THE TAILOR OF PANAMA (2001) / ***
Directed by John Boorman. Screenplay by Andrew Davies, John Le Carré and Boorman, based on the novel by Le Carré. Starring Pierce Brosnan, Geoffrey Rush, Jamie Lee Curtis. Running time: 110 minutes. Rated AA for mature subject matter and coarse language by the MFCB. Reviewed on October 28th, 2001.
By SHANNON PATRICK SULLIVAN
Synopsis: British spy Andy Osnard (Brosnan) is banished to Panama, where his superiors believe he will be incapable of stirring up trouble. But Osnard soon enters into a shady arrangement with tailor Harry Pendel (Rush), whose wife Louisa (Curtis) works in the administration of the Panama Canal. With Harry's reluctant assistance, Andy begins to weave a complex plan involving rebels and the Canal to hoodwink his bosses; and Harry may get caught in the crossfire.
Review: "The Tailor Of Panama" comes across as the most cynical James Bond movie ever filmed. Brosnan is an obvious casting choice, devilishly toying with the audience's preconceived expectations; where Bond is stylish, charismatic and heroic, Osnard is stylish, charismatic and utterly selfish. And whereas the typical James Bond movie is larger than life, full of explosions and colourful villains, "Tailor" is more of a character piece, and avoids vilifying anyone in particular. This is a tale of the greed of men and the stupidity of nations: how some choose to profit from it, and some merely try to survive it. Rush is excellent as Harry, a man who quickly realises he is caught up in something over which he has no control. Curtis, though, feels a bit wasted as Louisa, and her character is the most ill-defined of the principal cast. Boorman impresses with his careful direction, achieving an even balance between the script's more adrenaline-fueled moments and its essential intricacy. He also takes great advantage of the lush Panamanian setting, the whole movie looking as though it was filmed through a haze of heat and humidity. The ending does feel a bit unsatisfying, with events moving so quickly that it threatens the movie's coherency. But as an example of an espionage picture without the usual cartoonish superheroics, "The Tailor Of Panama" is impressive.
Copyright © 2001 Shannon Patrick Sullivan. Archived at The Popcorn Gallery, http://www.physics.mun.ca/~sps/movies.html
| Shannon Patrick Sullivan | shannon@mun.ca | +---------------------------------+---------------------------------+ / Doctor Who: A Brief History of Time (Travel) go.to/drwho-history \ \__ We are all in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars __/
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