#6: Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

Move over, Ron Burgundy. George Smiley is the real ambassador of the Seventies: a decade of grey suits, glumness and gas shortages.

Yes, it was a miserable time by all accounts. The Troubles happening up North. Stagflation in the States. And the everpresent threat of the Ruskies pushing the button. Tinker Tailor expertly captures the paranoia and chilling atmosphere of the era.

Adapting a novel into a film is like distilling soup into an OXO cube. Very few make the transition while still keeping their rich, wholesome flavour. But this film certainly does justice to its source material, while making it accessible to newcomers like me. It crams reams of plot into a running time that’s shorter than Transformers 3. 

I’ll admit the film’s four suspects aren’t fully developed, but it’s the conspiracy itself that absorbed me. But Tinker Tailor moves at a slow, methodical pace – like Smiley and his investigation. It demands your attention, and rewards it. You’ll be fully satisfied by the time the credits roll.

Now I’m in the mood for oxtail for some reason. Come back tomorrow for the beginning of the business end of my list: #5, proud winner of the “I know it’s Not Really Real, but God that bit looked Painful” award.