Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy

London, early 1970s, in the midst of the Cold War. The failure of a mission in Hungary shakes the top ranks of British intelligence and sidelines George Smiley, a discreet agent who has already made peace with the idea of retiring. Just when it seems his career is over, he receives an unexpected assignment. A Soviet spy is suspected of hiding at the very top of the organization, and the Service believes only someone outside its ranks can track him down. Smiley accepts the task, aware that any of his former colleagues could be the traitor. The film, directed by Tomas Alfredson and starring Gary Oldman, opens with that blend of weariness, suspicion and patience that defines the character.