Another one of the somewhat overlooked (‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’, ‘Drive’, ‘Shame’) in this cluttered award season, ‘Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy’ is a smart, anxiety-ridden, paranoia-filled espionage story that pits George Smiley (Gary Oldman) against his former cohorts in an effort to uncover a Soviet mole in the “Circus”, the very top of British intelligence during the Cold War. Smiley is pitted against the people he has worked with and trusted for many years when the head of the “Circus” informs him a mole working for Russia may be in their midst. Through storied flashbacks and personal revelations, Smiley must sort through the puzzle and discover who is supplying the Soviets with information.
Going into the first film I’ve seen at the UA Denver Pavilion 15, by the way they validate parking, I was excited to see what ‘Tinker Tailor’ had to offer. Oldman is one of the great character actors of his generation and it was definitely on display here. He embodies a weathered man who has gone through so much in both his professional and personal life, yet still shows his brilliance when tracking down his target. Unfortunately the film lacks reason for interest beyond Oldman’s Smiley. The plot is tight and concrete and the other performances, Colin Firth and Tom Hardy, are strong as expected, but the pace drags and seems to be searching for tension throughout, it doesn’t find it. As the credits roll I was left searching how I would describe the film, the end result being something of technical soundness but emotional ineptness.
The film’s Oscar chances rest heavily on Oldman as he has a chance to unseat Leo as the 5th nominee due to ‘J. Edgar’ flopping critically and commercially. It will depend on if enough people see it, if Oldman has enough screen time, and if Oldman can be viewed as a true lead rather than a great supporting character of a larger whole. The film also has possible chances in adapted screenplay and multiple technical categories. Overall ‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’ is a well done film but in crowded field a film needs to connect emotionally to separate itself from the pack, and it just doesn’t deliver the goods.
OSCAR CHANCES:
Best Picture: Long Shot
Best Adapted Screenplay: Possible
Best Cinematography: Possible
Technical Categories: Possible
Best Actor (Oldman): Possible
I really liked this film. I thought the sound/audio level was excellent. I could hear everything - speaking and music, but never felt like plugging my ears like I do during so many films nowadays. I thought the plot moved along well without a need for car chases and sex scenes. Having worked in the intelligence field, I enjoyed seeing some of the true-to-life techniques displayed in the movie.
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