Tinker, Tailor, Soldier…Blogger

Jim Emerson, a film critic who blogs at the Chicago Sun-Times where he is also editor of rogerebert.com, was “floored” by Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy, and he thinks the movie was robbed on several Oscar fronts.

He thinks Gary Oldman’s nomination for his performance as the mild-mannered and enigmatic spycatcher George Smiley and the nominations Tinker, Tailor… picked up for best adapted screenplay and musical score were “well-deserved,” but…

For gaffe squadders who enjoy those fits of righteous indignation that only award nominations can truly provide, let me suggest that the most egregious oversight in this year's Oscar batch is the lack of acknowledgment for "Tinker Tailor" in the categories of best picture, supporting actor (anyone), supporting actress (Kathy Burke), cinematography, art direction, editing, costume design, and so on down the line.

As much as I liked the movie, in another year I wouldn’t have touted it as a Best Picture nominee, but compared to The Descendants?  Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close?  Moneyball?  War Horse?  Mark Strong is the only one of the supporting actors who might have a---I’m sorry, I’ve got to---strong case that he was robbed, although John Hurt, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Tom Hardy were very good too.  Otherwise, I agree, especially about Burke and, as Twitter pal Tom Combe said, the real stars of the movie were whosever “job it was to make everything look authentically 70s and lived-in.”

At any rate, Emerson’s affection for the movie has moved him to read what a bunch of other people have written about it and he’s put together a post excerpting and linking to what he calls “excellent writing” about Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy.

And, what do you know?  One of the examples he features was written by me!

Thanks, Jim.

The other examples are well-worth your time, although it may amount to more words than John le Carre used to write the novel.  But that’s what bookmarks are for.

Of course, I’m proud to be included but the reason I’m linking to Jim’s post today is that it’s OSCAR WEEK IN MANNIOVILLE!

Not promising that every post until next Sunday will be Oscar or movie-related, but I’m going to try to post something Academy Award-ish every day, and this is the first.

So, go read Jim’s post and follow the links. Meanwhile, I’ll get to work on my review of The Descendants.

Comments

[Ken Houghton]

You've made the big time!

Hope you like The Descendants a lot more than I am. Saw the first ca. 30 minutes more than three weeks ago, and really haven't felt the need to watch more.

[Dave]

Anyone who needs an Oscar or a nomination for same as validation for what they did and didn't like in a movie is just sad. For me, "The Artist" is the best movie of the year (of many a year, in fact). My opinion will not change if it does or doesn't win the Oscar. I think Kristen Wiig is a steaming pile of untalent. Her Oscar nomination doesn't change that opinion, either.

It's a popularity contest among a group of 5,000 people who have little contact with the rest of the world and who think that if a movie made a billion dollars, it's good and if it made a buck ninety-eight, it's crap, regardless of reality.