Film: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (Tomas Alfredson, 2011)

The last time I saw a film by Tomas Alfredson it was Let The Right One In, a slow, measured masterpiece about two kids becoming friends that just happened to feature vampires. It was also my favourite film of 2009. It just bowled me over. It is rare to find such a powerful film with so much restraint and whilst it's semi-art house sensibilities were likely to throw some, what Alfredson was able to do was create a character piece that was both thrilling and emotionally gratifying.

It comes as no surprise then that he has managed the same trick with Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. As I stated in my review of the book, I have a huge love for old school espionage thrillers, and in the world of John le Carre's spies, there are no Jason Bournes or James Bonds. Much like the novel, the thrills come from heated exchanges and brilliantly executed covert ops that are at once exciting yet restrained. Set in the time frame of the novel (1973), there is no over reliance on technology, with the principal weapon being ones brain. Alfredson's minimalist approach works wonders with the material, allowing every beautifully crafted shot and sequence to flow effortlessly into one another whilst juggling the varying strands of the labyrinth narrative with an artists eye. Yes, there's a lot to follow but, considering how dense the source material is, the adaptation sticks rigidly to the main threads whilst somehow giving enough character development to allow a legitimate emotional attachment to the key players.

This attachment to the principals is helped in no small part by one of the greatest ensemble cast seen since The Godfather. Whilst Oldman as Smiley is the obvious frontrunner, everyone is on top form. There are no stars here as such, just the best character actors in the business including the likes of Toby Jones, Tom Hardy, John Hurt and Colin Firth, each giving their character an individuality no matter how small the part. It's hard not to hate Jones' Percy Alleline or fall in love with Hardy's loveable rogue Ricky Tarr. Yet the surprise comes from Oldman who, having made a career on intense, flamboyant performances, dials it back to the same minimalist restraint of the film. Smiley's strength is his brain and whilst this is a complete contrast to the most famous of fictional spies (James Bond), it is just as exciting watching veteran agent piece the conspiracy together from the comfort of his safe house. Yet he is human and through flashbacks it becomes apparent that, for all his strength, he is also vulnerable.

London through Alfredson's eye is a dank, dark and miserable place that is permanently polluted with the acrid stench of decay. It's easy to say it's appropriate considering the setting (every character smokes like a chimney) yet the aesthetics are resonant of the film's themes of betrayal and distrust. It is Alfredson's ability to use the mis-en-scene as a narrative device that makes Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy a masterpiece.

Cold but engaging, bleak but fulfilling, it is a great, great film.

5/5