Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011) – Review

Review: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is structured in the manner of the classic spy dramas – short on action but long on tension, mystery and wonderful characters. The film centers on George Smiley, a spy recently forced to retire due to a change in power at MI6 (the Circus), who is tasked with finding the Russian mole placed at the top of British Intelligence. Director Tomas Alfredson is clearly not interested in making a James Bond or Mission: Impossible style spy drama with Tinker Tailor Solider Spy (not that the book(s) is anything like those action spy series) – in fact he is not interested in making a light spy drama either. This film requires its viewer to pay attention, as the narrative is a little convoluted – much in the same way trying to uncover a mystery is – with many characters, lots of important dialogue and small moments that all piece together a bigger picture. The audience is required to keep track of all these small pieces as the film is not dumbed down in the slightest. Alfredson and his actors live in the world of nuance and subtlety, and for this reason moviegoers looking for a light action oriented spy film are going to find this possibly very slow. The narrative is not in a hurry, as Alfredson takes his time letting the mystery unfold (something I appreciated, as it is not too common in film today), while building the tension until it suddenly boils over and the film becomes quite gripping in the second half. The story takes place in the 1970s during the Cold War, and aesthetically Alfredson has very much created both a look and tone to fit the setting. Not only does the film look gloomy and a little bleak (much like the world outlook at the time), but the film feels like it was made in the 1970s. There is almost a nostalgic feel to it (especially in the score). While the film works quite well as a spy drama, it also is a good character study of George Smiley – a man whose entire life is dedicated to keeping secrets. However, back to the spy drama aspect, Alfredson does something great with the film – he allows the tension to grow organically from the characters and performances (not explosions and big action set pieces, not that there is anything wrong with that this is just a nice change of pace for the genre). Each word of dialogue becomes as impactful as any action scene might be. The characters are also given a chance to interact in more of a cloak-and-dagger manner (than running around shooting at each other or fighting); again, each word or expression becoming more important, as the wrong one could give them away. At the same time, as the film is about spies, the characters are all very much bottled up, making it hard to connect with them superficially (which will again alienate some moviegoers) and there is not much of an emotional connection built up between character and viewer, which does impact the viewer’s stake in the outcome a bit. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is not going to work for everyone; it is much too restrained for that. But, for those willing to take it as it is, pay attention and invest in the characters (and thereby the stakes), the film is a fantastic mystery spy drama.

Technical, aesthetic & acting achievements: Swedish filmmaker Tomas Alfredson became a promenade filmmaker (at least for international audiences) with Let the Right One In. Tinker Tailor Solider Spy is his first English-language film, but aesthetically and to an extent tonally the films go together well, building quite a resume for Alfredson as one of the better dramatic filmmakers working right now. Alfredson takes his time with his narratives, but the payoffs are wonderful. He builds tension (that in a way seems to come out of nowhere, as he develops it over the whole course of the film) very well. And, he is very good at creating good character moments allowing his actors to do their best work. Alberto Iglesias’s score is beautiful (as a stand-alone piece), but also fits the film very well. He both gets the mood right, as the score very much feels like it fits in the 1970s in many places, and builds on the tension in the film (here is a sample and here is another). Hoyte Van Hoytema’s cinematography is quite interesting, as he and Alfredson have put the camera far away from the actors in many cases, using wide lens, creating a very voyeuristic feel to the photography. This again goes really well with the tone and style of the film. As good as the score and cinematography are (both are in my top 10 of the year in their categories), Maria Djurkovic’s production design is even better. Her work not only fits the film well it is aesthetically interesting in its own right. Her design work inside the Circus, particularly its executive floor, is phenomenal, as it captures the ambiance and mood of the era so entirely (while also being compelling from a pure design perspective as well). While Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is primarily George Smiley’s film, there are a number of good small character roles. Tom Hardy, Mark Strong and Benedict Cumberbatch are very good and stand out. Among the top tier of the Circus, Colin Firth, Toby Jones and especially David Dencik give great performances too. Gary Oldman is brilliant as Smiley. His emotions are so boxed up, and he is such a cool customer – and yet he just gives the audience enough to allow us to feel the tension he is feeling – another great character from one of the great character actors.

Summary & score: In many ways Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is one of the best spy dramas to come out in a long time, but it is not going to connect with many moviegoers. 8/10

Directors to Watch: Part 2 – Movies Spotlight – December 2011

One of the great things about cinema is that there is constantly an inflow of great new talents. These three directors are on the verge of becoming well known filmmakers in the States.

Tomas Alfredson

Filmography to Date:

Alfredson, 46, began his career in Sweden working as an assistant at Svensk Filmindustri. From there he moved into Swedish television working on multiple series, miniseries and TV movies. His first feature film hit came in 2004 with Four Shades of Brown, winning a number of awards in Sweden. In 2008, Alfredson made Let the Right One In – a romance horror story about a vampire who looks like a young girl. She befriends a neighboring young boy who is bullied at school. The film became an international hit, exposing Alfredson in the States and the U.K. as a filmmaker for the first time (at least for most cinemagoers).

December Film:

In December, Alfredson’s first English-language film Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is being released in the States (having seen distribution in the U.K. already) about a retired spy who must find a mole within British Intelligence. It boasts a fantastic cast starring Gary Oldman, Mark Strong, Tom Hardy, John Hurt, Colin Firth, and Benedict Cumberbatch (among others). It is based on the novel by John le Carre. It played to critical acclaim in the U.K. and is on the 2012 Oscar shortlist for Best Picture and Best Actor (Gary Oldman), as well as some technical awards (most likely Maria Djurkovic for production design).

Upcoming:

Next up for Alfredson is the film Larklight, a sci-fi story about an alternative world in which humans have made their way into space during the Victorian era. It is being produced at Warner Brothers with Steve Knight currently scripting. It is based on the novel by Philip Reeve and due in 2013.

Career Highlights:

1)      Let the Right One in (2008)* – (Blu-ray, DVD, Streaming)

*Editor’s Picks

Steve McQueen

Filmography to Date:

McQueen, 42, began his career in the early 1990s making shorts that he would project onto walls in an art gallery, typically minimalist and black & white. Being foremost an artist, he also has worked in sculpture and other mediums – travelling to Iraq in 2006 and returning presenting a tribute to British soldiers who died in the war with a stamp collection of their portraits called Queen and Country. In 2008, he made his feature film debut with Hunger about the 1981 Irish hunger strike. It stars Michael Fassbender. It won the Cannes Film Festival Camera d’Or (best first-time director) and served as McQueen’s breakthrough in the U.K. as well as Fassbender’s.

December Film:

In December, his second feature Shame is being released. He is again working with Michael Fassbender, as well as Carey Mulligan and James Badge Dale. It is about sex addiction in New York City and is quite explicit in its portrayal (and rated NC-17). The film has played very well during its festival circuit, receiving tons of praise. It is likely to be nominated for multiple Independent Spirit Awards, and is one the 2012 Oscar shortlist for Best Picture, Actor, Supporting Actress, and Director.

Upcoming:

For his third feature, due in 2013, McQueen is making Twelve Years a Slave about a man living in New York during the mid-1800s who is kidnapped and sold into slavery. He has a phenomenal cast lined up, working yet again with Fassbender and also with Brad Pitt and Chiwetel Ejiofor. McQueen is one of the most interesting new filmmakers working today (someone I would already feel comfortable calling an auteur two films in).

Career Highlights:

1)      Hunger (2008)* – (Blu-ray, DVD, Streaming)

*Editor’s Picks

Jason Reitman

Filmography to Date:

Reitman, 34, began his career in college as a creative writing major at USC making multiple short films. He is the son of Ivan Reitman, the director of Stripes and Ghostbusters, giving him an ‘in’ into the industry. In 2005, he made his feature debut with Thank You for Smoking. The film stars Aaron Eckhart and is a satirical comedy about Big Tobacco’s chief spokesman Nick Naylor who spins the truth while still trying to be a role model for his young son. The film was a great first feature garnering two Golden Globe nominations. But it was Reitman’s second feature that made him a known player in Hollywood – Juno. The film is about a high school student who gets pregnant and decides to give the baby away to a couple of her choosing. It served as the breakthrough for Reitman, writer Diablo Cody and star Ellen Page, as it was nominated for four Oscars in 2008 (including Best Picture), winning one for best writing. Next, Reitman had another indie hit that saw commercial success, due to it featuring in the awards season of 2009, with Up in the Air about Ryan Bingham, a man who travels around and fires people for a living. It stars George Clooney, Vera Farmiga and Anna Kendrick (serving as her breakthrough). It was nominated for six Oscars in 2010 (including Best Picture) but did not win any.

December Film:

Reitman is easily the best known among the directors on this list, being well established in indie circles and among critics – his films receiving ten Oscar nominations (winning one). However, his new film in December, Young Adult, may be the first to win in a major category. He is reuniting with writer Diablo Cody to tell the story of a divorced small-town Minnesota girl, the most popular in high school, who returns home looking to rekindle a romance with her high school boyfriend, now married with kids. It stars Charlize Theron and looks to factor into the 2012 Oscars, especially in the Best Actress and Best Writing categories.

Upcoming:

Reitman has a few projects that he is looking at but nothing formally announced yet. The first is called Elliot Allagash about Seymour Herson, a boy who is bullied and then taken under the wing of another more rebellious student. The other is called Labor Day about a weekend holiday taken in the 1980s. A divorced mother with her son gives a ride to a large strange man, who also happens to be bleeding badly.

Career Highlights:

1)      Thank You for Smoking (2005) – (DVD, Streaming)

2)      Juno (2007)* – (Blu-ray, DVD, Streaming)

3)      Up in the Air (2009)* – (Blu-ray, DVD, Streaming)

*Editor’s Picks

At the Movies – December 2011 – Part 3: This Month’s Best Films

Must-See of the Month:

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (David Fincher) – Mystery Thriller – Dec 21

Summary: Part one of the Millennium Trilogy, the film is about a journalist Mikael Blomkvist, who is hired to investigate the disappearance and likely murder of a young woman who has been missing for over forty years. He is aided by a young computer hacker, Lisbeth Salander. Filmmakers: While many do not think this needed an English language remake, director David Fincher immediately makes it relevant and highly anticipated (as he is one of the best working today, and will bring something different to the film – much like Let Me In versus Let the Right One In). He is working with the same crew from his last film The Social Network: composers Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross, cinematographer Jeff Cronenweth, editor Angus Wall, and production designer Donald Graham Burt. Cast: Daniel Craig and Rooney Mara star, while Stellan Skarsgard, Robin Wright, Christopher Plummer, Embeth Davidtz, Joely Richardson, Goran Visnjic, Yorick van Wageningen, and Alan Dale feature in support. Expectations: The role of Lisbeth Salander was maybe the most coveted role for young actresses in Hollywood, and yet relative unknown Rooney Mara won it – likely because she was fantastic in her small role in Fincher’s The Social Network (it also shows off Fincher’s power and respect in Hollywood talking MGM and Sony into Mara). Noomi Rapace is very good in the Swedish Trilogy, and thus Mara has a lot to live up to (but I think she will, having a breakthrough performance; has there ever been another character to give two actors their breakthrough?). Fincher directing alone makes this a must-see and probably even the film of the month, but the great cast does not hurt either. It will certainly have awards seasons implications. The trailers have been brilliant, so expectations are very high. Trailer: Here. Review.

Worth Checking Out:

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (Tomas Alfredson) – Spy Thriller – Dec 9

Summary: The film is about semi-retired espionage veteran George Smiley, who is called back into service to find a Soviet agent within MI6. Filmmakers: Director Tomas Alfredson became a hot international commodity after the critical praise of his film Let the Right One In – this is his first Hollywood (or the British equivalent) film. John le Carre (writer of the novel for which the film is based) and multiple Oscar nominee Peter Morgan are producing, and Alfredson has a good group with Spanish composer Alberto Iglesias (The Constant Gardener), cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema (who shot Let the Right One In for him) and production designer Maria Djurkovic (The Hours). Cast: This has maybe the best cast of any film this year. It stars Gary Oldman and also features work from Colin Firth, John Hurt, Mark Strong, Tom Hardy, Toby Jones, Benedict Cumberbatch, Ciaran Hinds, David Dencik, Stephen Graham, Simon McBurney, and Christian McKay. Expectations: At the beginning of the year based on the filmmakers and cast, I thought this would be among the five best films of the year, and with what I have seen and the critical response, I think that could still be true. Oldman is being called a potential Best Actor Oscar nominee and the film should have entries in other categories as well. If the film does well, there are sequels in the novel series that could be adapted with Oldman returning (which would be awesome). For me, this is the film I am most looking forward to seeing in December (but The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is a very close second). Trailer: Here. Review.

Carnage (Roman Polanski) – Dramedy – Dec 16

Summary: The film is about two sets of parents who meet to discuss an altercation at school involving their sons. Filmmakers: Writer-director Roman Polanski is one of the great filmmakers in cinema history, and thereby each of his films comes with the potential to be great (though, he is a bit hit or miss). He is working with (the hardest working man in movies) composer Alexandre Desplat (The Ides of March) and frequent collaborators cinematographer Pawel Edelman and production designer Dean Tavoularis. Cast: The film has a great cast with Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz, and John C. Reilly. Expectations: Critics have praised the film for the most part and it should have awards season implications, especially for the actors, but those who have seen both the film and the play by Yasmina Reza for which it is based have found the play to be better. Polanski’s best work as a director has not been with comedy, making this an odd choice for him but many critics are placing it with his best films (The Pianist, Chinatown, Rosemary’s Baby, and Repulsion). I look forward to the great performances from a top-notch cast, and to see things degrade and go haywire. Trailer: Here. Review.

We Bought a Zoo (Cameron Crowe) – Drama – Dec 23

Summary: The film is about a father who moves his young family to Southern California to take over the operation of a small countryside struggling zoo. Filmmakers: Writer-director Cameron Crowe (finally) returns to feature films after six years (his last feature was Elizabethtown).  He is working with very good cinematographer Rodrigo Prieto (Babel) and frequent collaborator production designer Clay Griffith. Cast: The cast is wonderful with Matt Damon starring, Scarlett Johansson and Thomas Haden Church co-starring and supporting work from Elle Fanning, Carla Gallo, Patrick Fugit, Stephanie Szostak, John Michael Higgins, and Angus Macfadyen (The Bruce). Expectations: We Bought a Zoo will probably be good for the sole reason that Crowe is a great writer of dialog and he has a great cast on the film (I am probably most excited for relative newcomer Fanning after her stellar work in Super 8 and Somewhere). The fact that it is coming out on Christmas and is not rated R means that 20^th Century Fox is hoping to promote it as a family feel good movie (mainly geared towards adults). Will it be an Oscar contender? Maybe, but probably not – though, I think it looks like it should be a good drama with some patented Crowe dialog (see the Jerry Maguire speech Damon gives in the trailer), humor, and a fantastic found-music score. Trailer: Here.