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Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy: whoopee!

4.254.157.20

This superbly acted ensemble piece finds Guiness at his minimalist best (could Bill Murray have studied his underacting?) leading an investigation into the identity of a mole planted by the sinister Communist mastermind "Karla."
As in the similarly well-done "Smiley's People," TTSS is shot on location, and there are many. Lisbon and its environs especially are well-filmed.
The story is a bit slow in unfolding, but you won't mind: the suspence of the chase, complexity of the web of deceit, and understated (hence realistic, compared to Hollywood bombast) dialogue keeps your attention... and then some.
I have only one small quibble: several actors adapted Smiley's habit of letting the character speaking to them ask a question, failing to answer or acknowledge, and letting the "conversation" continue. Since this is rare in both real life and film, I assume it's either the director's direction or a conscious mimicking of Guiness's style by the other actors. It is a bit "off-putting," as the Brits would say.
Unlike some here, I wouldn't place it above "Smiley's People." I found the quality of both quite comparable. In fact, the "son" of the "General" in SP I found a bit irritating: his false Russian accent was WAY over the top--- and his wife's anger seemed falsely contrived, as well.
If you have suffered through a James Bond vehicle over the past 20 years, or so, do yourself a favor and watch these: they are the antidote.


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Topic - Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy: whoopee! - tinear 06:02:59 09/11/05 (16)


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