Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
(2011)The enemy is within.
Actor-tastic adaptation of the 1974 British spy novel by John le Carré, directed by Tomas Alfredson (Let the Right One In) – his first English-language film.... More
In the bleak days of the Cold War, middle-aged, taciturn, espionage veteran George Smiley (Gary Oldman) is forced from semi-retirement to uncover a Soviet agent within MI6's echelons, dubbed the "Circus" by those who work there.
A previous adapation was made in 1979 as a seven-part series for BBC, featuring Alec Guiness as George Smiley.Hide
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Outstanding British Film and Best Adapted Screenplay at the 2012 BAFTAs.
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Directed by Tomas Alfredson ('Let the Right One In')
Starring Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, Mark Strong, Benedict Cumberbatch, John Hurt, Ciarán Hinds, Stephen Graham, Toby Jones, Amanda Fairbank-Hynes
Written by Bridget O'Connor, Peter Straughan (based on the novel by John le Carré)
Out Now (On-Demand,
DVD or Blu-Ray)
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Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy
BY Brian1 superstar
Perhaps it was because I watched on an airline flight, but didn't find this measured up to the general view.
BY BrionyJae superstar
BY THEWATCHER lister
BY I_GO_BY_MYSELF nobody
BY filmlover superstar
But be warned! If you aren't old enough to remember the cold war this film may seem dull and slow.
I grew up in England during... More this era, and I loved it!!Hide
Showing 5 of 9 reviews. See all reviews
The Press Reviews
Its dealings and double-dealings will probably be better understood on a second viewing, but it only takes one to appreciate Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy as a film. Full Review
Tinker Tailor didn't work for me. Full Review
Utterly absorbing, extremely smart and - considering this is a sad, shabby, drably grey-green world of obsessives, misfits, misdirection, disillusionment, self-delusion and treachery - quite beautifully executed. Full Review
John Le Carré’s complicated, distanced Cold War classic turns into a visual delight with an authentic British feel. Full Review
When a film has so many attributes—including superior performances and a tangible sense of time, place, and atmosphere—it’s tempting to overlook its shortcomings. Full Review
Fascinatingly gripping. Full Review
If you’re in the mood for expertly handled tension, subtle menace and superior acting by everyone involved, this is not to be missed. Full Review
A brilliant study of the disenchantment, compromise and tension of the 1970s spy game. Full Review
In all its forms, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy strikes the eye, and other senses, as demonstrably real. Full Review
It’s possible that this brooding, slow-burn approach to storytelling may seem old-fashioned to anyone weaned on the breathless chase sequences of modern espionage thrillers such as the Bourne or Mission: Impossible series. Full Review
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is so elegant, deliberate and smart that it’s a shocker it got made. Full Review
Prepare to lose yourself – in every sense – in a labyrinth of double-agents, deception and damn fine acting from the year’s best British line-up. Full Review
Everyone brings their A game, with Oldman setting the bar high. Full Review
BY Matt Glasby Flicks Writer
When Tinker Tailor sweeps this year’s award nominations as it surely will – this is a film that yawns with quality – the one it most deserves will be missing: Best Supporting Mote. Adapted from John Le Carré’s Cold War spy novel, Tomas Alfredson’s follow-up to Let The Right One In is thick with dust, must and ash, its ageing agents suffocating in waves of grey as they try to root out the Russian mole “muddying the waters” at M16. Is there any point? As Gary Oldman’s creased George Smiley puts it: “There’s as little worth on your side as there is on mine.”... More
With its austere atmosphere, glacial pace and longwinded plot, it’s not a film for everyone. The most exciting setpiece takes place in a library, and no-one cracks out the Bourne moves. But there’s plenty for connoisseurs to savour, and all the time in the world to do so (the running time is just shorter than the Cold War itself). Oldman leads one of the best British casts ever assembled – we lose two UK acting greats before the opening credits even finish – and the film has a terrible sadness that seeps into your bones.
This isn’t Dr No or In Like Flint, it’s the prolonged and messy end of an era. Each chance of renewal (a mother suckling her baby, a bird swooping from the fireplace) gets violently snuffed out. And those dusty swirls aren’t just stylised visuals, they’re the ghosts of wasted lives. Seems some spies never did come in from the cold.Hide
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