Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011) - 4 out of 5

A tense, deeply engaging Cold War spy thriller (based off John le Carre's book) it plays out not in shootouts or car chases, but in tense enigmatic conversations held between middle-aged men in suits who smoke and drink way too much. (Yes they smoke. I bet that's why MPAA gave it a R rating.)

But this does work as an entertaining who-dunnit murder mystery, played out by an awesomely Anglophilic cast that it'll probably make you want to go eat spotted dick or something. Gary Oldman, Toby Jones, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, Mark Strong, and John Hurt. BTW, when hasn't Hurt not ever looked old at the movies? Was he born old like Benjamin Button?

Would you believe that in his long career, TTSS scored Oldman his very first Oscar acting nomination? Yeah I know, unbelievable but he earned it here. Just looking at Oldman's face as George Smiley, you don't need exposition detailing all the battles that old spy has fought over the decades and old demons bottled up inside. Controls his emotions, but when he does shall we say "lose his shit," my god you're reminded how damn good Oldman is. That's always a pleasant reminder.

Just one problem this movie has. It's a very complicated mystery, which in mind you need to keep aware of the clues being given for every character. Initially I mixed up Hardy's character with Strong, which sorta confused the shit out of me initially. As long as you keep all the pieces mentally, you'll be fine with this movie.

le Carre wrote some sequels detailing Smiley's continued shadow war with his commie counterpart in Karla. I want those movies with Oldman kicking ass by talking and smoking/drinking too much.