Simply described by critics as “sublime”, director Tomas Alfredson’s Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a lesson in how to craft the perfect spy-thriller in two hours and seven minutes.
This 2011 Cold War spy drama sees Gary Oldman in the titular role of George Smiley, with Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, Benedict Cumberbatch, David Dencik, Kathy Burke, Toby Jones, John Hurt, Mark Strong, and Ciarán Hinds.
Based on John le Carré’s 1974 novel of the same name, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy first premiered in competition at the 68th Venice International Film Festival in 2011 and went on to achieve humongous critical acclaim and commercial success.
Set in London in the early 1970s, Tomas Alfredson’s film revolves around the pursuit of a Soviet double agent embedded at the highest echelons of the British secret service. The movie’s screenplay was adapted by Bridget O’Connor and Peter Straughan, earning them a well-merited BAFTA win for the same.
The film as a whole saw no dearth of accolades and award nominations being showered upon it. During its awards season run, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy also picked up the BAFTA Award for Outstanding British Film in 2012 and received three well-deserved Academy Award nominations, namely Best Original Score, Best Adapted Screenplay, and a justly earned Best Actor nomination for Gary Oldman.
So humongous was the film’s success that it became the highest-grossing movie at the British box office for three consecutive weeks. With a budget of $21 million (£16.2mil), the film grossed around $81.5 million (almost £63mil) worldwide, cementing its position as a resounding box-office success.
Before Tomas Alfredson’s 2011 smash-hit success, John le Carré’s novel was previously adapted into an award-winning BBC television series of the same name in 1979, with Alec Guinness taking on the protagonist’s role.
Critics have called Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy a “brilliant study of the 1970s spy game” with one review declaring: “The new adaptation of John le Carré’s novel is an uncompromisingly cerebral and austere account of disenchantment and tension.” Another glowing critic review for the film reads: “Huge on period atmosphere and as murkily plotted as its source material, this big-scale European adaptation of John le Carré’s 1974 Cold War novel Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy shows a faithfulness that should fully meet the expectations of the writer’s fans.”
With an audience score of 84 percent on Rotten Tomatoes, one reviewer felt they had to right a wrong and have their say: “The audience score is too low to do this movie justice. Some people expected James Bond or John Wick.
“This is a masterfully crafted spy games movie that may be too slow for some. Paranoia, anxiety and betrayal everywhere. I loved it. Putting in my 5 cents and reviewing well in order to boost this score.”
Another audience review describing the “intense suspense” of the film reads: “For me, the movie ended in the best imaginable way for a thriller; it ended with a deep sigh. I hadn’t realized it, but it was as if I had been holding my breath during the whole movie.
“Intense suspense without anything to disturb the immersive feeling that this is exactly how being a spy felt like.” One viewer was glad that the film didn’t resort to audience handholding and wrote: “I love this movie so much. It’s a movie that respects its audience.
“Makes you think and guess and, if you were attentive throughout, rewards you with an elegant and impactful release. It’s a big respite from the usual Hollywood dumb movies.
“Hopefully we get more movies that are smart and don’t hold the audience’s hand.” While another critic review of the film praised its “complex” portrayal and stated: “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is everything that one feels it should be. It is complex, intelligent, quiet, intense and keeps its cool throughout.”
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy will be broadcast on BBC Two this Sunday, April 6, at 10pm (excluding Northern Ireland & Northern Ireland HD).