Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

Brian in Mesa

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Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

Release Date: December 9, 2011 (NY, LA; limited: December 16)
Studio: Focus Features
Director: Tomas Alfredson
Screenwriter: Bridget O'Connor, Peter Straughan
Genre: Drama
MPAA Rating: R (for violence, some sexuality/nudity and language)
Website: FocusFeatures.com | TTSSmovie.com | Facebook

Starring: Gary Oldman, Ciaran Hinds, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, Benedict Cumberbatch, Mark Strong, Svetlana Khodchenko

Plot Summary: "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" is the long-awaited feature film version of John le Carre's classic bestselling novel. The thriller is directed by Tomas Alfredson ("Let the Right One In"). The screenplay adaptation is by the writing team of Bridget O'Connor & Peter Straughan.

The time is 1973. The Cold War of the mid-20th Century continues to damage international relations. Britain's Secret Intelligence Service (SIS), a.k.a. MI6 and code-named the Circus, is striving to keep pace with other countries' espionage efforts and to keep the U.K. secure. The head of the Circus, known as Control (John Hurt), personally sends dedicated operative Jim Prideaux (Mark Strong) into Hungary. But Jim's mission goes bloodily awry, and Control is forced out of the Circus - as is his top lieutenant, George Smiley (Gary Oldman), a career spy with razor-sharp senses.

Estranged from his absent wife Ann, Smiley is soon called in to see undersecretary Oliver Lacon (Simon McBurney); he is to be rehired in secret at the government's behest, as there is a gnawing fear that the Circus has long been compromised by a double agent, or mole, working for the Soviets and jeopardizing England. Supported by younger agent Peter Guillam (Benedict Cumberbatch), Smiley parses Circus activities past and present. In trying to track and identify the mole, Smiley is haunted by his decades-earlier interaction with the shadowy Russian spy master Karla.

The mole's trail remains cold until maverick field agent Ricki Tarr (Tom Hardy) unexpectedly contacts Lacon. While undercover in Turkey, Ricki has fallen for a betrayed married woman, Irina (Svetlana Khodchenkova), who claims to possess crucial intelligence. Separately, Smiley learns that Control narrowed down the list of mole suspects to five men. They are the ambitious Percy Alleline (Toby Jones), whom he had code-named Tinker; suavely confident Bill Haydon (Colin Firth), dubbed Tailor; stalwart Roy Bland (Ciaran Hinds), called Soldier; officious Toby Esterhase (David Dencik), dubbed Poor Man; and Smiley himself.

Even before the startling truth is revealed, the emotional and physical tolls on the players enmeshed in the deadly international spy game will escalate...

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MrYeahBut

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I'm only good for 2-3 movies a year, but this sounds like something I'd like to see. I read most of le Carre's spy novels, but it's been decades.
 

Griffin

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Very good film. Requires undivided attention though as there are a lot of characters introduced early and it's easy to get lost. Gary Oldman was excellent.
 

MrYeahBut

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Extremely confusing movie but like Griffin said if you pay attention you should be able to figure it out.


Damn, I want to see this but I got lost at Toy Story with my granddaughter:D
 

MadCardDisease

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Very good film. Requires undivided attention though as there are a lot of characters introduced early and it's easy to get lost. Gary Oldman was excellent.

Totally agree. Oldman did an amazing job.

This type of spy movie is the exact opposite of Mission Impossible. MI is all about special effects and action scenes. TTSS is a mental film that requires you follow along from scene one.

I love how they made it look like a period piece with smoke filled rooms and grainy film. It really felt like you were back in the 70s. The casting was spot on.

If you are looking for a non stop action film I can't recommend this movie. If you are a fan of cold war spy novels you will probably love this movie.
 

AsUdUdE

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yeah.. I got completely lost in the first 45 minutes and was soo confused about what was happending I left...

I didn't fully pay attention int he first 20 minutes admittedly, but man, once I could figure the charactors (They have 2-3 very similar characters and I they spend a lot fo time name dropping and I couldn't figure if they were going back in time or future)

I may give it another try when I can focus for 2 1/2 hours, but man, if you don't it will completely lose you..

First film I have ever seen to do this..
 

Bada0Bing

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I just couldn't get into this one. As folks mentioned, it's very slow and complicated. Usually that doesn't bother me, but this story just didn't interest me. Even reading about the film afterward was boring.
 

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