Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (Ltd Edition Steelbook) - Double Play (Blu-ray + DVD) [2017]

During the Cold war a recently forcibly retired Spy George Smiley (Gary Oldman) is called back into service to investigate his former colleagues, whom one of them may likely be a mole for Russian intelligence. While conducting the investigation he learns his former late boss Control (John Hurt) suspected even him as a possibility and needs to confront his past and while delving into the murky dealing of the Circus (MI5) unearths secrets buried which will affect him professionally and personally.John Le Carre's Tinker Tailor has already had an acclaimed TV adaptation made in the 1979 with Alec Guinness giving one of his most applauded performances as George Smiley. Some 32 years later Swedish director Thomas Alfredson with a script by Husband and Wife team Peter Straughan and Bridget O'Connor brings Le Carre's most celebrated novel to the big screen. Guinness who landed himself one his most significant roles of his career, coming off the back of George Lucas' Star Wars, despite returning to the role two more times Guinness became frustrated that a large section of the public recognised him for this one role when he was an best actor academy award winner. Smiley would be the role to establish him in a more serious light once again. Gary Oldman while more than comfortable with being associated with two roles one in the Harry Potter series and the other in Christopher Nolan's extremely successful Batman reboot both from the fantasy end of the market not unlike Star Wars, after spending the last ten years successfully providing supporting roles chose to step into the spotlight once again and interpret an already iconic character which had more than been established by Guinness decades earlier, Oldman being tasked with putting his own unique spin on Le Carre's quiet but deadly spy.Alfredson who had already established himself with an exceptional debut Let The Right One In, bucks the trend of previous European directors like Mathieu Kassovitz (Le Haine) and Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck (The Lives Of Others) whose first language debut had been so impressive that when attempting English language follow ups had dropped the bar so spectacularly made some wonder if the same director was responsible. Alfredson in contrast has no such problem and delivers an even more assured second film and like with his debut has done the author whose work he is interpreting a huge credit and honours the material with a confidence, while staying loyal to the material delivers with his screen writers a work of such significant quality that it can stand up in its own light as a major work itself. Straughan and the now the late Oâ(TM)Connor â~s screenplay does an exceptional job of adapting Le Carreâ(TM)s book, this is not a film of the TV series and also changes a few things from the book , the sexuality is amped up a notch but like the book and the series this plays things down, in other hands this could have been given a far more pacier feel, itâ(TM)s full of suspense and tension but there are only brief moments of violence one particularly shocking moment that arrives and goes so suddenly. It even has a new element not in the book or the series, a Circus Christmas party which plays in flashback in sections throughout the film, some moments of humour and emotion as well as a few clues to the mystery, Le Carre actually makes a cameo as a drunk party goer. Both Hoyte Van Hoytema's cinematography and Maria Djurkovic's production design brings the dusky offices of the Circus to life extremely vividly and captures the period beautifully.As well as a great director and screenplay the film would be useless without actors to bring it to life and Tinker Tailor is blessed with one of the best casts of the last twenty years. As well as getting all the major roles essayed by the cream of British talent the supporting roles are of a high quality, seeing Kathy Burke return to the big screen as Connie Sachs a role taken by Beryl Reid in the series, her brief but memorable scenes with Oldman's Smiley are a delight. Roger Lloyd Pack pops up as one of Smiley's helpers and busy character actor Simon McBurney as bureaucrat Oliver Lacon delivers another impressive turn buttering his toast with relish while holding a conversation with two members of the Circus. John Hurt seems to be born to have played Control, his decrepit but furious form fitting like a glove as The Circusformer chief. The richness of the cast allows even the likes of Stephen Graham appearing briefly as a minor Circus operative, the quality of the material attracting actors just wanting to appear however brief.The main line line up of Toby Jones, Ciaran Hinds, Colin Firth and David Dencik as Percy Alleline, Roy Bland, Bill Haydon and Toby Esterhase. Hinds is brief but effective, Jones is given a little more screen time and excels in his moments, all of the actors bettering the work of their TV counterparts with only the Oscar winning Firth in a terrific performance, still not quite erasing the memory of the late great Ian Richardson as Haydon, more a testament to Richardson as an actor than to the quality of Firth in the role. Benedict Cumberbatch is emerging as one of Britain's finest young actors and here is wonderful as Smiley's right hand Peter Guillame showing a tough but also vulnerable side. Mark Strong who has pretty much been the Hollywood go to bad guy finally gets a chance to show a more sensitive side as Jim Predieux. Allot of fuss has been made of Tom Hardy's Ricki Tarr, some critics have marked this out in particular, its fair to say the TV version played by Hywel Bennett wasn't one of the most memorable moments of the production so it wouldn't have been much of a feat to top that but once again Hardy delivers another assured turn, his character being the emotional heart of the film.Although and as it should be its Gary Oldman that towers over the film but its such a quiet turn it might take some more than one viewing to notice the sheer brilliance of his performance. It is quite possibly his finest in a career that has included some incredible work. Guinness was rightly acclaimed for his take but Oldman takes influence from Le Carre himself for certain traits, he also plays Smiley with a somewhat crueller mind than Guinness, its not blatant but subtle, illustrated brilliantly when Smiley quietly interrogates Denciks Esterhase as a plane comes into land in one of the many highlight sequences, his words and mannerisms striking fear into Dencik as he reveals he knows who the mole is and what hes capable of doing to him. Oldman also presents another element not really present in his predecessors performance, we obviously get the point that a brilliant mind lies behind Sir Alec's Smiley, Oldman nails this perfectly but he also shows that George might well be a brilliant spy but is utterly useless as a human being, unable to confront his adulterous wife, she looms over proceedings so more effectively without having a face put to her. Oldman is simply magnificent when he recalls to Cumberbatchs Guillame about his confrontation with his elusive Russian adversary Karla, the decision to have Smiley describe it rather than show it one of the only mistakes of the series, Oldman getting a chance to show Georges hopelessness where Ann is concerned. Alfredson apparently told Oldman that he needs to appear boring he can't be boring. Awards will no doubt elude Oldman as this kind of performance just isn't the kind to win awards but that's likely going to its favour, how many masterpieces have been shunned by the Academy?This won't please everyone, those wanting something that zips along and spells things out need not apply, the plot is detailed and dense but there are clues littered throughout but the reveal is not played like some big revelation, just sit back and savour a stunning cast aided by a cracking screenplay being directed by one of the best new talents around, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is simply a masterpiece.

Great film. Loved it

It's only through a second viewing that I've come to appreciate the skill with which this film has been made. It's a drama about the investigation of a suspected mole in the upper echelons of the British secret service, and is based on a novel by John le Carré. I'd read the book beforehand and found that heavy going: very densely plotted and told in a series of non-linear flashbacks.However, by adopting a policy of 'show and don't tell', the screenwriters and director draw you into George Smiley's world and you are forced to examine the details alongside him. Every shot within each scene communicates something to the viewer - whether it be explicitly plot-related or a nuance that demonstrates Smiley's modus operandi. For instance, early on you see him getting a new pair of glasses. It's seemingly inconsequential but it obviates the need of a screen caption during flashbacks as he then wears his old ones (which are quite similar and thus it makes the viewer pay attention).I've read many reviews from those who either simply didn't get it or found it boring and indeed, compared to Bourne or Bond, this is a bolt from the blue. For me at any rate that's what makes it all the more refreshing; I'm a big fan of action thrillers too, but just occasionally I like to come across something that's off the beaten track.Gary Oldman does a first-class job as Smiley, managing to put his own spin on the character while still sounding like Alec Guinness, who played him in the BBC adaptation. He is given excellent support from some superior talent and the early-1970s setting is also expertly realised.The Blu-ray's picture is crisp with some slight grain and the sound is available in DTS-HD 5.1 or LPCM 2.0 English only, as are the subtitles. Extras include several interviews (featuring a half-hour with John le Carré), deleted scenes and a commentary by Gary Oldman and director Tomas Alfredson.I've seen one or two films where my immediate reaction is that I need to watch them again (The Usual Suspects, Memento and The Prestige spring to mind). It's because they've been constructed in such a way so as not to alienate the audience but to intrigue them further.Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy can be counted among their number and I thoroughly recommend it.