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Kansas City's Online Journal of the Performing Arts

Based upon the novel by John le Carré, the pseudonym for British author David John Moore Cornwell, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a spy movie without high speed car chases, scantily-clad models, or frenzied shootouts. Instead it’s a cerebral thriller that demands unwavering attention, for which the audience is richly rewarded.

It’s 1973 and the Cold War between East and West is in full gear. Control (John Hurt), the nameless head of British Intelligence (a.k.a. “the Circus”), dispatches agent Jim Prideaux (Mark Strong, Sherlock Holmes) to Budapest, Hungary to meet a Hungarian general who is supposed to supply information about a mole. The meeting goes awry and Prideaux is shot.

The fallout from the debacle forces Control and his right-hand man George Smiley (Gary Oldman) into retirement. The Circus is then taken over by four agents who have established their preeminence via a program called “Witchcraft,” which involves using a Soviet agent to gain access to Soviet intelligence and then using it as part of an information exchange with the CIA.

Control dies shortly after his dismissal, but his belief in a mole within the Circus is shared by Smiley who is secretly brought out of retirement to unravel the mystery. Smiley is aided covertly by British intelligence officer Peter Guillam (Benedict Cumberbatch, War Horse) and by a field agent (Tom Hardy, Warrior) who is on the run from the Soviets and the British.

Unlike the James Bond or Ethan Hunt films, there is a tangible vibe of authenticity to Tinker Tailor Solider Spy, which shouldn’t be surprising considering Cornwell worked for the British intelligence services MI5 and MI6 during the Cold War of the ‘50s and ‘60s before becoming a full-time author.

The film’s story is intricate yet paced evenly. Its unassuming tone is set from the start as its British cast, which also includes Colin Firth, plays upon a level of suspense that builds steadily. As the lead, Oldman doesn’t demonstrate an expansive emotional range, but he doesn’t have to. Subtleties in his mannerisms and presence supply all the information we need to know about Smiley’s intellectualism and loyalty to queen and country.

On a letter grade scale from “A” being excellent to “F” for failing, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy receives an A.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is rated R and has a running time of 127 minutes.

Now showing through January 12 @
 

Glenwood Arts
9575 Metcalf Ave
Overland Park, KS
Visit www.fineartsgroup.com, or call 913-642-4404 for more information.

By Michael D. Smith

Indie Film Editor

Michael D. Smith earned a Bachelor of Arts in history at College of the Ozarks in Point Lookout, Missouri followed by a Master of Arts in history at the University of Missouri-Kansas City.

Inspired by such critics as Gene Siskel and Roger Ebert, Michael started reviewing films in 1992 for College of the Ozarks's student-run newspaper. After returning to the Kansas City area in 1994, he continued film reviewing by writing for the Cass County Democrat Missourian in Harrisonville.

In 2000 Michael joined Sun Publications in Overland Park, Kansas where he served as its film critic and Arts and Entertainment Editor. During his tenure there, he was also the film critic for the "Fine Arts Radio Hour" and "Celebrity Scoop" radio shows on KXTR. After leaving the Sun in late 2002, he became the A&E writer for the Olathe News in Olathe, Kansas. He also worked as a freelance writer for The Squire in Leawood, Showcase Publishing in Lake Ozark, Missouri and the Kansas City Star.

Michael is currently a member of the Kansas City Film Critics Circle, a professional film critic organization established in 1966 by the late Dr. James Loutzenhiser.