Oh my. This is a good one. If we are talking technical mastery of the medium of film, which includes directing the actors, the editing, the mood, the set direction, the cinematography, the artistry, the music, plus that certain something that is so hard to pin down, this may be the best movie of the year. It was directed by Tomas Alfredson, the director of Let the Right One In, the Swedish vampire movie (later made into a US film).
This is the story of Smiley, a British spy, swept out of his job with his boss on the wave of a botched Hungarian mission. The time is the early 70's, and the Cold War is is the mood, along with bad fashion, hair and makeup. Smiley, played with precision by Gary Oldman, is brought back into the fold to search for a mythical double agent planted by the Russians at the tip-top of British Intelligence. None of his former cohorts know he is investigating, and the stakes are high. These cohorts are the who's who of British film and theater: Colin Firth, John Hurt, Toby Jones, Ciarán Hinds; as well as newer faces. They are perfect to a man. Women don't have much of a role here, but the atmosphere is thick with tension, whether sexual or political or plain-old sneaking around tension.
I was surprised at the end. Do you know how wonderful that is? I was confident I knew the identify of the spy, and I was wrong! How delightful. In addition, Mark Strong is one of my least favorite British actors. I feel he plays the same role again and again, rarely stretching himself. He is a revelation here. I will buy this one and watch it many times.
Right now I'm thinking Oscar nominations for Adapted Screenplay, Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor for this film. I think Gary Oldman could win. I need to review my list. Watch the scene where he reenacts his conversation with Karla. He's worthy of the nomination right there.
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