Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

James Bond took a real beating because this is what I imagine a proper spy film to be like. You won’t find many action sequences here, but instead, a well-thought-out plot with a dense atmosphere that will have you glued to your seat the entire time, along with a star-studded cast where everyone competes to outdo each other (with Gary Oldman and Mark Strong being the best). Tomas Alfredson appeared on my radar out of nowhere, and suddenly, he’s shining like a beacon, as if to say I should start paying attention to him. As I’ve already emphasized, this is mostly about believable and slow storytelling where you really need to stay sharp because you can’t miss even the smallest detail (you’ll hear so many different names and see so many actors that it’ll make your head spin). I’m not saying I understood everything 100%, but I’m not criticizing the film for that in any way, because it tries to lay everything out clearly and thoroughly for the viewer. The 70s vibe emanates from every shot, and it’s clear that an experienced pro was behind the camera. On top of that, otherworldly music plays throughout. A few times, I got chills down my spine, and overall, the film convinced me that being an agent like this takes courage we can’t even imagine. The mole’s elimination at the end with a small-caliber gun, accompanied by that otherworldly music, tied everything together. A spy thriller you can’t afford to let slip through your fingers. I give it 91%. (19/07/2017)

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)

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)

I felt like a redneck in a posh restaurant who orders some incredibly expensive chef’s special and a thousand Euro bottle of wine and then, when they bring it, I lovingly reminisce of a pork schnitzel with a beer at the local pub. An incredibly well made spy drama whose potential to become an immediate modern genre classic is similar to, for instance, last year’s western True Grit, or Tomas Alfredson’s previous film, Let the Right One in. For me, however, it was too slow, with too much dialogue, too one dimensional and too long, which, together with the fact that spy dramas are not my favourite genre, resulted in my being unable to properly appreciate it. I’m sorry, but that’s the fact. (13/01/2012)