For a while I have wanted to watch first the original version of this and then this remake. However, I lost my American netflix awhile ago and haven’t yet got it back. And I stupidly gave in and watched the remake first. I say ‘stupidly’ because this is an idiosyncratic thriller and I may have appreciated one or both better seeing a more conventional approach first. (But, then again, maybe not.)

I love the slow burn of this – so little is revealed in the film so slowly. I can imagine how confused and infuriated many people must be while watching this. For much of the first half it feels like one should have read the book first. I personally love that approach, though I too was confused, albeit briefly, as to whether a certain thing was happening in the past or present.

But at times the direction is a little too idiosyncratic, particularly in the montages, which don’t work as well as the rest of the film. The first montage doesn’t exactly make sense if you think about it – at east from Smiley’s perspective – and the second feels out of character with much of the film.

But otherwise this is a very solid, traditional spy thriller with a very deliberate pace.

8/10

• Directed by Tomas Alfredson
• Produced by Tim Bevan, Eric Fellner, Robyn Slovo
• Screenplay by Bridget O’Connor, Peter Straughan, Based on Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy by John le Carré
• Starring
  • Gary Oldman as George Smiley (“Beggarman”)
  • Colin Firth as Bill Haydon (“Tailor”)
  • Tom Hardy as Ricki Tarr
  • Mark Strong as Jim Prideaux
  • Ciarán Hinds as Roy Bland (“Soldier”)
  • Benedict Cumberbatch as Peter Guillam
  • David Dencik as Toby Esterhase (“Poorman”)
  • Stephen Graham as Jerry Westerby
  • Simon McBurney as Oliver Lacon
  • Toby Jones as Percy Alleline (“Tinker”)
  • John Hurt as Control
  • Kathy Burke as Connie Sachs
  • Roger Lloyd-Pack as Mendel
  • Svetlana Khodchenkova as Irina
  • Arthur Nightingale as Bryant
  • John le Carré as Christmas party guest
  • Christian McKay as Mackelvore
  • Konstantin Khabensky as Polyakov
  • Linda Marlowe as Mrs McCraig
  • Michael Sarne as Karla
  • Tomasz Kowalski as Boris
  • Stuart Graham as Minister
  • Zoltán Mucsi as Hungarian agent
  • Laura Carmichael as Sal
• Music by Alberto Iglesias
• Cinematography by Hoyte van Hoytema
• Edited by Dino Jonsäter
• Production companies: StudioCanal, Karla Films, Paradis Films, Kinowelt Filmproduktion, Working Title Films
• Distributed by Focus Features
• Release date: 5 September 2011
• Running time: 127 minutes
• Country: United Kingdom, France, Germany
• Language: English
• Budget: $21 million
• Box office: $80.6 million