Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

 Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy - 2011 - Tomas Alfredson

The original title is Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, but who knows why in the Spanish version it was changed to El topo (The Mole). The movie is an intrigue thriller based on a novel by John le Carré. John le Carré is the author of several espionage works, which is his literary strength, and in many of them, the main character is Agent Smiley. Several of his novels were adapted for the screen. Of this author, I have only read one work, The Secret Pilgrim, which also features Smiley. Perhaps the best of all his novels is The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, which is very renowned.

The film begins with a "- Were you followed?; - No; - Then come in. Trust no one, Jim, especially ordinary people." line, which seems promising. The film does not offer action, weapons, or adventure—it is about spies, but the story takes a different angle. Although it is true that a couple of gunshots are not missing, they make up a minimal part of the film. It generates a minimal amount of suspense and does manage to establish a sense of doubt and an eagerness for resolution as soon as he gets to work to uncover and catch the traitor.
During the Cold War, there actually was an event involving British spies who were co-opted by the USSR, in what became known as the Cambridge Five Traitors. Although several authors have written books offering opinions on the event, they have denied that their works have any direct relation to those real occurrences. However, the connection is clearly felt, and the movie seems to carry an aura of that real-life event.

The character of Smiley is well-portrayed by Gary Oldman. He is not an all-powerful hero; do not expect to see a super-spy. He is an ordinary man doing his job—patient, calm, collecting various pieces of information, connecting data, and drawing conclusions. Gary Oldman is an actor held in high regard by critics, and he has played several villainous or deeply malignant characters; I remember the unhinged police officer in the movie Léon: The Professional.
You have to pay close attention, as there are a few flashbacks throughout the film that are useful for understanding the story. In my opinion, some characters—including a few from the Circus—are somewhat overacted or taken to extremes in their characterization.

The movie received over twenty award nominations and won Best Adapted Screenplay and Best British Film at the BAFTA Awards, which is the annual ceremony for British cinema over in their country. All of this speaks to the good reception the movie enjoyed among some film critics.