DVD & Blu-Ray review: Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy

James Bond has somewhat clouded our notions of the spy genre in cinema as we come to expect glamour, gorgeous locations and beautiful women aplenty. John le Carré – himself a former agent of M15 and M16 – knew the reality was somewhat different. In his classic books set during the Cold War he shows the secret service to be a stuffy affair full of intrigue and power plays conducted in grey and impersonal buildings. Yet – despite the lack of exotic surroundings and over-the-top villains – his work was never less than brilliantly engrossing. Famously adapted by BBC television in 1979, Tomas Alfredson’s newest version of Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy gives the cinematic spy movie a shot in the arm by, ironically enough, harking back to the past.

England. The 1970s. Retired spy George Smiley (Gary Oldman) is enticed back to the ‘circus’ – i.e. the British Secret Service – after suspicions of there being a traitor in the highest ranks. With the aid of Peter Guillam (Benedict Cumberbatch, better known to most as Sherlock) he must covertly attempt to discover the person who is working for the Russians. But with deceit, murder and corruption rife, Smiley’s job may be a lot harder than he thinks.

This is a meticulously crafted film with director Tomas Alfredson (best known for Let The Right One In), cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema and production designer Maria Djurkovic doing some sterling work mirroring the intricate plot with some precise and clinical visuals. With a palette of blanched out colours and locations that are sparse and forbidding this is an aesthetically austere affair but this coldness manages to be grimly beautiful and striking. It also marvellously evokes the 70s without feeling old-fashioned or out of date while the atmosphere is also greatly helped by an excellent score by Alberto Iglesias.

Oldman’s performance in the lead has rightly been praised as he combines a fierce intelligence and determination with understatement. For many it’s hard to envision anyone else but Alec Guinness in the role but Oldman makes it his own and he provides an excellent focus for the dense plot. The rest of the cast give equally superb performances – unsurprising considering it consists of the likes of Mark Strong, John Hurt and Colin Firth amongst many others – but special mention should be given to Cumberbatch whose supporting role gives something of an emotional heart to the film. Certainly, this is a complex film (and kudos should be given to screenwriters Bridget O’Connor and Peter Straughan for their sympathetic adaptation of the novel) that is often serious and dour but there are enough moments of subtle humour (such as the Office Christmas Party in which all the English secret service sing along to the Russian national anthem) to balance the film.

From its bleak yet gorgeous design to the strong performances, Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is one of the best films of 2011 and perhaps one of the greatest spy films ever made. This Blu-Ray release does justice to the visuals of the film and – whilst most of the extras are of the promotional featurette kind that have fleetingly interesting things to say – the commentary with Oldman and Alfredson is a worthwhile affair.  British cinema had something of a renaissance in 2011 and this films stands up with the best of them

Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy is released on DVD and Blu-Ray from Studio Canal