Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011)

The Cold War spy picture intends to be slow and unretired spy Gary Oldman intends to be quiet. But without knowledge of the source material — the 1974 novel or the 1979 British miniseries — the film plays cold, overly complex and even boring.

d: Tomas Alfredson | imdb.com | trailer | I’m retired.
Smiley is suspicious. | The scalp hunters | Belinda the Blonde

The King’s Speech (2010)

Colin Firth’s King George VI and commoner speech therapist Geoffrey Rush form a contentious friendship across social boundaries, humanizing the king and uplifting Rush in a real crowd-pleaser. Ultimately, though, what do kings do besides speak?

d: Tom Hooper | imdb.com | trailer | Charlie Rose
Enemy | Bertie | Exercise | Common man | It’s just a chair.

A Single Man (2009)

Fashion designer Tom Ford’s first film is a bit pretentious, but it captures the look and feel of Los Angeles in 1962 — from skinny ties to the Cuban missile crisis. Colin Firth, a gay college professor, mourns the death of his partner in a human performance.

d: Tom Ford | imdb.com | trailer | Becoming George.