Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Movie Name: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Year of Release: 2011

Director: Tomas Alfredson

Stars: Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, Mark Strong, Benedict Cumberbatch, Kathy Burke, Toby Jones, John Hurt, Ciaran Hinds, David Dencik, Stephen Graham, Stuart Graham, Simon McBurney, Christian McKay

Genre: Suspense, Thriller

Score out of ten (whole numbers only): 7

Synopsis:

Following the celebrated "Let the Right One In", director Tomas Alfredson is back with a new adaptation of John Le Carré's novel of the same name. The film takes place in the 70s, during the Cold War, and follows the story of George Smiley and his attempts to discover a mole in the British secret services. Smiley follows a thread of suspicion and  as he probes deeper, he realizes the mole is within the high ranks of the British Intelligence.
The film by Tomas Alfredson is a fantastic adaptation of the novel from John Le Carré, which had already been adapted in 1979 for a mini series, featuring Ale Guiness as George Smiley. The film follows the intricacies of the spy games during the Cold War, building a scenario of constant doubt and mystery that makes it possible for any of the characters to be the "mole" currently being chased. Tomas Alfredson smartly and deftly anchors the film in the decade in which it takes place, using the great cinematography from Hoyte Van Hoytema, and has a great cast to work with. Gary Oldman is as usual superb, disappearing into the skin of Smiley, a man who has seen it all, one who is collected and whose intellect and attention to details lead him in the right direction. Colin Firth, Benedict Cumberbatch, Toby Jones, Mark Strong and Tom Hardy all create equally strong characters. This is a great film worth watching!