The Roaming Life

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Tinker Tailor Soldier Snore

I have been sitting on this review for a while. Or rather, it’s been roiling around in my head from the moment I left the theatre in which I saw Tinker, Tailor, Solider, Spy almost a month ago. But I’ve held off on writing it, let alone posting it, because while sometimes it can be gratifying to voice the unpopular opinion, at other times it can make you, well, unpopular.

But with the release of the Oscar nominations for 2012 I cannot hold back any longer. I have too strong an opinion about the film, and the Oscar nominations that has resulted from it. Gary Oldman is up for Best Actor, and the film itself is up for Music (Original Score) and Writing (Adapted Screenplay). I have zero beef with the music nom other than that I can’t say I remember a single tune from the movie. I’m sure the score was great, but it certainly wasn’t memorable. And as for the adaptation from the source material, I have no background from which to comment, as I have not read the book on which it is based. And when I turn my gaze to Oldman’s acting nomination… Please understand that I love the man. I have been a fan of his for ever, going all the way back to Dracula. I could write an essay on just my love and respect for the man and his craft. Does he deserve an Oscar? Absolutely! For this movie?
Ehhhhh…. I really feel like I need to keep throwing up disclaimers as I write this, because there is no question that Tinker Tailor has an all-star, well-proven cast of acting giants. A brief, not exhaustive list: Colin Firth, Benedict Cumberbatch, Ciarán Hinds and John Hurt. It really feels like sacrilege to say that, despite my best efforts, despite the film makers’ best effort, I just didn’t care for it.
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