Movies and books have equally shared the space of my
major interests in life. However, I have unwittingly taken care to keep them
separate from each other. I am the kind who read ‘The Day Of The Jackal’ after
watching the 1973 Fred Zinnemann production and I found the book so originally
ingenious and well-crafted that the movie seemed lame. On the other hand, some
of my favorite classics- the works of Doyle, Dumas and Mark Twain have been
adapted into faithful films but I give them a miss. Hell, I still think the
original Sherlock to be far more superior to Robert Downey Junior’s buffoon act
in the recent blockbuster revamp franchise, enjoyable as the actor is.
Indeed, after watching the impeccably crafted
‘Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy’, an espionage movie that shows honorable faith to
the source material in a time when James Bond is shedding its Ian Fleming
flavor, I was compelled to give writer John Le Carre a go. I am yet to work my
way through his best-selling Karla series but I did leaf my way through his
earlier work and was dazzled by his play of Wodehouse-like language and a tight
control over the narration.
In its elaborate, methodical and moody way, Tomas
Alfredson’s fantastic film is more than just a damn faithful adaptation. More
than the standard Forsythe adaptations in the 70s and 80s and the recent
pumped-up versions of Robert Ludlum, Alfredson’s film is a dignified
achievement mainly in how it captures the soul and essence of the book and not
just its twists and turns. It is a film with enigma and emotion, a film that
gives us a crowd of real people rather than just suspects, a convincing leading
man rather than just a hero out of a spy novel.
The first scene nails it fully. Tomas Alfredson’s
film begins on the low-octane tone that punctuates most of the spy novels and
not the films themselves. The old-school veteran spies clad in somber colors
rather than impeccable suits talk in low voices and you have got to better
prick up your ears. Turn up the speakers to grab the fine lines spoken by the
people in the film and you will end up applauding Alberto Iglesias’s elegiac
and intense score as well.
It takes the opening scene to get used to an
alternate era, a milieu rooted in the cold turbulence of the 70s and in the
visual aspect as well. The camera lingers calmly and unhurriedly over the
streets of Budapest as the film’s characters walk on the pavements amidst the
fog and smoke from cars. And the scene set in the café, with each little sound
rising to a tense tempo, the conversation halted and the mercury rising slowly
but steadily, the audiences are completely gripped. It stays true for the rest
of the film as well.
1973- MI6’s wizened chief known to all as Control
(an authentically decadent John Hurt) issues one of his trusted men- the
silent, subdued Jim Prideux (Mark Strong) to go on a mission to Budapest to get
information about a possible leak in the department. The mission goes awry,
Control steps out with fellow veteran spook George Smiley (Gary Oldman) and the
team is reshuffled. But a year later, Smiley is brought back in the front to
investigate if Control’s theories are true or not.
Those, who may be starved for gadgetry that has gone
missing in the recent James Bond films, may be looking for a lot of gadgets in
this one. But hold on. This is not a conventional spy film, the same way as the
book was never a conventional one as well. Instead, this is a film about
relationships, about nostalgia. This is
about tough men confronting their weaknesses, about men questioning their
loyalties, about secret allegiances which make the betrayals and sudden twists
and turns more genuinely alarming. Alfredson does an excellent job with pulling
off the twists and turns with ingenuity, while the background is jaw-dropping
in its seething tension. Indeed, he creates a scenario where it is safer to
trust your greatest foes and be wary of your best friends. And he handles the
emotional heft to make the proceedings work on a sentimental level. Talk about
authentic.
And there is a great cast of actors to make it work
as well. Alfredson has roped in a great line-up of actors. Almost every one of
them has something special on display. Watch out for Strong as the silent and
introspective Prideux; the actor gives a constantly compelling performance, one
that speaks of incorruptibility and steeliness, distorted by the deception
which landed him in trouble. Watch out for the dynamic and talented Benedict
Cumberbatch playing the determined and idealistic young spy Peter Guilam. Watch
out for the dashing Tom Hardy play a meaty role of a wild card with staggering
conviction and believability. Watch out Toby Jones play the acerbic new chief
Percy Allenine with a terrific edginess. And finally watch out the reliably brilliant
Colin Firth play the suave Bill Haydon with his flair for old-school yet
compelling histrionics.
Yet, one man outshines them all. He has to be the
leading man and he is Gary Oldman. As Smiley, Oldman proves why he is one of
the most respected actors in today’s times. Given much lesser lines than other
people, Oldman also has to convey a feeling of cold-bloodedness, detachment and
cool confidence that makes him click as a world-weary spy. And boy, he does it.
He is constantly gripping as a leading man. He wears the placid face expression
with tremendous ease and the weary body-language with an uninhibited
confidence.
But there is more. There are times when we cringe at
Oldman’s cold-bloodedness, the matter-of-factly and clinical methods he applies
while investigating. Watch him gaze unfilchingly as a near-to-tears Tom Hardy
tells of his feelings for the woman he was investigating and you know that here
is a steely, almost callous man on a mission. And yet, there are times when
Oldman’s character is forced to confront himself in the mirror. There are times
when things get personal and it is here when Oldman shines with his
vulnerability. One of the scenes is when Smiley recounts his incidental meeting
with the arch-nemesis Karla. It is a fantastically intense scene and all praise
to Alfredson for lingering on Oldman’s face as he remembers and recalls. All
praise to Oldman as well for being so, so intense and unforgettable.
The script by Bridget O Conner and Peter Straughan
is well-written, clever and almost perfect. When I say almost perfect, I mean
it because the film works very well till the climax. Sure, the writers have
done everything to place the elements in place and the twists and turns come
unexpectedly. But the final part is a bit unclear; some things are a bit
unexplained and the film doesn’t quite answer all the questions. Clearly, one
needs to read the novel before watching the film. But then again, Alfredson does
quite a neat and precise job of tying up the loose strands and the film is
still quite a tight ship held admirably in one piece.
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is not a perfect film. It
may baffle those, who are not familiar with Le Carre’s spare style or Alfredson’s
moody atmospherics. It is like a slice of bread with creamy, smooth and salted
butter spread on it. And while it may be a bit indulgent, it is nevertheless
slick, smooth and sharp to taste.
My Rating: 4 Stars.
