Yes, No, Maybe So: "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy"
Friday, July 1, 2011 at 9:45PM One more Yes, No, Maybe So to take you into the holiday weekend. This one is the espionage thriller Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy adapted from the bestseller of the same name by John LeCarre. The movie arrives in September. Let's break it down.
The trailer is quite riveting. I blame the intriguing imagery, the cold precision of the editing and those musical trills (not sure if that's the right word) in the score. (Though with scoring in trailers it's always a bad idea to get excited because chances are it's another score entirely in the film. Turns out this score is Danny Elfman from The Wolfman) The trailer is also smart about setting up the central dilemma 'there's a long term mole in our ranks and it's one of these five men!' without fussing too much over the details... or even which five cast members, exactly, that we're talking about. I understand from plot descriptions of the novel that the main character George Smiley (Gary Oldman) is pulled back from semi-retirement to uncover the mole so you've got your old hoary trope in there too. One Last Job!
It's 2011 and knowing the internet, we'll hear who the mole is any second now, let alone waiting for the big reveal within the film in September while we're watching it. Not the film's fault of course but it hasn't taken some of the electricity out of all genres that use mystery and twists for their thrills. Then there's a more personal thing: Two hours without any actressing to speak of though... in a genre I can take or leave. Speaking of personal pecularities: though it pains me to say it for fear of the virtual retribution, I've really never been one for Gary Oldman. No, I am secretly not a member of AMPAS but they've really never really been into him either: Note the "BAFTA Winner" above his name during the cast shuffle before the "Academy Award Winner" for Colin Firth; Oldman has never been nominated for an Oscar. Will this year be different? (Best Actor Predix - updating in a few days)
The director Tomas Alfredson made the remarkable Let The Right One In (which we were just reminded of) and he's brought back some of the same team for this one which means it will, at the very least, be strongly moody with sticky images. That's a big plus for any thriller. The cast is also sharp. Tom Hardy gets a lot of face time in the trailer but there's also Mark Strong, Toby Jones and John Hurt (among others). It'll be interesting, too, to see if Colin Firth can keep up the remarkable momentum he built from A Single Man and The King's Speech. Will that prove a two year peak or will he have another couple more years up top of the "must-cast pile"?
And finally: how the hell will this fare with Oscar? It's so hard to say since the genre and filmmaking team are not Oscar Bait in and of themselves. When you aren't carrying obvious bait, you've got to have strong golden hooks (excellent reviews, showy performances, surprise hit status) if you hope to catch Oscar.
The Trailer in Question...
Are you a yes, no, or maybe so? Break it down in the comments
Previously: Mission Impossible - Ghost Protocol, War Horse, Moneyball, Footloose, and A Dangerous Method
Reader Comments (25)
Eh, maybe so. It looks like a pretty thin premise, but so did, for example, Mad Men (and look how much depth and nuance the creators were able to mine from that shallow [on the surface] premise). (Speaking of which, is it just my imagination or did that series usher in a plethora of 60's-era product in Hollywood -- X-Men First Class, Pan Am, etc.?)
To your trailer music point, my two favorite trailers of the last few year (Birth and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button) actually DID use their original scores (which, incidentally, were both were by a certain genius composer named...Alexander Desplat).
I'll make my decision based on how this one fares in the reviews dept.
P.S. Benedict Cumberbatch? What a name!
Mareko -- I KNOW. Actor names amuse me sometimes because nobody seems to change them anymore. stage names seem passe so you end up with all these really cumbersome very long actor names.
All kinds of YES!
Although i'm with you on actresses and the disappointment of their absence here, i have to say the book is pretty terrific and crime films are my very favourite genre, so i won't pass this one up.
YES YES YES YES YES YES YES. Didn't even notice the lack of any major actresses, it looks so cool. Love me a Cold War spy thriller, though, so this kind of thing is my bread and butter. And though the trailer does not credit him (as it does Toby Jones and Benedict Cumberbatch?)...: CIARAN HINDS!!! I am a YEEEEEEEEEEEES!!!!
What do you mean there's no actressing? Didn't you see that one woman getting undressed and driving someone around. I smell a best supporting actress nod.
I have been in love with Gary Oldman since Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead. There have been ups and downs in our relationship, certainly, but I have stayed steadfast in my affection. I'm a big YES for him and the rest of the cast.
PS. Oldmans BAFTA is not an acting award!
Definately a big YES for Gary Oldman!
How the hell can you not be one for Gary Oldman? He is one of the greatest actors alive and the fact that he doesn't have an oscar already is a travesty. Sid and Nancy? Dracula? The Fifth Element? The Professional? Hannibal? The Contender? The Dark Knight? All brilliant performances ranging in okay to great pieces of filmmaking. Though I'm sorry I mentioned the Dark Knight because lord knows we will have to hear yet again about how you're not a fan of Nolan.
I feel you on Gary Oldman. I think he's one of those actors who doesn't take parts in movies I find interesting, so I never think much of him. In the 2000s, he made a ton of movies, but I only saw the Batman sequels and a horror flick called The Unborn. If you go back to the 90s, all I get is Dracula, and I didn't like his Dracula. (I don't remember the Fifth Element or Leon enough to remember him in them, but maybe it's time to revisit those.)
This part and movie could drum up some interest in him from me, at least to go back and watch Sid and Nancy and Rosencrantz again - movies I loved and will surely love again.
A Strong YES. Actually, the trailer reminded me of how much I like John Le Carre and I went out and bought his latest novel, Our Kind of Traitor, for my weekend reading.
I liked the book, Tinker, Tailor, and I liked the BBC series. This new one has a great cast. I love Toby Jones, John Hurt, and Ciaran Hinds. I like Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, and Benedict Cumberbatch. (Apparently Benedict's actor father used a different professional last name, like Martiin Sheen/Emilio Estavez).
For the MAYBE SO: But how are they going to condense the story into two hours? I was skeptical about Gary Oldman. George Smiley is a terrific character, and Alec Guiness was perfect (yet again). But Oldman looks like he will be a very good Smiley. I loved Oldman in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern, but he seemed to lose his way for a while there, playing/having to play villains. That seems to sap an actor's vitality after a while. I'm glad to see he's back.
Also, someone pointed out on a different blog, and I think it bears repeating, that the best thing about the trailer is the release date. I probably wouldn't get around to it during Oscar glut, but it will be a definite yes when I'm at my most desperate for quality entertainment.
I'm a maybe so leaning towards yes. It all depends on if they capture the style of Le Carre's spy novels right. I haven't read this one, and now I'm debating whether I should before the movie comes out or not.
P.S. I'm with you on Gary Oldman, I think he can be good when he's playing understated, like in Batman and it looks like he is here, but in so many of his allegedly 'great' roles it's painfully over the top ACK-TING.
A strong yes, for the reasons you state.
Sean -- why on earth would mentioning that he was in Dark Knight send me on a Nolan rant? So off topic and lord knows i NEVER stray from topics ;)
Over the top? Yes, he often goes over the top, and it's not to everyone's taste, but he was deliciously sleazy as the white rasta gangster in True Romance. If you're playing a WHITE RASTA GANGSTER, over the top is the only way you can go. Really, if you don't like Gary Oldman going over the top, you probably don't like ANY ACTOR going over the top.
Gary Oldman is fantastic! Let's not forget his small but very memorable role in "True Romance" and, of course, his wonderful turn as Lee Harvey Oswald in "JFK"!
Oh, and also... State of Grace! He should have definetly gotten a best supporting actor nod for that performace!
I never seek out a movie because of Gary Oldman but I usually always ;like him when I see him in something. I thought he was wonderful in The Dark Knight, easily giving the second best performance in that movie ( no topping Heath, of course) in a beautifully understated way. I'm most interested in the third film to see what happens with his character!
This trailer is AWESOME. I've watched it about five times and it makes me more and more enthusiastic each time. I think I might go read the book first though, I'd rather spoil myself for the twists and get it outta the way so's I can focus on the film-making and acting at work.
So wait... if I don't like Gary Oldman b/c I think he is over the top, I don't like over-the-top acting? That is a crappy, ad-hominem argument.
A definite YES, but here's something: they should have updated the film to the 2010s and made at least one of the potential moles a woman. Sure, that would rob the film of its almost inevitable costume nominations, but even though I'm a Le Carre fanatic, I don't see any reason why his novel wouldn't work in an update. He is, after all, the William Shakespeare of the spy thriller.
YES for Gary Oldman, YES for Tomas Alfredson, and YES for this trailer. With any luck, I'll be sitting down to watch TTSS come September!
Could this finally be the film that gets Gary Oldman that "Oscar nominee" label that he so justly deserves.
Simon McBurney's line deliveries are so great. It doesn't seem like he'll have a very big role, but he opens that trailer so well. In the span of one trailer I went from being totally uninterested to eagerly anticipatory. Looking forward to it!
Rebecca -- agreed. I happen to enjoy quite a few hammy actors. Oldman is not one of them :)
Mike -- there's no such thing as an inevitable costume nomination ...unless it's sandy powell or colleen atwood doing a really really showy piece.
It looks very good and the cast is terrific. Maybe the SAG Ensemble winner? I think Oldman is probably the most overdue actor out there. I mean not even a single Golden Globes nomination?! JFK? State of Grace? Sid and Nancy? Prick up Your Ears? Rosencrantz & Guildenstern? Dracula? Immortal Beloved? The Contender? It's just a travesty. I enjoy him when he's ham (True Romance, The professional), for me that's fun and "controlled" ham, not cringe-worthy. I think he sadly became typecast as the villain in the public's mind 'cause obviously his most famous roles were, like The Fifth Element. And that's unfortunate 'cause he's one of the most versatile actors. He really is one of the VERY FEW living actors I can say : he can play everything. Comedy, drama, period movies, nice guys, vilains, romantic leads, etc. He is never the same in all his roles, there are no recognizable acting trick in him, no traits of his personality that you could recognize from role to role, unlike most of the actors, even the great actors. I think that's incredible 'cause even the greater actor have a weak point like comedy for Daniel Day-Lewis.
He just deserves better roles since a decade.
I'm a yes. Not a real Oldman fan but the REST of the cast--YOWZA. And I love a spy thriller beyond all reason.