Review- Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)

On DVD and Blu Ray - Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011) - I understand exactly what kind of tone and feel that Director Tomas Alfredson (2008's Let The Right One In) was striving for, but this brooding, dialogue-heavy, cold war era espionage Drama/Thriller misses the mark. An excellent cast, which includes Gary Oldman, Mark Strong, Tom Hardy, John Hurt, Ciaran Hinds, Colin Firth and Toby Jones is watered down and nearly wasted. There's nothing really bad about the film technically, but sitting through it might prove to be quite a chore.

I hate to use the term "boring" but it kept popping into my mind as I was watching it- strange, considering that there are admittedly a few graphic onscreen deaths and a couple of even more graphic "aftermath" shots. None of the actors are given the material, nor screen-time, to even accidentally come across as likable, or even memorable for that matter. Oldman once again disappears in his character but only shines in one moment of reflection regarding an old adversary. High-quality actors like Firth, Jones, Hardy and Strong seem cast merely for audience recognition- a ploy that I feel many filmmakers use to divert movie-goers attentions away from under-developed screenplays and woefully inadequate characterizations. Hell, I'm struggling to remember if Ciaran Hinds even has a speaking line in the film. Keep tabs on up and coming actor Benedict Cumberbatch (playing Oldman's right hand man here), he was featured in last year's War Horse and is currently playing Sherlock Holmes on the BBC's Sherlock. He'll be featured quite prominently in next year's Star Trek sequel.

The cinematography is effectively cold and dreary, with subdued color schemes and a considerable amount of grain in some segments- it fits the tone, but I'm not so sure it helps matters entertainment-wise. For myself, it only added to the overall... blandness.

The film only lit fire in the last five minutes or so, with a nice blend of music, editing and onscreen retribution. Obviously, it wasn't nearly enough.

*NOTE- I believe you can chalk all my issues with the film up to a major condensation of a much more substantial, layered and complex story- this particular film being based upon a John Le Carre novel (1974) and a subsequent 1979 BBC Miniseries of the same title. That miniseries (which I've never seen) runs approximately 290 minutes long and is regarded by many as one of BBC TV's all-time best programs. In comparison, the 2011 film runs approximately 127 minutes long.

6.5 out of 10