Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (Film)
A botched mission in Hungary leads to a British spy being shot and the firing of both the head of MI6, Control (John Hurt), and his right-hand man, Smiley (Gary Oldman).
Soon word surfaces of a Russian spy, or 'mole', in the agency's upper ranks. Smiley is brought back to investigate, and he discovers that the Hungarian mission was Control's attempt to sniff out the mole. He had given the five suspects code names (based on a nursery rhyme): 'Tinker' Percy Alleline (Toby Jones), 'Tailor' Bill Haydon (Colin Firth), 'Soldier' Roy Bland (Ciaran Hinds), 'Poor Man' Toby Esterhase (David Dencik) and 'Beggarman' Smiley.
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy takes you on a journey with Smiley as he leads you through a game of whodunnit. Although it takes director Tomas Alfredson some time to establish the scene and characters/suspects, the film moves along nicely from there. The tactics employed are smart and, at the same time, we get a glimpse into the inner workings of one of the more secretive agencies in the world.
The film, based on famous spy author John le Carre's novel of the same name, has jargon-filled dialogue, just like the book. It plants you firmly in the world of British intelligence, but the movie may be off-putting for those who tend to drift off when confronted with complex plots. But spy thriller fans will be intrigued.
Contains violence and mature topics
