Apt letter gave away the good parts

Last weekend, a reader noted in amazingly fine detail (“Film's R-rating was well warranted,” Jan. 14) all the gory parts of the movie “Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy” that earned it an “R” rating.

While I agree with her assessment of the reviewer, I am also glad I saw the movie on Friday, before our astute reader gave up all the good parts. The letter should have had a “spoiler alert.”

As the movie was mostly static, the violence seemed all the more shocking and I felt it enhanced the movie's complexity. Most of the movie was like watching a ping-pong game in slow motion from different angles — interesting, but hard to decipher.

Rent “The Ipcress File,” if you can find it, for another view of the spy's life. Both of these movies are the very opposite of the typical James Bond or action spy movie. Though both contain overt violence — it is not just cartoon violence, if you follow me.

I neither condone nor decry violence in movies, but I understand our intrepid yet lame reviewer might have been comparing “Tinker” to, say, “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo” or “The Mechanic” or “Killer Elite” — all recent, very violent movies. And all of which I enjoyed very much.

Gary Glasser

Burbank