Gary Oldman: 5 Awesome Performances And 5 That Sucked

1. George Smiley €“ Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)

The polar opposite of that role, and many of the roles that Oldman is best known for €“ he essentially reprised the Stansfield role for Luc Besson's next film, the surreal sci-fi thriller The Fifth Element, as insane interplanetary industrialist Jean-Baptiste Emanuel Zorg €“ was his lead performance in the 2011 version of Tinker Tailor Solider Spy. John Le Carre's iconic Cold War spy drama had previously been adapted for television by the BBC. In that form the character of George Smiley, a seemingly ordinary pencil pusher within British Intelligence who's tasked with tracking down a Soviet double agent in their midst, was essayed by Alec Guinness €“ and for those less enamoured with his spell as a dressing gown-clad Jedi, it was considered his best work. Oldman doesn't even try to imitate Guinness's take on Smiley, instead inhabiting the character with a quiet dignity and almost resigned sense of responsibility for his country. Let The Right One In director Tomas Alfredson presides over not a speedy action film but a slow paced, but no less high-stakes, drama of international politics and its effects on human beings. Smiley has a lot in common with James Gordon, but perhaps with better tailoring. And less questionable facial hair. The true zenith of Gary Goldman's career so far.