12. Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Tomas Alfredson (Let the Right One) brings enormous directorial restraint to this slow yet incredibly compelling adaptation of John le Carré's novel about the hunt for a Soviet double agent in the British secret service. Gary Oldman was deservedly given his single Oscar nomination to date as protagonist George Smiley, the agent brought out of retirement to find the mole, and while it's not the sort of flashy performance the Academy typically awards, it's brilliantly understated and unquestionably one of the actor's career highs. In fact, practically everyone in the movie fires on all cylinders: Colin Firth, Tom Hardy, Mark Strong, Benedict Cumberbatch, Toby Jones and John Hurt all give memorable turns in meaty roles. Though the plot is rather densely-packed and complex, it remains thoroughly engrossing through even the headier sections thanks to the fine performances and the utterly sumptuous direction. The movie's success somewhat renewed interest in le Carré's work, with several of his novels subsequently being released and greenlit for production.
