Looking for a fast-paced spy thriller, like James Bond or Jason Bourne? Then I suggest you go elsewhere. Tinker Tailor is a quiet, deliberate, thoughtful spy thriller, with emphasis on subtlety and almost no action sequences. It follows the story of George Smiley, the subtle and understated ex-spy, brought back into MI6 to find and flush out a Soviet spy.
It’s a slow film, and easy to brand ‘boring’ and forget about. With a plot so dense, the first time I watched it, I didn’t have a clue what had happened and decided it was awful. I don’t know what made me take a second watch, years later, but I’m more than glad I did.
There are no other films I know of where you have to ‘work’ to enjoy it; that necessitates active concentration. Most films spoon-feed you entertainment like mashed potato to an infant. That is what has brought Tinker Tailor to the forefront of my mind as a recommendation.
Quote: “We’re not so very different, you and I. We’ve both spent our lives looking for the weaknesses in one another. Don’t you think it’s time to recognize that there is as little worth on your side as there is on mine?”
