Let me start by saying that Gary Oldman is one of the great actors of our time. Frankly, it is an incredible shame that he has never even been nominated for an Academy Award. However, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy should certainly not be the film to earn him one. The film is completely disengaging and uninteresting from start to finish, despite its amazing cast.
The movie revolves around an intelligence officer, George Smiley (Gary Oldman), who is brought out of retirement to catch a mole hidden in the upper echelons of MI6, the British Secret Service referred to as “The Circus.” Side characters are played by such acting powerhouses as John Hurt, Mark Strong, Toby Jones, Colin Firth, Benedict Cumberbatch, Ciarán Hinds, Tom Hardy, and Stephen Graham. However, not even the dramatic prowess of these masters is enough to save this film from floundering about as a result of practically nothing going on.
Even Oldman is only given one truly good scene to flex his theatrical muscles; a recount of a negotiation he was a part of back when he was in “the Circus” with a Soviet who could potentially be turned. But a moment later that flashing of acting talent is but a glimmer as the film thrusts itself back into its trudging monotony.
Ever the professional, apparently Oldman spent hours going through hundreds of pairs of glasses to find just the right pair for the film. One wishes he has spent that much time reading and judging the script for this movie.
The movie revolves around an intelligence officer, George Smiley (Gary Oldman), who is brought out of retirement to catch a mole hidden in the upper echelons of MI6, the British Secret Service referred to as “The Circus.” Side characters are played by such acting powerhouses as John Hurt, Mark Strong, Toby Jones, Colin Firth, Benedict Cumberbatch, Ciarán Hinds, Tom Hardy, and Stephen Graham. However, not even the dramatic prowess of these masters is enough to save this film from floundering about as a result of practically nothing going on.
Even Oldman is only given one truly good scene to flex his theatrical muscles; a recount of a negotiation he was a part of back when he was in “the Circus” with a Soviet who could potentially be turned. But a moment later that flashing of acting talent is but a glimmer as the film thrusts itself back into its trudging monotony.
Ever the professional, apparently Oldman spent hours going through hundreds of pairs of glasses to find just the right pair for the film. One wishes he has spent that much time reading and judging the script for this movie.
Ultimately, it’s kind of sad, because you want to like the film so badly, because it has all this Oscar buzz and because Gary Oldman is so fantastic, but there’s just nothing memorable at all about it. A trip to the real circus would have been more worth the time and money. It’s funny that I have so little say, but I guess when there’s almost nothing good about a movie, there’s just not that much that can be said.
The Final Word: Don’t even bother.
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