1. TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY
In order to make a spy film legitimate, there needs to be a basis in truth, and in most cases we need to be led through the shadows by an outstanding lead character. In the case of TINKER, TAILOR, SOLDIER, SPY, both components were melded together to create a taut and intelligent film that placed Gary Oldman front and center.
Oldman plays George Smiley, a retired MI6 agent called out of retirement to expose a mole within the agency who is suspected of leaking valuable information to the Soviets. The center of this circle of not-what-they-seem intelligence agents is Smiley, who is as complex as the man he is hunting. He’s a quiet man, but a brilliant investigator with plenty of skeletons in his closet. It’s one of the most reserved and astonishingly minimalist performances of Gary Oldman’s career, and in this case the devil is in the details.
When Oldman isn’t saying anything, he’s saying so much. He’s a master of projecting tone through body language. Whether it’s a long stare or a seemingly duplicitous half smile, you’re never clued into the inner workings of his mind. You suspect rather early that Smiley has this mystery solved, but he persists with an unnervingly quiet calm that only draws you further into the story. It’s an absolutely brilliant performance.
It’s worth noting that this film earned Oldman his first and only Oscar nomination, which seems strange to say. Though, I get the sense that Oldman wasn’t really to keen on the awards. It feels more like he’s keen on building a legacy.
