"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" Is A Thinking Person’s Spy Film

When people hear the term ‘spy movie’ these days, chances are their minds turn toward the more action-oriented tropes of popular franchises like Mission: Impossible or the Bourne series. The spy movies of today are mostly  fantasy – crafted more for entertainment purposes than insight – but the bygone Cold War era brought us more grounded and realistic spy stories, including the noteworthy works of John le Carré (real name David John Moore Cornwell), a former British spy turned spy novel author.
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is the big-screen adaptation of Carré’s novel of the same name, and serves as the first chapter in the “Karla Trilogy” – the saga chronicling master spy George Smiley’s quest to uproot his nemesis, “Karla,” a top spy in the Soviet KGB.

However, where many modern spy films are wholly reliant on action movie formulas, director Tomas Alfredson sticks close to the understated approach of Carré’s narrative – the question is, will modern audiences still embrace a complicated spy flick that doesn’t offer a whole lot of action?

The story takes play in the ’70s, as the top echelon of British intelligence (known as “the circus”) is fighting to cut through the web of deceit and misinformation constantly being spun by the KGB. Times are changing, and the old guard – specifically “circus” ringmaster “Control” (John Hurt) and stalwart spy master George Smiley (Gary Oldman) – are being forced into retirement, following a bloody botched mission to uncover an alleged KGB mole within the top levels of British intellegence.

Before Smiley can even get used to the idea of retirement, he’s tapped by the heads of intelligence to go back to work on the case of a KGB mole – a mole controlled by Smiley’s KGB counterpart and longtime nemesis, “Karla.” Recruiting a team of lower-level and retired espionage agents, Smiley begins to unravel the web of deception, half-truths, misinformation, and questionable loyalties amongst the circus’ inner cabal. The only question is: which man is the rotten apple in the bunch?

Swedish director Tomas Alfredson is probably best known to American audiences for his adaptation of the vampire tale, Let the Right One In. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is constructed in Alfredson’s signature style, which often relies more on carefully crafted mis-en-scene (scene composition) and inference – as opposed to exposition or action to convey the story. (Though, admittedly, there are a couple of sequences in Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy which rely almost too much on heavy-handed exposition.) This is a film that requires the viewer to constantly pay attention and connect the dots to understand what’s going on and why the characters are doing what they’re doing – and for some people, that level of complexity and subtly is going to be difficult and/or boring. However, for the viewer who likes to be challenged: this film is rich and rewarding to anyone willing to invest the necessary time and thought.

The other divisive factor is the level of action in this film: there is none. As a former intelligence agent, John le Carré knew the realities of the spy world – a place where information, mind-games and deception were the weapons of war – gun battles and fist-fights being a distant second. In staying true to source material, screenwriters Bridget O’Connor (who tragically passed away last year) and Peter Straughan (The Debt) had to forego the usual crutches of cinematic storytelling (movement and action) in favor of less captivating story beats (characters sitting around talking, or performing seemingly mundane tasks).

While there is great importance and meaning in just about every scene featured in the film, some casual viewers are going to inevitably be left with the impression that little-to-nothing “happens,” as there are no big action set pieces, and most of the major twists and/or developments are muted, understated, and require one to have been paying careful attention to what came before. That said, a few sudden (and grisly) moments of violence are likely to shake dozing viewers out of their stupor.

The cast of the film is made up of accomplished (mostly English) actors, including Tom Hardy (The Dark Knight Rises), Ciarán Hinds (The Debt), John Hurt (V for Vendetta), Mark Strong (Green Lantern), Colin Firth (The King’s Speech), Benedict Cumberbatch (Atonement), Stephen Graham (Boardwalk Empire), David Dencik (Girl with the Dragon Tattoo) and Kathy Burke (Elizabeth). Each of these aforementioned actors is skilled in their own right; together as an ensemble, they make it easy to believe in the world of le Carré’s novel and the shady players therein. However, the combined efforts of these accomplished performers in the supporting roles still don’t outshine the powerhouse that is leading man Gary Oldman as George Smiley.

Smiley is a fascinating character: stoic, cunning, manipulative, insightful, and always, always, poker-faced. Oldman brings him to life in full range and complexity, while never once breaking Smiley’s icy demeanor. The scenes where the master spy is sitting back, silently eyeing his subject, are just as interesting as the moments when he delivers a monologue that reveals the inner workings of his mind – or the predatory nature hid beneath his calm, controlled, exterior.

All along the way, Oldman punctuates his performance with subtle hints of body language and mannerism that speak volumes about who Smiley is, and what his history has made him. It’s a hard thing to make a static character into an engaging protagonist (after all, most of the intrigue with a protagonist is watching them change and develop over the course of the story), but Oldman pulls it off so effortlessly it should be scary. That is, if we didn’t already know how talented Gary Oldman is. (Seriously, somebody get this guy an Oscar nomination already!)

If there is one element of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy that I must take issue with, it’s the original music composed by Alberto Iglesisas. This is a film that is already difficult to decipher, so one would think that musical cues would be a crucial tool in helping the viewer realize (even though they may not fully understand) when a moment is supposed to be suspenseful or important. However, more often than not, Iglesisas’ somber orchestrated score gives a tranquil scene the same weight as a suspenseful one, making it hard for casual viewers to rely on audio cues to help them along – and easy for them to be lulled into trance.
In the end, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is a thinking person’s spy film that will bore those more inclined towards action-heavy spy adventures. However, those who like a more intelligent spy film – one that you have to see at least twice to get your head around – then this is a movie you will definitely want to watch…and watch again, and watch again.

"Dream House" Will Leave You Feeling Muddled And Somewhat Upset About The Experience

Dream House is a hard movie to review – or even describe – without revealing too many twists and turns of the plot. The film stars Daniel Craig (Girl With The Dragon Tattoo) as a writer who settles into a quaint home with his wife (Rachel Weisz) and two daughters, only to learn that their house was the scene of a horrific crime. When strange things start going bump in the night, the husband starts to uncover a connection to the tragic murders – but only the pretty neighbor (Naomi Watts) seems to know what’s going on for sure.

Dream House was directed by Jim Sheridan, the man behind such great films as My Left Foot and The Boxer, as well as so-so films like Brothers and Get Rich or Die Trying. Sheridan is a skilled director (even when he’s working with half-baked material) so technically speaking, Dream House is visually sound and richly textured in its disparity between the warm hues and glows of a family home, full of love, and the harsh, blue-tinted, snow-ridden world outside that home – or, at times, the grit and grime of homes that have been overrun with rot and despair.

The other strength of the film is its cast. Craig, Weisz and Watts are all skilled actors and keep a lot of the more ridiculous aspects of the story (more on that later) grounded in believable performances. Craig – often stone-faced and grim – displays some warmth and smiles in his role as a loving father, though he gets ample time to stone-face it as well. Weisz is good as a free-spirited wife and mother; she makes her character stand out as a unique and fully-formed person, while Watts is given a harder task, playing a pivotal character that has to be balanced just right to be believable at all. Watts almost pulls of that balancing act, but not quite. Guys like Elias Koteas and Marton Csokas are great character actors – though they’re given little to work with here.

What knocks Dream House - a movie which has so much potential on paper – right off the rails is the script by David Loucka, the writer of not-so-great films like Eddie, The Dream Team, and Borderline. Dream House is a story that seems like a cool idea in theory, but doesn’t quite work when put onscreen. It’s highly derivative of other films (two in particular – scroll down for that mild spoiler) and ultimately gets lost in its own ambitions – which pretty much amount to throwing several “twists” into the story that are meant to be shocking or clever when they’re really just clichéd, confusing and often obvious.

This is also a film that changes gears very drastically in its 1st, 2nd, and 3rd acts, and subsequently feels disjointed and episodic, rather than organic and cohesive. There are also a truckload of logical flaws, and plot holes so wide they are nearly impossible not to fall into. On the whole, the poor script reduces Dream House to a movie that is hard to get into – and stay into – despite the talented actors and director working to keep it grounded and engaging.

Sometimes an idea just falls flat. There’s no harm in the trying. Certain viewers may watch Dream House and be thrilled by the shifting, uncertain nature of its plot (if they can avoid scrutinizing it and simply brush off the gaping holes). As stated, the film is well-constructed and well-acted, so it’s not a total nightmare. However, like the strangest of dreams, watching this movie will  leave you feeling muddled and somewhat upset about the experience.

Movie of The Hours

The Hours, most famous for being the film where Nicole Kidman sports a prosthetic nose - which is pretty effective actually, makes her almost unrecognisable!  The plot follows 3 women in different decades all suffering from depression - warning, this is a clue to how much of a downer the movie is, but in actual fact I really enjoyed it.  It travels through a day in each of their lives, one in which they may or may not survive...  Besides starring Nicole Kidman as writer Virginia Wolfe, it also features Julianne Moore playing a typical (and suicidal) 50s housewife and Meryl Streep as a present day publisher, with a ton of big names in the supporting cast - worth it for the talent alone in my opinion!  

This movie was an epiphany. As the main titles rolled, I told myself THE HOURS must have the best cast since IT'S A MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD WORLD -- Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore, Nicole Kidman, Miranda Richardson, Claire Danes, Ed Harris, Allison Janney, Toni Collette, John C. Reilly, etc. -- and I braced myself for great performances. (The lesser-known Stephen Dillane, as Virginia Woolf's suffering husband, is especially good.) But what this film offers, above all, is great writing. David Hare's script, based on a novel by Michael Cunningham, is so brilliant on its own terms that everything else the production throws at it -- the exceptional actors, the splendid cinematography, Kidman's uncanny persona-dissolving makeup (which turns her into someone who looks slightly less like Virginia Woolf than Meryl Streep does without any makeup whatsoever), and especially the endlessly cycling, bicyling, tricycling, churning, twerning, exacerbating, lacerating, masturbating score of Philip Glass (I'm finally off the fence; he's a poseur) -- is powerless to do anything but vulgarize it. I'm not saying it's a bad movie; it's not -- but I believe the script would have gained much more in the auditorium of a reader's imagination. I haven't read the novel, so it's quite possible it's all in there.

Nicole Kidman received her 2nd Best Actress nomination and won for playing famous author Virginia Wolf in The Hours. Virginia and her husband Leonard have just moved out of London and into the country, so Virginia won't be as moody and troubled. But Virginia feels suffocated by the peacefulness of the country and is unable to connect with the people around her. Despite wearing ridiculous makeup and wearing a fake nose, Kidman is still able to deliver a very good performance as Virginia. A big plus is her voice: It's piercing and magnetic and draws us in. Her role is a bit underwritten and I think that it leans more towards supporting, but Kidman is able to make this work in her favor, by making Virginia an enigma that we want to see and know more of. The scenes with her sister are wonderful and the train scene is brilliantly executed by Kidman and we really feel an emotional connection to Virginia. So, a very good performance that is a bit underwhelming, but works overall.

Watch It’s About You Movie Online Free

Now, many people like to watch movie online, we can not only watch the newest movie as soon as possible, but also it is free. "It's About You" Is A New Musical Documentary That Offers A Rare And Intimate Look At The Life And Music Of Rock And Roll Hall Of Famer John Mellencamp. The Film Premiered At The Sxsw Festival And Follows Mellencamp On His Summer 2009 Concert Tour And During The Recording Of His Most Recent Album, 2010's Universally Acclaimed "No Better Than This," The Sessions For Which Took Place At American Musical And Historical Landmarks, Including Sun Studios In Memphis And The First African Baptist Church In Savannah, Ga. We See Mellencamp Recording - With A Single Mike And Mono Tape Recorder More Than Half A Century Old - In The Same Hotel Room Where Legendary Bluesman Robert Johnson Created Some Of His Most Memorable Work. Along The Way, Mellencamp Reveals An Emotional Side Never Before Seen By The Public, In A Film That Becomes A Soulful, Highly Personal Meditation On His Beloved Small-Town America. Watch It's About You Movie 2012 Online.

Kurt Markus' Photography Has Appeared In Such Leading Publications As Vanity Fair, Rolling Stone, Gq And The New York Times Magazine, And He Has Shot Cutting-Edge Ad Campaigns For Bmw, Armani, Nike And Other Companies. His Unique Vision Has Been Brought To Bear On "It's About You," Which Was Shot On Super 8 And Whose Vintage Americana Look Is The Cinematic Equivalent Of A Well-Worn Pair Of Jeans.

Most Fathers And Sons Bond Through Activities Like Fishing, Camping, Or Road Trips - Opportunities To Get Away And Connect With One Another. But When Your Father Is A Photographer And Happens To Be Friends With A Fairly Famous Musician, A Cross-Country Road Trip Turns Into An Opportunity To Create A Film That Not Only Explores The Various Ways Of Capturing Images, But Also Seeks To Give New Insight Into A Well-Known Artist. The Key To Being An Artist Is Having The Ability To Bare One's Soul To An Audience Through Expressions Like Music, Acting, Photography, Or Painting. Yet It Seems That Despite Giving Us Song Lyrics Or Photographs That Are More Revealing Than Mere Words Ever Could Be, The Artists Themselves Remain Mysterious Creatures That People Always Want An Even More In-Depth Look At.

Photographer Kurt Markus, Along With His Son Ian, Aimed To Do Just That As They Took To The Road In The Summer Of 2009 To Document Kurt's Friend And Photography Subject, John Mellencamp, As He Toured And Recorded His Latest Album. Narrated By Kurt, The Film Seeks To Show A Different Side Of Mellencamp That Neither Kurt Nor We Had Seen Before. Filmed Almost Like A Music Video - Mellencamp's Music Plays Over Footage Of Landscapes From The View From A Car Window To The Crowd At His Shows. Rather Than Just Show Mellencamp Performing On Stage Or In The Studio, The Environment And People Surrounding Him Become Just As Important. The Camera Would Hold On A Girl Dancing In The Crowd Longer Than It Ever Would On Mellencamp, But It Worked To Show The Effect Of His Music On His Audience Rather Than Just His Performance Of The Song.

Although Full Of Footage, Photographs, And Music From Mellencamp, The Film Is Really About Markus And His Process Of Taking In The Changing Landscape Of America And The Use And Limitations Of The Various Cameras He Worked With. It Seems When Artists Try And Document Other Artists; The Camera Inevitably Turns Back Around On Themselves. With It's About You, You Truly Feel Like You Are On A Road Trip With Someone Looking To Learn More About His Country And The Different Tools For His Medium As Much As, If Not More Than, The Subject He Is Documenting.


As Mellencamp Records His Album In Various Locations Around The Country, He Continuously Uses A Single Microphone That He And His Band Would Crowd Around And Perform To. Many Of The Musicians Are Playing The Music For The First Time In The Recording Sessions And Will Use Just A Take Or Two To Find Their Rhythm And Use Whichever Take "feels Best" Rather Than Something Perfectly Rehearsed. It Is This Idea Of Striping Things Down To Their Simplest Nature That Runs Throughout The Film From The Super8 Camera Footage To This More Natural Recording Approach. Kurt Laments On The Loss Of A More Simple Time When Commerce In America Thrived On The Shops On Main Street And Rather Than Malls Centered Around The Suburbs. Watch It's About You Movie 2012 Online.

Despite The Use Of Narration, The Film Falters At Finding Its True Voice. It Is Never Quite Clear How Each Moment Connects To An Overall Story As The Sound Bites Kurt Lays Over Certain Scenes Seem More Like Watching A Slide Show Of Someone's Vacation Rather Than A Cohesive Film. The Visuals Are Striking And Kurt's Experience As A Photographer Shines Through, But The Constant Switch Between Color And Black And White, The Filming Of Still Photographs To Actual Film Begin To Feel Overly Stylized Which Ironically Goes Against This Idea Of Getting Back To What Is Simple. At The Beginning Of The Film, Kurt States It's About You Is About Mellencamp, But In The End, The Film Seemed Much More About Kurt And His Process As A Photographer, Filmmaker, And Artist. Fans Of Photography And Music, Particularly Those Who Enjoy Markus And Mellencamp's Work, Should Find This Film Engaging, But It May Be Hard For It To Find An Audience Outside Of That.