Review: Tinker Tailor Solider Spy (The film)

I was already at a disadvantage before I saw the film. I have read the book and watched the BBC TV series starring Alec Guinness. The film only has a couple of hours to get in all the intricate plots, sub-plots and so on that make up the complex world of ‘The Circus’. Inevitably characters, some sub-plots and so on are going to be cut simply because there is not the time available to put them in. Also as things are cut some of the story would have to be shifted around so that it makes sense. I realise this, I knew when I went to see the film not to expect a completely accurate rendition of the book. However whilst watching the film I couldn’t help but think that the translation from book to screen could have been done better. There were a vast amount of silent moody scenes some of which could definitely have been replaced with more of the story. Some silent moody scenes are required to set the tone of the film but for my taste there were too many. The ending was a little annoying as well, I am not objecting to the acting, directing, or scenes just the damn song they played over it!

Gary Oldman was excellent as Smiley. I am not sure whether he has watched the BBC series but there seemed to be a lot of Alec Guinness in his portrayal, but Oldman brought his own skill to the role. Thankfully Oldman is not doing a direct copy of the way Alec Guinness played Smiley, it is similar but both performances in their own way are quite far apart from each other.

Benedict Cumberbatch is brilliant as Guillam, who was one of my favourite characters in the TV series as well as the book. Some of Peter’s background is cut which again I put down to time constraints. However then we catch a glimpse of Peter’s home life which I don’t remember in the book (that’s not to say it isn’t there, it been ages since I read the book last). I am not objecting, but why couldn’t another scene from the book have made it in instead? I liked the scene that was included, it was played very well and quite touching, it told you more about the character and made him more sympathetic with the audience. I imagine if any more of the books are made Guillam is being set up as ‘the sidekick’, so that the movie makers/writers do not have to set up and introduce another character. With this in mind I am now thinking about Toby Esterhase. I won’t mention the pronunciation of his name – John Le Carre is named as executive producer and I imagine they must have gone to him for the pronunciation, but I preferred the way the BBC series had it! I didn’t like him. Probably the portrayal of Esterhase was more true to the book, but throughout the film I was nostalgic for Bernard Hepton. I can’t really imagine this Toby in ‘Smiley’s people’. Toby Jones does his best with Percy Alleline but I don’t think he got the pomposity of the character. Colin Firth does a good job as Bill Hayden. He gets across the sarcasm and natural charm the character has.

There are a couple of omissions from the book in the film which I do miss. The often repeated phrase of Control and later Smiley : “There are three of them and Alleline.” It is only one phrase but neatly summarises the number of suspects. The next thing is the code name for the mole which Ricky Tarr learns from Irene, namely Gerald. These two things are only small and do not detract from the film as a whole but having read the book, as I stated from the beginning, I sort of expected them in the film.

Overall I enjoyed the film and definitely wouldn’t mind seeing it again. When I comes out on DVD I shall probably buy a copy. I would award the film a 7 out of ten.

Advertisement