Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (401 customer reviews)
Tomas Alfredson directs this adaptation of John Le Carre's thrilling Cold War-era spy novel that casts Gary Oldman as a retired secret agent who is pulled back into the game to ferret out a Soviet agent in MI6.
  • Starring: Gary Oldman, Colin Firth
  • Directed by: Tomas Alfredson
  • Runtime: 2 hours 9 minutes
  • Release year: 2011
  • Studio: Focus Features
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Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

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Synopsis: Tomas Alfredson directs this adaptation of John Le Carre's thrilling Cold War-era spy novel that casts Gary Oldman as a retired secret agent who is pulled back into the game to ferret out a Soviet agent in MI6.
Starring: Gary Oldman, Colin Firth
Supporting actors: Tom Hardy, John Hurt, Toby Jones, Mark Strong, Benedict Cumberbatch, Ciarán Hinds, David Dencik
Directed by: Tomas Alfredson
Genre: Drama, Mystery, Thriller
Runtime: 2 hours 9 minutes
Captions and Subtitles: Details
Release year: 2011
Studio: Focus Features
MPAA Rating: Rated R for violence, some sexuality/nudity and language
ASIN: B007BVOF8E
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Format: Amazon Instant Video (streaming online video and digital download)

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Theatrical Release Information
  • US Theatrical Release Date: December 09, 2011
  • MPAA: Rated R for violence, some sexuality/nudity and language
  • Production Company: StudioCanal, Karla Films, Paradis Films, Kinowelt Filmproduktion, Working Title Films
  • Filming Locations: Victoria and Albert Museum, South Kensington, London, England, UK | Blythe House, 23 Blythe Road, West Kensington, London, England, UK | Budapest, Hungary | Halászbástya, Budapest, Hungary | Inglis Barracks, Mill Hill, London, England, UK

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Customer Reviews

3.1 out of 5 stars
(401)
3.1 out of 5 stars
See all 401 customer reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
265 of 286 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Intelligent January 11, 2012
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.
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193 of 209 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars Fun at the Circus - But Not An Action Movie.... December 28, 2011
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:
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With the release of the movie on dvd and cable, many reviewers have now complained that the show is slow and boring.... Read more ›
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146 of 160 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars A Brooding Silence... January 7, 2012
By D. S. Thurlow TOP 100 REVIEWERVINE™ VOICE
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.... Read more ›
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46 of 52 people found the following review helpful
3.0 out of 5 stars Ok but the older 6 hour TV series with Alec Guiness was better January 16, 2012
By James M
Format:DVD
Saw this film in the movie theater recently and I was pleasantly surprised by Gary Oldman's performance as Smiley. A number of other actors also did a great job, including John Hurt as control. The sets and effort put into re-producing the cold war era was also also very satisfying. It may also have been easier to find good Russian actors for the more recent series.

However, I must say that the cast overall didn't manage, in my opinion, to equal the quality of the TV series. This was particularly true of the four "suspects", especially Toby Esterhase and Percy Adeline. Part of the problem was the acting but part of the problem was the script which, in any event, did not manage to develop these characters. With so much effort/time into Smiley/Control/Peter/Ricky/Irena, and only 2 hours available, there wasn't much time left to develop the four characters who are suspected of being the "mole". Where the six-hour TV series has plenty of time to give the viewer time to think about (and care!) who the mole is, this movie just jumps to the conclusion too quickly. Moreover, few people will take the six hours in one sitting...watching the old series one hour a night gives you a whole week to think about who the mole is!

Given that both are based on the same story and "give away" who the mole is, I would suggest that people look into renting the classic TV series first.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
4.0 out of 5 stars oh my!!!
gary oldman is such a professional...can not believe hes has not won an oscar..he really becomes smiley in this, and ever though I have read the book and seen the other movie, I... Read more
Published 2 days ago by khat
5.0 out of 5 stars Not 007
This has to be one of the most intelligent spy movies ever made. Story is engrossing and and is true to the novel. Read more
Published 3 days ago by Rick
5.0 out of 5 stars Genious
This movie is as near to perfect as a movie can get. The acting, directing, cinemaphotography, editing and music are brilliant. Read more
Published 7 days ago by Gail Williams
5.0 out of 5 stars The thinking man's spy story
If you require thrills, kills, gadgets and a romance to keep your attention, stay away. If you like movies so clandestine that the message and motives stay oblique until the 3rd... Read more
Published 10 days ago by Commancer
2.0 out of 5 stars Glacial Pace, Poor Character Development, Poorly Told Storyline
Gary Oldman, one of the most versatile, dynamic and expressive actors of our time, demonstrates the depth of his acting skill by portraying the flattest, dullest, grayest, and... Read more
Published 12 days ago by Phil
5.0 out of 5 stars awesome
amazing. almost as good.as the book whixh wss the best. paced well. real thinker. thank you for sending it wo wo wo
Published 19 days ago by steve
5.0 out of 5 stars Great movie
Saw it when released- just as good the 2nd and 3rd time- a keeper- well written, great direction and acting
Published 21 days ago by Geoffrey Smith
4.0 out of 5 stars Deliberate, Clever Plot
Unlike so many "spy" movies, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy features none of the car chases, gun battles, or naked women that have become stock-in-trade for the genre. Read more
Published 22 days ago by Daniel Putkowski
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 1 month 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 1 month ago by Grandma
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