Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Fantastic direction, production design, and a 70s vibe reminiscent of films like The French Connection and other similar classics. Unfortunately, the plot is quite viewer unfriendly with lots of names, dozens of flashbacks, plenty and of twists and evasive maneuvers. On top of that, there are static shots, glances, a British touch, and I had a hard time finishing this film. Someone might argue that it is for connoisseurs. Maybe, but I was damn bored, and that's not good no matter what the film is like. And I sincerely hope that I'm not inexperienced and unaware enough as a film viewer to not understand all of this. (08/04/2012)

I never really liked spy movies, but some are worth watching. The recent Bond films really impressed me, but "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" is definitely not something like James Bond. It is a completely different film, with a very depressing atmosphere. I haven't read any novels by John le Carré, but if they have the same atmosphere as the film, they must be excellent to read. The film was directed by Tomas Alfredson, who shone with the film "Let the Right One In". Neither vampire horror nor spy thriller are completely enjoyable to watch, but they can leave a big impression. In both cases, you have a feeling that something bad will happen. The atmosphere and visual aspect are presented in such a way that it weighs on you. You might feel at times that the film suffocates you, that it doesn't illuminate the sun and if it does, it's only in a strange, hazy way. The director had great actors to work with. The list of male performers is almost overwhelming: Gary Oldman, Mark Strong, John Hurt, Colin Firth, Toby Jones, Ciarán Hinds, and Tom Hardy. None of them is an unknown actor, you might at least know some of them by face. It's interesting that there isn't a more famous actress here. Women seem to be pushed into the background in this film. At times, it reminded me a little of "Munich", but without the pathos, without unnecessary fluff. The scene from the celebration party is like a phantom, as if it took place in a different world. I'm quite curious whether the character of George Smiley will return, because there are more books written about him and Gary Oldman gave him incredible charisma. A plain appearance hiding definitely an interesting person. And a dangerous person. I'm also quite interested to see if Mark Strong will ever play a positive character. More: http://www.filmovy-denik.cz/2012/12/motocyklove-deniky-proposition-v-zajeti.html (02/03/2013)

I like films that keep me on my toes from start to finish, that don't explain everything and make me figure a lot of things out on my own (or at least think I did for a while), films that just ooze coldness, and films that talk a lot but don't push. And that's exactly what Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is. What’s that you say? That it’s boring? That's the last word that comes to my mind right now. I have a soft spot for spy stories, especially spy stories that have to do with Britain's MI6 and the Cold War, so I'm glad we finally got this gem. Stylishly old-fashioned direction, a hauntingly simple score, a top-notch cast and a script that handles Le Carré's premise admirably (though it's still quite a rewrite in places). The film can boldly take its place alongside the best such as Funeral in Berlin, The Spy Who Came In from the Cold, The Quiller Memorandum... And others. (20/09/2012)

Alfredson is a precise watchmaker who can find surprising emotions under an ice sheet of formally perfect and fetishistic-style directing. A film in which he essentially only thinks and remembers... and yet he managed to wind me up like a string. If, in the case of the recent spy retro The Debt, I highlighted the precisely composed "kidnapping over the line" as the climactic scene, I have to highlight the whole in this piece - because timing, correct vibration and the purest conservatism intertwine with small drawings of the characters and extremely fun updating of the period backdrops. It should not be overlooked that Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is, with regard to its stylization, sometimes absurdly consistent and looks (intentionally) like a backdrop spectacle. The backdrop is, paradoxically, what we traditionally consider the core of the narrative (a thrilling story, an ideological context) - the seductiveness of Alfredson's film is precisely in the details that would be only for the "real effect" elsewhere. A delicacy that I want to see again... (01/02/2012)

The direction is precise, with attention to details, even the unimportant ones when Alfredson is just playing around (a wasp in a car, a killed owl in a classroom), but otherwise the narrative is too distant and not very immersive. Gary Oldman displays an excruciating ease with silent glances and considered speeches, and is the brightest point of the entire film. Of course, there have been better spy plots. (27/01/2012)