Review of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011) by Danmasters1987 — 12 Jan 2012

I'm writing this review purely because I feel it would be a massive injustice to this film if people were put off by people assuming critics weren't being true to their feelings on the film or viewers are simply talking up their enjoyment to claim some perceived intellectual high-ground. This is certainly not an easy, sit back and consume film by any stretch of the imagination, but that is ultimately it's greatest strength, as the satisfaction at the final pay-off is all the larger for it. There are LOTS of strands to arrange and balls to juggle early on, and a massive part of this film keeping all the mental plates spinning as all the little pieces start to come together to create a seamlessly interlocking whole.

I disagree with arguments of pretension in this film. While I feel it's valid for Thomas Alfredson's 'Let the Right One In' more so, though I also enjoyed that, there is no interpretation required, everything you need to know is either on screen or in the script. The more attention paid the greater the rewards, which is surely the perfect undercurrent for a spellbinding spy movie.

I only don't give it a ten because if you either don't enjoy complexity in your films (though this is not the faux-complexity of bad story-telling) it isn't for you - which bares no relation to intelligence, purely taste. Classics need to be accessible and this isn't. But if you do access it it is a hugely rewarding and satisfying journey entirely unreliant on cheap tricks and hollywood mainstays. Two hours of beautiful brain workout and tantalising story depth.