Who's in it? Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, John Hurt
The plot This cerebral, whispery film presents an entirely unglamorous, but probably highly realistic take on the world of spies (there ain't no Hollywood heavyweight dangling off an impossibly tall tower here).
Based on the best-selling novel by John le Carré, the film is set in an early 70s London, a period during which England was still wrapped up in Cold War conspiracy, and revolves around a repressed, somewhat uptight ex-spy, whose name, ironically, is Smiley (played by an Oscar-tipped Gary Oldman in so-bad-they're-good retro specs a la Colin Firth in A Single Man. Goldman is said to have actually picked out the glasses himself - details, details, details).
Oldman's character is struggling with his identity post-retirement and post-divorce, but is soon put back on the job by his ex-boss ‘Control' (Hurt), who believes there's a mole in ‘the Circus' (the code name for the British Secret Service) and wants Smiley to find out who it is.
The winding and weaving story sees Smiley investigate four of the most powerful spies in the UK, and throughout the slow-paced flick you manage to both doubt and trust every single one of them.
If you were bored in Syriana, and struggle with the storyline in a TV series like The Wire, then this is not for you - but if you enjoy terse, intelligent films that leave you to do some of the leg work, then this may just be your favourite film of 2012.
Rating 4 out of 5
