A thinking man’s thriller

Most spy films never seem to capture the real world of espionage. The reason is that most of them – like the James Bond, Bourne, and "Mission: Impossible" series – are not really spy pictures; they are action movies. Their storylines might be a little more intelligent than the average shoot-‘em-up fare, but the action scenes are what people come to see.

"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" is not an action film posing as a spy thriller. This one is an espionage movie through and through, expertly capturing the world of Cold War era counterintelligence.

It is a dark and gloomy world. There are no explosions or car chases in exotic locales, just clandestine meetings and sleuthing in back alleys. When there is violence, it is not flashy or pretty, and who stands on which side is not clearly drawn out across standard movie lines.

The movie, based on the 1974 novel of the same name by John le Carré, begins in the early 1970s, with British agency MI6 (informally referred to onscreen as "the Circus") conducting an operation to take in a Soviet defector. When the mission goes awry, however, the Circus higher-ups believe that there is a mole in their ranks.

That really is too simplistic a synopsis, as the story is much more complicated than that.  It is difficult at times to keep track of all the characters, let alone which side they are on, and there are some long stretches where it is hard to tell exactly what is going on.

But this is what makes the film so captivating. The movie forces the audience to think and figure out the complex puzzle of the story themselves. Doing so is a lot more engrossing than just being spoon-fed every plot point and twist like most thrillers do.

There is a relative lack of action in the picture, but it is never boring because it requires constant brainpower to follow. And instead of a traditional dénouement that neatly explains and wraps up every loose end, the film just sort of ends, leaving the viewer thinking more about the complex puzzle they just saw. This sounds infuriating, but in an odd way, it is incredibly satisfying; once viewers think everything is figured out, they want to watch again to see it in another light.

The story is brilliant, but what really makes the movie is the cast, a virtual "who's who" of the best Brits in the business. Gary Oldman, John Hurt, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy and Mark Strong are all very believable because they seem like real human beings. There are no suave, witty secret agents here, just real men in dangerous situations with little more than their wits about them.

There should be more movies made like "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy": movies that stimulate the mind instead of just pumping up teenagers' testosterone. Since such films are sadly few and far between, this movie seems all the more like a gem.

"Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" receives 4.5 out of 5 stars.