1 week Ago By [email protected] (Parul Sharma, Andrea Oldereide)
Director Tomas Alfredson's Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a masterclass in crafting the quintessential spy thriller that bagged big rewards and a hefty box office take when it was released in 2011 - and it's being show on free-to-air telly this weekend. Gary Oldman stars as the iconic George Smiley, backed up by a stellar ensemble including Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, Benedict Cumberbatch , David Dencik, Kathy Burke, Toby Jones, John Hurt, Mark Strong and Ciarán Hinds. Adapted from the 1974 novel by John le Carré, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy made its debut at the 68th Venice International Film Festival in 2011, earning widespread critical praise and achieving significant box office success.
Set against the backdrop of London in the early 1970s, the movie follows the hunt for a Soviet double agent at the top tiers of British intelligence. The screenplay was penned by Bridget O'Connor and Peter Straughan, who were honoured with a BAFTA win for their effort. A magnet for awards and nominations, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy claimed the BAFTA Award for Outstanding British Film in 2012 and secured three Academy Award nominations – Best Original Score, Best Adapted Screenplay, and an Oscar nod for Oldman's leading performance, reports the Daily Record .
The film's phenomenal success is evident as it reigned supreme at the British box office for three weeks running. The production, which cost £16.2m, raked in around £63m globally, affirming its status as a smash hit.
Before its 2011 cinematic acclaim, le Carré's novel was no stranger to audiences, having been transformed into an acclaimed 1979 BBC television series starring Alec Guinness. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy has been praised as an introspective take on 1970s espionage, with one critique summarising it as "The new adaptation of le Carré's novel is an uncompromisingly cerebral and austere account of disenchantment and tension." Furthermore, another critic extolled the film saying, "Huge on period atmosphere and as murkily plotted as its source material, this big-scale European adaptation of le Carré's 1974 Cold War novel Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy shows a faithfulness that should fully meet the expectations of the writer's fans.
" Despite an enviable Rotten Tomatoes audience score of 84 percent, one reviewer felt compelled to challenge the consensus, arguing: "The audience score is too low to do this movie justice. Some people expected James Bond or John Wick. "This is a masterfully crafted spy games movie that may be too slow for some.
Paranoia, anxiety and betrayal everywhere. I loved it. Putting in my 5 cents and reviewing well in order to boost this score.
" Another audience review described the "intense suspense" of the film: "For me, the movie ended in the best imaginable way for a thriller; it ended with a deep sigh. I hadn't realised it, but it was as if I had been holding my breath during the whole movie. "Intense suspense without anything to disturb the immersive feeling that this is exactly how being a spy felt like.
" One viewer appreciated that the film didn't resort to audience handholding and wrote: "I love this movie so much. "It's a movie that respects its audience. Makes you think and guess and, if you were attentive throughout, rewards you with an elegant and impactful release.
"It's a big respite from the usual Hollywood dumb movies. Hopefully we get more movies that are smart and don't hold the audience's hand." Meanwhile, another critic review praised the film's "complex" portrayal and stated: "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is everything that one feels it should be.
It is complex, intelligent, quiet, intense and keeps its cool throughout." Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy will be broadcast on BBC Two this Sunday, April 6, at 10pm (excluding Northern Ireland & Northern Ireland HD)..
