Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

UK Release: 16th September 2011

Watched in cinema: Wednesday 21st September 2011

Rating: 15

Genre: Thriller

Runtime: 2hrs 7mins

Tagline: Trust no one. Suspect everyone.

IMDb Plot Summary: In the bleak days of the Cold War, espionage veteran George Smiley is forced from semi-retirement to uncover a Soviet agent within MI6's echelons.

My Review: What a powerful trailer that is! And a powerful cast too, starring Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Benedict Cumberbatch, Mark Strong, Tom Hardy, Toby Jones and John Hurt. All brilliant, my favourites being Tom Hardy and Benedict Cumberbatch, but Mark Strong also stood out for me here as I connected emotionally with him. Ahhhh, I don’t really want to write this review as I know how hugely the critics adore this film. It is “the most anticipated film of the year”, and I anticipated it! I was just left feeling a little cold. 

The most important reason for me not falling in love with it as I had hoped was that I didn’t really understand what was going on. It is very quiet and slow and there isn’t much dialogue to begin with. It just made me wish I had read up on it more, but I purposely didn’t as I love to be surprised in the cinema and not be spoiled on the plot. I had gone with friends, all eager to see it, but when the credits rolled we all looked at each other in confusion. Perhaps it was a generational thing, or I’m just pretty stupid. I even, very hesitantly, want to ask whether it was a female thing. Almost the entire cast are male and it is undoubtedly a ‘male’ film. Perhaps I just wasn’t picking up on the (vast) subtext. 

But even if I couldn’t quite understand it, I could certainly enjoy looking at it. It was shot exquisitely with a great atmosphere built up in tension: an obviously very well made film, the details were quite extraordinary.  

And as I mentioned before some dazzling performances going on, which will most likely win BAFTAs; maybe even a well-deserved Oscar for Gary Oldman.

The cinema was packed last night so it has clearly gone down well at the Box Office, but the lack of comedy and grasp of the plot meant it just was not for me.

Score: 7.5/10