Following his debut feature, vampire film Let the Right One In, Swedish director Tomas Alfredson interprets the classic British spy tale Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. Famous as both a novel and a television series Tinker Tailor is an ambitious story to tackle, focusing on retired MI6 agent George Smiley as he tries to track down a Soviet mole within MI6 during the Cold War. Alfredson brings fresh eyes to the material, with a distinctly Scandinavian cinematic style and a confident approach to pacing which creates a brilliantly understated sense of tension.

Alfredson casts Gary Oldman as George Smiley. Previously portrayed by acting legend Alec Guinness this may have been a hard role to crack, but Oldman makes the character completely his own. Choosing to internalise Smiley's emotions Oldman creates a complex character, who is  intelligent, detached and uncompromising, though seldom confrontational. He is compelling to watch as there is so much for the audience to interpret, while nothing is spoon-fed.

Around Gary Oldman is an ensemble of remarkable talent, including John Hurt, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, Benedict Cumberbatch and Mark Strong. Each character is integral to creating the complex network of agents that make up MI6 and no one can be trusted in Smiley's hunt for the mole. The quality of performances across the board makes for an utterly compelling mystery and the intelligence of the cast convinces us that these men are members of the British secret service.

The only problem audiences may find with Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy is that, due to the density of the narrative it can be difficult to completely comprehend the action on first viewing. However, this is something that can be remedied with repeat viewing and ultimately the film becomes more rewarding upon consideration. With Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy Tomas Alfredson has successfully brought a classic to life with evocative camera work, creative design and performances that find the emotional truth in a drama that is full of detail.

DVD Extras

The extras include an interview with John Le Carre (writer of the novel), deleted scenes, a selection of photos, audio books, interviews, trailers and a television featurette providing perspectives from the cast, crew and producers. The extras are interesting and well assembled, though a more thorough 'behind the scenes' would have been really worthwhile.