Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy (2011)

George Smiley (Gary Oldman) is an intelligence officer for the Circus organization (a British intelligence agency). Smiley is forced out of retirement, and he must investigate the suspicions of a mole. Smiley’s search is filled with plenty of twists and turns, and his path to the truth becomes more and more dangerous, as time passes by.

First of all, Gary Oldman deserves a ton of credit here. The rest of the cast was very enjoyable, but Oldman delivered an excellent performance in this film, and he proved to be a superb choice for the lead role. Mark Strong and Tom Hardy did their parts as well, and both men were very impressive throughout this film. Strong and Hardy took their talents to another level here, but truth be told, the entire cast deserves credit, because the high quality acting was one of the many highlights in this one. Still, Gary Oldman really earned his Oscar nomination for his work in this film. Oldman has been preoccupied with some major Hollywood blockbusters (Harry Potter, Nolan’s Batman films, The Book Of Eli) over the past seven years, Red Riding Hood (2011) was a very forgettable, and he really hasn’t had a chance to shine as the star in a leading role, because he was a supporting character in all of those films. But Oldman still proves he can be one of the best in Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy, and he really does deserve his spot in the Best Actor category.

You’re going to be disappointed, if you’re expecting to see a barrage of flashy action scenes, and intense shootouts, that are filled with adrenaline, and you won’t see any high speed car chases, that involve gun fights, because Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy is NOT that kind of espionage thriller. Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy is a smart and sharp spy thriller. The calculated pacing in this film is wonderful, and the final moments do feature some nice suspense. Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy can be a thought provoking film, and the entire cast is just brilliant, because this film does feature some great acting.

Gary Oldman’s Oscar nomination is well deserved, but this one could’ve made its way into the Best Picture category. Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is a fantastic film, but Drive and The Ides Of March also received the snub treatment, so the lack of nominations didn’t surprise me too much.

Final Rating: 9/10