Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy vs The Debt

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is smarter than me. The characters operate at such a high level of expertise and secrecy that I was left to just trust that they’d solve the film’s central mystery. I sure as hell couldn’t do it. I’m not even sure I can explain the plot.

In 1973, MI6 is under quiet, paranoid distress, because they’ve discovered a KGB mole. Control (John Hurt) is the first alerted to the spy, and by rule of smelling and dealing, of course it’s understandable if you think it’s him. Spoiler: Wrong. That leaves a table of classy, tobacco-smoking British character actors to sort each other out, think back on suspicious events, and get to the mole before he gets to them. Among their ranks: Mark Strong, Gary Oldman, Toby Jones, Colin Firth and others. Part of the pleasure of watching Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy lies in watching each of these actors play their character as close to the vest as possible. Anyone grandstanding or chewing scenery would be too obvious among the other actors, and likewise, any peacocking done by the characters would throw all attention on themselves. If you’re the guilty one, you want to fly under the radar. If you’re innocent, you want to fly even lower. George Smiley (Oldman) takes the lead in digging out the spy; we see him begrudgingly investigating and researching in the present (he’s fresh out of retirement), and also remembering key events of the past that may supply evidence. These events aren’t necessarily dependable, because maybe George is remembering moments from his life that were suspicious for reasons that don’t involve MI6. There were social interactions among the agents, and of course any personal indiscretions that might have taken place wouldn’t have anything to do with what happened on the job, but then again they might.

As the mole gets closer to being exposed, all of the agents start to look guilty. Their nervousness over who it might be, and over the possibility of a false or accurate exposure, eases Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy toward thriller territory. By the end, you’ll feel like you’ve watched a Jack Ryan movie, but more dignified and quiet. There is sporadic action (Tom Hardy appears in a violent subplot that’s particularly gripping, and there are scenes with bombs and snipers), with maximum impact based in part on its rarity. Mainly, we’re put in the same position as those agents: looking as close as possible at each scenario, and trying to piece together enough evidence to make a case. George Smiley beat us to it.

As George, Gary Oldman fully immerses himself into the period, the job, and a character so specific, I started to wonder if there was a real-life counterpart it was all based on. Surely George Smiley is real, and there were tapes for Oldman to study. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy takes place primarily in two different time periods, with our main touchstone for each being George’s appearance. His glasses are the first clue; he has a different pair for the flashbacks. But Oldman also makes adjustments in his carriage and speech. George is sharp, still fit (he goes for a cold swim each morning), but there’s a world-weariness to the latter-day scenes. Maybe it’s regret, or paranoia, or maybe he’s just getting tired. Maybe he’s still not over a certain betrayal, and we can’t trust him not to target one of his innocent colleagues over an unrelated incident. Regardless of George’s intentions or conclusions, Oldman is fascinating. He’s more often celebrated for bombast, but in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Oldman gives a performance that calls attention to interiors. His eyes behind big-framed glasses, his posture in stiff suits, his voice barely audible. Every member of the cast is notable, but besides Oldman, my favorites were Tom Strong and the brilliantly named Benedict Cumberbatch. If any movie this year features a character played by someone named Benedict Cumberbatch, it’s Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

Director Tomas Alfredson plays things nearly as carefully as George Smiley. During certain periods of the film, the plot is so obscured, the dialogue so murky, that I’d get lost and confused (my obscured, murky confusion looks a little like boredom). Once I got into the rhythm of Tailor Tinker Soldier Spy, I liked it. Some information in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy was hidden from characters, and thus, from me. A character might sit to type something hurriedly, without letting the audience in on the content. Or someone might flip through a file cabinet, or series of file cabinets, without telling anyone what he’s looking for. People pick up phones and speak vaguely, with no split screen or indication that anyone’s on the other end. Knowing glances are exchanged, quickly. I started to feel like everyone was in on a secret I wasn’t privy to, or that there was a joke I hadn’t gotten. In a movie hinging on whether or not its paranoia is palpable, spreading it through the audience is a good sign. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is also visually striking. Filmed in tones of earth and industry, all grays and browns, the outer world of cobblestones and cloudy skies starts to blend with the smoky inner world of bookshelves and tweed. It extends the “trust no one” vibe to the setting as well. If the inside looks like the outside, then those insiders are going to start looking an awfully lot like outsiders. It’s important to bring in a fresh perspective. How about that old bloke who still swims each morning?

John Madden’s The Debt is another movie of espionage told in two time periods. And it’s another that seems as if it might actually have happened. In the case of The Debt, the story is more action-based and external. It’s maybe a little more fun than Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, and maybe just a little dumber than me.

David, Rachel, and Stefan (Sam Worthington, Jessica Chastain, and Marton Csokas) are Mossad agents, and eventual friends (and eventual more), who are assigned to find and detain an old Nazi and bring him back to Israel. Their plot is complicated, risky, and diabolical, and includes such fiendish, creepy plots as an undercover trip to a gynecologist. Just your average, classy British Kidnap the Nazi Gyno Thriller. Ho hum.

There are obstacles, obviously, in achieving their goal, and something goes quite wrong. But the trio return home heroes, so much so that roughly thirty years later, Rachel (now played by Helen Mirren) is being celebrated for writing her account of the mission. But is her book true? Through conversations with David and Stefan (Ciaran Hinds, who also appears in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, and Tom Wilkinson), as well as different takes on the flashbacks, we come to see that the original plot might not have come off so smoothly. Might there be unfinished business, among the trio of heroes and their original mission? Will they settle whatever differences remain to the present day? How did Rachel (both version) get that scar on her cheek? The Debt is a simpler story than Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, and perhaps more predictable. Using a book as a spark for flashbacks is a little on-the-nose. But there’s an emotional authenticity at play that I found outclassed any questions that might have lingered about the plot.

As Rachel, Jessica Chastain and Helen Mirren carry the bulk of The Debt’s success. Chastain takes a seemingly vulnerable character, and quickly instills her with intelligence and gravitas. Mirren comes from the opposite direction. We believe immediately that she’s confident and intelligent, but then she shows a warmth that supports Chastain’s performance as well. They each get pivotal scenes of confrontation, as well as the burden of the movie’s secrets. George Smiley would have figured them out right away, obviously.

Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy: B+

The Debt: B