[xrr rating=2/5]
Want the M.W.K. quick review? Stinker, failure, told ya, bye.
As I sit at my computer this morning, drinking my chocolate Yoo-hoo and wolfing down a Pop-tart, I can’t help but think to myself about you – the loyal, dedicated, VERY attractive, and highly educated readers that enjoy my columns. I know this because I too, am loyal, dedicated, VERY attractive, AND highly educated.
This gets me thinking that we sometimes can all get caught up in the hoop-la that surrounds a film.
This actually happens to me quite often. I’ll be reading an article in a magazine or I’ll catch a commercial on television that says a certain film will, “Have you on the edge of your seat!” Or it will, “Have your head spinning until the very last scene!” Or my personal favorite, “This movie will hit you so hard, your ancestors will be born dizzy!”
Ok, I know those aren’t actual quotes from commercials, but you get my point. What I’m saying is, sometimes you get so caught up in the “hoop-la” of a production company’s marketing push, that you think you’re going to see the best film of the decade. And good for them. They have to sell their movie, right?
Well this happened to me this weekend with the film “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.”
I had been bombarded recently with ads that said, “Gripping,” “Best spy thriller in decades,” “Say hello to Oscar,” “A must see,” and “A true movie-goers movie.”
I was FIRED UP to see this film! And like most of us “movie maniacs,” I was looking forward to two and a half hours of “punch-me-in-the-face” entertainment. Unfortunately, I was let down.
“Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” (TTSS) tells the story of British Intelligence in the 1970’s, during the Cold War, trying to figure out about certain Russian spies and double-agents deeply embedded in Budapest, Hungary. And it also has a back-story involving the C.I.A. And also, some… well, some other stuff.
Confused? I was.
Now I like to fancy myself a good ‘follower’ of movies, but I just couldn’t get it together on this film. It may have something to do with the story seemingly jumping forward from one certain time back to another. Or it could be that they were using so many key words like “control” and “witchcraft” and “moles,” that I couldn’t remember who was what. Or it could just be that the movie moved along so slowly that at one point it almost put me to sleep. I’m not lying, it literally put the man four seats away from me down for the count – snoring and everything! His buddy had to wake him up because he was snoring so loud. We all saw this movie at 4:45 in the afternoon so the man should not have been that tired.
There were some big names in this film too. Gary Oldman, Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, John Hurt, and Jason Statham’s little curly-haired buddy from the movie “Snatch” were all in it (Statham was not). But we all know, big cast doesn’t always mean big movie (see: “New Year’s Eve”… actually, DON’T see “New Year’s Eve.” You will end up killing yourself and I don’t want that on my head).
So I didn’t like this film. But being a professional, I asked three people as I left the theatre what they thought of it. Two of the people said it was only OK, and one person who went alone didn’t like it (she also thought it was slow). I was going to ask the “snorer” what he thought, but I didn’t want to wake him… I think I knew his answer anyway.
Now I’ll guarantee you that this film will be up for “Best Picture” come awards time, but why? I don’t know. Maybe it’s because other movie reviewers want to think they’re smarter than us and they see something in the film that we don’t, OR maybe I’m an idiot and I just couldn’t get it. Or maybe, I have to see it again. It could be one of those films that you have to see twice to start understanding. Believe me, this happens. I didn’t like “Titanic” the first time I saw it. And my girlfriend at the time didn’t like me, because I went to it drunk. Two things I learned that night: One, never go to a movie with a couple pops in you – it totally ruins the movie experience. And two, give a movie another chance, it may grow on you. I now absolutely love the movie “Titanic.”
So, as I bid you all a fond farewell, I will say I did not like this movie… but don’t take my word for it, go see it for yourself and let me know what you think. This is just my opinion.
Love always and God speed.
Matty W. Kelley
Fun Fact: John le Carre wrote the novel “Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy” along with 18 other published novels… I hear he’s very big in the “book” world.
Fun Matty Fact: I have NEVER read ANY of John le Carre’s books.