Tomas Alfredson’s sombre and quietly thrilling adaptation of
the classic John Le Carre novel not only works as a great spy film, delving
into the nitty-gritty of the mundane, everyday paranoia that comes with the
job, but also a wonderful throwback to classic 70s cinema. Its period stylings
not so much an affectation as a key component in the mood of the piece, and so
convincing that, were it not full of recognisable modern acting talent, this
could have been passed off as a recently uncovered gem from the heyday of these
sorts of quiet, political character-based thrillers like The Conversation or
All the President’s Men (not that TTSS is especially concerned with politics,
but it shares much of its DNA with films that typically skew that way).
Set in the upper echelons of the British intelligence
services the film deals with the hunt for a supposed Russian mole amongst its
top agents, a cause that drives George Smiley (a wonderfully restrained Gary
Oldman) out of retirement and back into 'the Circus' to untangle the mess left
since the departure of the head of the agency (aka Control played with John
Hurt’s usual gravitas and world-weariness) and death of one of its agents (Mark
Strong) in Budapest. It is not an especially complicated plot but the film
approaches it with a cool efficiency, expecting you to keep up and barely
wasting a word in exposition. As such it is a film that rewards a sort of
fastidious attention to detail with every shot, action and word carrying extra
weight. It is a true masterclass in execution, balancing out its minimalist
ambitions with gorgeous cinematography and atmosphere, the score by Alberto
Iglesias bubbles along, underscoring the tension and mood and enhancing the
films oppressive feel.
The cast is superb throughout, from Oldman’s commanding
central performance, his Smiley reveals nothing, he remains as inscrutable at
the story’s conclusion as at its start and yet he remains compelling because he
has so much going on behind his calm exterior. A rare animated moment sees him
re-enact an encounter with Karla, one of the most renowned Russian agents and
it’s a captivating scene, played solely against himself. He gets great support
from Benedict Cumberbatch as his man on the inside and Tom Hardy as a rogue agent
with important information who requires protection. The great work done by the
cast help elevate what could be seen as a somewhat distant and dry story into
something more urgent and human. These are not James Bond-esque spies but normal, flawed people trying to make a living, never sure of
their actions or their information. The period setting helps it avoid much of
the gadgetry that is so prevalent in modern spy tales and allowed the film to
focus on the characters, and the whodunit aspect of the plot.
In fact if there is a complaint to be made it is that the
final reveal is a touch too restrained, observing the aftermath of the
confrontation with a detachment that for the first time feels like the wrong
choice. But as a whole the film is less concerned with ‘who’ than it is looking
at the lives of these people that deal in secrets and lies, and the toll the
work takes on them.
This is a wonderful film, mature, confident and engaging
and an excellent foray into the world of American cinema from Alfredson.
Between this and Let the Right One In he has me very excited now to see what he
does next.
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