Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

I promise that this is a good movie, a good spy movie with intrigue and complex plotting and great acting. Here's what it isn't-it isn't The Bourne Whatever. Jason Bourne is a fake spy. He's a fun and exciting fake spy but he's a fake spy. George Smiley, as written by John LeCarre and performed by Gary Oldman is much closer to the real world of espionage. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy gives you more insight into the reality of the Cold War. But there is a problem- reality isn't all that cinematic. This is a British spy film-more akin to Howard's End than the Bourne Series. The first hour is sleepy. Like double-espresso sleepy. You have to stick with it. The rewards of this intelligent film about the intelligence business come slower, sneakier and more understated. So chug some caffeine and put it in the Blu-ray.
The plot is this: Control (John Hurt) is the dying head of a British Spy Agency. He has figured out that there's a highly placed mole in the outfit and has given several leaders code names-tinker, tailor, soldier, poorman and beggerman-one of these guys works for the Russians. After Control dies, it falls to aging spy master George Smiley to find out which one is the mole, and he methodically sets out to do so. The result is an intriguing exercise in spy work, suspenseful in its own way, and totally worth watching. Gary Oldman's understated work earned him an Oscar nomination. The word understated has been used to describe Oldman's work exactly, ummmm...never. At least until now. He is brilliant in the role.
This is a good watch, especially if the spy genre interests you, but prepare for it--with lots of caffeinated beverages.