Liberals Hate Families

You know how you can tell immediately that I liked this movie? I’m going to refer to it as a “genre film.” If I didn’t like it, I would call it a mess of cliches. Isn’t it funny how the same thing can bring you in two different directions? Anyway, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is definitively a spy and espionage film, and it runs the main course that you would expect it to. About a hundred double crosses, you can’t trust anyone, convoluted back story, etc. What makes it work is that it’s done remarkably well. Genre films are only good if they master the type of films they’re using as inspiration. This film doesn’t transcend anything, but it’s an example of the very best the spy genre can offer. It’s very complex, and you certainly need to pay attention, and you might not even get anything then, but all the pieces are there, and a story with a lot of threads and a lot of characters is condensed into a 2 hour film without it being an information dump. Alfredson has this ability to communicate vital information in a 3 second scene, with little more than a look between two characters. You have to assume a lot, but if you assume the right things you are rewarded with a complex story, and the kind of adult film that simply isn’t made anymore. It moves fast but the action is all in dialogue and facial expressions. It’s a series of whimpers instead of bangs, masterfully woven into something with a detached but intelligent style, complete with endless glasses of scotch and cigarette smoke filling every room. If you can’t tell, I’m purposely restraining how much I love this film for all of the reasons I just laid out, but see it because it speaks for itself.