly recommended as an excellent and atmospheric spy drama.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
The BBC series is better.
It is inevitable that this movie would be compared to the phenomenally well received 1980 version starring Alec Guinness as George Smiley. Read more
Published 2 days ago by B. Marold
5.0 out of 5 stars
Those spies...
Gary Oldham does an excellent job, even though I was constantly wishing for John Gilgud to appear. Love this story, the suspense and inevitable decline of the cold war spy.
Published 3 days ago by Grandma
5.0 out of 5 stars
I've seen it three times now
Gary Oldman is terrific. And after watching it several times, the whole film only gets better. Julio Iglesias sings the song at the end. Read more
Published 6 days ago by Grand Shopper
5.0 out of 5 stars
One for the ages
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy perfectly takes you into the world of mid-cold war espionage. Its the early 70s, and the two superpowers are at a stand-still. Read more
Published 11 days ago by zrer10
5.0 out of 5 stars
gary oldman is great!!!
excellent spy flick, a real cerebral thriller full of sober drama with a real cold war era feel, did not expect the ending at all!
Published 11 days ago by E Pope
5.0 out of 5 stars
Loved it!
This movie was just big-spy fun. Gary Oldman is brilliant; the movie is well-directed and suspenseful. I definitely recommend it.
Published 18 days ago by Jill McKenna
3.0 out of 5 stars
Watch this only in HD
The movie is excellent. Gary Oldman reprises and I think betters the earlier and excellent version with Alec Guinness in the lead. The rest of the cast is equally good. Read more
Published 21 days ago by Harry Vonk
5.0 out of 5 stars
"Tinker TailorSoldier Spy" is even better than I remembered.
It played wonderfully in theaters but at home, it's just as intriguing.
You can['t beat John Le Carre's words.
Tops!
You can['t beat John Le Carre's words.
Tops!
Published 21 days ago by Jeanne Wolf
5.0 out of 5 stars
Best move of 2011
A thrilling Cold War story written by one of the great cold way spy thriller writers of all time. The move does the book justice, excellent cast. Thrilling to the very end.
Published 21 days ago by Wulffman
4.0 out of 5 stars
Good movie
If you are not familiar with the storyline you might be confused. I've watched this a couple times to catch all the nuances.
Published 23 days ago by Brenda Reed
