Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

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)

It’s actually an absolutely brilliant espionage drama, but you have to watch it second by second, detail by detail. Only at that point that it stands out, and it’s hard to enjoy it when you’re tired from the day’s work and you look forward to sinking into your armchair in the evening, when this movie starts playing. That’s actually what I did and it wasn’t quite right. At times I was passing out from the fatigue while watching and despite the perfect acting performances, I was aware of the fact that it was boring and that the movie dragged. But what drags cannot run away, so there finally came the end which absolutely uplifted the whole movie, because like a proper espionage movie, it managed to surprise me several times. (03/04/2013)

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)

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)

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)