Poll

What should this month's theme be?

Sci-fi
3 (37.5%)
Filmspots
5 (62.5%)
Other (please specify below)
0 (0%)

Total Members Voted: 8

Voting closed: January 05, 2012, 09:15:41 PM

Author Topic: January 2012 MDC: Filmspot Fever!  (Read 11077 times)

Corndog

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 17025
  • Oo-da-lolly, Oo-da-lolly, golly what a day!
    • Corndog Chats
Re: January 2012 MDC: Filmspot Fever!
« Reply #30 on: January 07, 2012, 02:01:45 PM »
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (Tomas Alfredson, 2011)

Generally there are two types of spy films. The first is the most popular and that is the action film. Great examples of these types of films would be the James Bond series or the Jason Bourne series; films which are chock full of action and intrigue and leave you on the edge of your seat throughout the fast paced runtime. Then there is the second kind, the much lesser known, less popular variety of spy thriller: the action-less spy film. To be honest I find it difficult to even come up with any really good examples of this type of film, though I am sure I have seen one or two, but Tomas Alfredson, who burst onto the international cinema scene with his film Let the Right One In, masterfully constructs just such a film with Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.

The "Circus" is the group of international spies who work for the British government out of London. Their head, Control (John Hurt), has suspicions that one of the operatives working within the Circus is a double agent for communist Russia. He keeps his suspicions secret, dispatching one agent (Mark Strong) to find more information. Later Control dies and along with him his suspicions until the Minister suspects the same thing and he appoints former Circus member Smiley (Gary Oldman) to find the mole with the help of his associate Guillam (Benedict Cumberbatch). Colin Firth, Ciaran Hinds, Toby Jones and David Dencik play the suspect spies, but which one is feeding the Russians their information?

I have heard the film described as a couple of things before I had the chance to see it for myself: a slow burn, boring. After having seen it I can completely understand both the adjectives when applied to the film. Tomas Alfredson is impressive in his handling of the material, which is based on the book of the same name by John le Carre, which I have not personally read. The attention to detail and his use of the camera make for a tense and singular mood throughout the film. The cinematography is one of the many strengths of the film and seems to observe everything it is meant to and sort of float about the proceedings, adding to the quietly tense mood which surrounds the proceedings. In that regard, it is certainly a slow burn.

However, I can see the boring side of it as well. Because of the attention to detail, and because of the minimalist approach by Alfredson, revealing only the bear minimum of information at any given time, great attention must also be paid by the viewer in return for the same attention paid by the filmmaker. This focus which is required by the viewer can either create a rewarding experience, or a boring one depending on perspective. It is a slow burn, no doubt, but the burn never seems to lead to the powder keg many may expect of such a spy thriller, but that is only a detriment to those who see it as such. Personally it worked for me because it was able to maintain the mood of the film from start to finish.

What really aides Alfredson in the approach he chooses to use for the film is the amazing cast with which he has surrounded himself. It all starts in the middle with Gary Oldman, but trickles down throughout the many British bit players who are convincing in all their roles. Any film which features Colin Firth in a smaller role, or John Hurt, or Tom Hardy or pretty much anybody in the film has strength in its numbers when it comes to an ensemble cast, of which this film may trump any from 2011. The actors understanding of the understated, subtle mood of the film bolsters that mood with the moxie of its veteran cast. I think I ultimately fall somewhere in the middle of the slow burn, boring crowd. I have immense respect for the craft of the film and Alfredson is definitely a director to watch now after his last two films, but I can't help but admit that I would have liked there to a be a powder keg somewhere.

***
"Time is the speed at which the past decays."

ses

  • Administrator
  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 14979
    • Sarah's Kitchen Adventures
Re: January 2012 MDC: Filmspot Fever!
« Reply #31 on: January 07, 2012, 05:14:58 PM »
Yay! 
"It's a fool who looks for logic in the chambers of the human heart"

http://sarahskitchenadventures.blogspot.com/

verbALs

  • Godfather
  • *****
  • Posts: 9446
  • Snort Life-DOR
Re: January 2012 MDC: Filmspot Fever!
« Reply #32 on: January 08, 2012, 05:12:41 AM »
Quote
However, I can see the boring side of it as well. Because of the attention to detail, and because of the minimalist approach by Alfredson, revealing only the bear minimum of information at any given time, great attention must also be paid by the viewer in return for the same attention paid by the filmmaker.

That is spot on. It is why I didn't give it a straight A and didn't put it as my favourite film of the year.

I understand that there will be a divide between those who stay with it and those who lose interest, it's natural. The thought that if you can't stay with it you have a problem is misguided as well (seems to be an ill-advised commonly used assumption). The plot is disjointed, fragmentary. I can see the purpose behind this approach (2 hours). It will divide opinion. Nicely said.
I used to encourage everyone I knew to make art; I don't do that so much anymore. - Banksy

saltine

  • Administrator
  • Godfather
  • ******
  • Posts: 9800
Re: January 2012 MDC: Filmspot Fever!
« Reply #33 on: January 19, 2012, 03:10:56 AM »
My dictation was Meek's Cutoff.  Saw it and loved it, especially the ending.  I couldn't say anything that hasn't already been said about this fine film and the performances.  So glad I at last caught up with it.
Texan Down Under

oldkid

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 19044
  • Hi there! Feed me worlds!
Re: January 2012 MDC: Filmspot Fever!
« Reply #34 on: January 19, 2012, 05:43:40 PM »
So glad you loved it, saltine!




Drive
On an objective level, I don't have much more to say than anyone else.  Gosling's performance was great, the style is magnificent, the first scene is intense, the violence is shocking.  This movie struck me almost exactly as Le Samourai.  It was so, so, so cool, but in the end I won't remember very much.  I really enjoyed my time with it, and I felt that it was on the cusp of something great.  But it didn't actually reach greatness for me.  Although seeing Albert Brooks kill someone by cutting their throat-- that was something I won't forget soon.  I'll never see him the same way again.  Intense, but still lacking... something.  3.5/5
"It's not art unless it has the potential to be a disaster." Bansky

THATguy

  • Elite Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 2376
  • Contrarian At Large.
Re: January 2012 MDC: Filmspot Fever!
« Reply #35 on: January 19, 2012, 11:27:46 PM »
I'm sorry it didn't quite click for you the way it clicked for me, Steve. It's been something that's constantly been on my mind, I sought out the soundtrack, etc... Anyways, speaking of things that don't quite click...


The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo

This is my third time through with the story. After being really taken in by the Swedish film, I sought out the book, enjoyed it despite it's denseness and pace at times, and eagerly had high hopes for this version. The cast looked good, I was sure the direction was going to be tighter, and I was really hoping they could make the plot tight. Unfortunately, that's not what happened. There are so many rather pointless and plodding subplots from the book that just make this film feel far longer than it's 150-minute runtime. It's well acted, it's beautifully shot, but there's just so much that could have been edited or changed for the benefit of flowing better on screen.

***

oldkid

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 19044
  • Hi there! Feed me worlds!
Re: January 2012 MDC: Filmspot Fever!
« Reply #36 on: January 20, 2012, 09:34:10 AM »
I did really love the score of Drive, so I bought it and have been listening to it.  The pop stuff was okay, but the haunting score was marvelous.
"It's not art unless it has the potential to be a disaster." Bansky

PeacefulAnarchy

  • Elite Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 2132
    • Criticker reviews
Re: January 2012 MDC: Filmspot Fever!
« Reply #37 on: January 29, 2012, 11:46:58 PM »
I liked Win Win, but I think I appreciate what it's doing more than I actually enjoyed it. Giamatti's character is kind of a scumbag, and while I don't have a problem with unsympathetic leads, there's something about the way he's depicted that didn't quite work. Yes, he's human and flawed, nothing he does is irredeemable and the film doesn't hide those flaws, but there's an "aw shucks" undertone to everything that I can't quite pinpoint and rubs me the wrong way. That lingering issue aside, it does provide some compelling drama and raises some interesting questions about responsibility for care in both directions of the parent/child relationship and the role that society can play in it when it breaks down.

smirnoff

  • Objectively Awesome
  • ******
  • Posts: 26251
    • smirnoff's Top 100
Re: January 2012 MDC: Filmspot Fever!
« Reply #38 on: January 30, 2012, 08:24:21 AM »
I liked Win Win, but I think I appreciate what it's doing more than I actually enjoyed it. Giamatti's character is kind of a scumbag, and while I don't have a problem with unsympathetic leads, there's something about the way he's depicted that didn't quite work. Yes, he's human and flawed, nothing he does is irredeemable and the film doesn't hide those flaws, but there's an "aw shucks" undertone to everything that I can't quite pinpoint and rubs me the wrong way.

Just out of curiosity is there any other films you can think of that you felt similarly about?

PeacefulAnarchy

  • Elite Member
  • ****
  • Posts: 2132
    • Criticker reviews
Re: January 2012 MDC: Filmspot Fever!
« Reply #39 on: January 30, 2012, 02:18:12 PM »
Just out of curiosity is there any other films you can think of that you felt similarly about?

Not exactly the same, but yeah there are certainly others that evoke similar feelings to different degrees. The Wrestler and Wendy and Lucy are two that come to mind where I cared enough about the character to like the movie and much of what it was saying but something about the characters and the film's sympathy for them didn't quite work for me. Thinking about it a bit more it might have to do with the way the film allows these characters to blame their faults on the circumstances around them, though there's more to it than that.  I don't remember much about it but come to think of it Sideways was kind of like that too, so maybe an actor's style has something to do with it too.