'Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy'

'Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy' (R) (3 STARS)

Writers: Bridget O'Connor and Peter Straughan based on novel by John LeCarre
Director: Tomas Alfredson
Starring: Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, John Hurt, Mark Strong, Toby Jones, Ciaran Hinds, David Dencik

When I was a tennager I wanted to be a spy, a secret service agent or a C.I.A. Operative so badly. I thought it would be super fascinating, exciting and dangerous and I could save lives and kill bad guys. I imagine most spy work is how it is portrayed in "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" the new cold, brainy and intriguing spy thriller adaptation of one of my favorite writers John LeCarre. The movie is very slow and complicated and very realistic for I have heard a lot of spy work is not car chases, guns and killing bad guys. I assume it has to deal with long converastions and readings of long, thick documents.

There is a lot of talk and little action in "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" and that is the way it is supposed to be. It captures perfectly the smoky rooms filled with older spies who have seen it all talking about exotic locales. In an early scene we are in one of these rooms as we see a master, veteran spy named George Smiley. He is a reserved man with glasses who is about to retire. Thoiugh there is some unfinished work to be done for it is discovered that there is a mole in the British intelligence working for Russia. Most of this movie will be a lot of talk, some twists and spy machinations.

This is a very slow moving film and it is very cold but it is fun to see such a wonderful cast of British actors who are some of our best. It is fun to follow the story that is like a maze and sometimes you can't follow it and you get confused but isn't that what you should expect? I just enjoyed watching the change of pace, studied performance of Gary Oldman as George Smiley. I also love watching John Hurt, Ciaran Hinds, Mark Strong and Colin Firth go to town with charasmatic character performances. Gary Oldman is so reserved and subtle that he is almost in danger of being blown over. That is why I loved his performance because I am so used to seeing him go nuts and playing evil guys. I also particularly love Mark Strong here and he is becoming one of my favorites and Toby Jones does sniveling guys better than anyone.

This is not a movie that you will fall in love with or embrace. I wish it had more humor and a little more of a quick pace. Sometimes I did love how slow it was so I could catch up with it. It is a very smart movie just like LeCarre's books were. I didn't read this particular work but I used to read a lot of his books and they are filled with a lot of background, talk and description. This movie is faithful to the book and I am amazed at how much of the long book they fit in two hours. I just wish this was a movie in two parts or a mini series so it could cover more. Though I was glad this movie was made and it makes me want to do what all good movies make me want to do, see it again.