The Tailor Of Panama on DVD (2001)

A generally enjoyable watch, but not sure what it wants to be

David Petch from Guildford, UK , 04/08/2004

I must admit that I struggled to work out what type of movie I was watching. At times, it seemed to be a classic John Le Carre espionage thriller, at others a tongue-in-cheek version of the same, and at others a story heading towards a series of seriously twisty plot twists, twisting around like a twisty thing, David Mamet-style.

This actually let it down, because it was hard to work out who you were supposed to be rooting for. Pierce Brosnan, in particular, played a nastier version of his 007 persona, and was clearly not supposed to come out as the overall victor.

The story itself, however, based around the conceit that one or two half-truths can quickly become self-fulfilling truths if you WANT to believe them, is unusual, and holds the viewer's interest for that reason.

What I cannot work out, however, is why Brendan Gleeson is in every other movie that I rent these days, invariably playing some kind of nutter with a silly accent (c.f. Cold Mountain, Turbulence, Gangs of New York, MI:2, 28 Days Later - the list is endless).

Lastly, a little trivialette - one of Geoffrey Rush's children in the movie is none other than Master Harry Potter himself, Daniel Radcliffe, looking as cute as a button, but without the speccies and the enormous goalposts.

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A surprise - but not a bad one

A customer from Shropshire , 03/04/2004

If you can put up with the thoroughly unpleasant Brosnan and deal with the Walter Mitty character of Rush then this one works well. Le Carre presents us with a more gritty and 'realistic' view of spies and their world - taking duplicity to the extreme. Good film; not great - but good - and far better than the majority of anodyne US attempts.

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Short

mikethetech from Kent , 13/06/2004

I don’t believe in long reviews for a film of this standard.

3 words will do.

Boring

Boring

Boring

If you can’t sleep, get this one.

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Poor adaptation of a good book

Michael from Northumberland , 28/06/2004

The movie couldn't seem to know what it wanted to be. I found myself fast forwarding in places as the plot dragged. As a John LeCarre reader I was very disappointed.

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A generally enjoyable watch, but not sure what it wants to be

David Petch from Guildford, UK , 04/08/2004

I must admit that I struggled to work out what type of movie I was watching. At times, it seemed to be a classic John Le Carre espionage thriller, at others a tongue-in-cheek version of the same, and at others a story heading towards a series of seriously twisty plot twists, twisting around like a twisty thing, David Mamet-style.

This actually let it down, because it was hard to work out who you were supposed to be rooting for. Pierce Brosnan, in particular, played a nastier version of his 007 persona, and was clearly not supposed to come out as the overall victor.

The story itself, however, based around the conceit that one or two half-truths can quickly become self-fulfilling truths if you WANT to believe them, is unusual, and holds the viewer's interest for that reason.

What I cannot work out, however, is why Brendan Gleeson is in every other movie that I rent these days, invariably playing some kind of nutter with a silly accent (c.f. Cold Mountain, Turbulence, Gangs of New York, MI:2, 28 Days Later - the list is endless).

Lastly, a little trivialette - one of Geoffrey Rush's children in the movie is none other than Master Harry Potter himself, Daniel Radcliffe, looking as cute as a button, but without the speccies and the enormous goalposts.

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HOPE HIS SUITS ARE BETTER

A customer from rosslare , 07/11/2003

This is a talented film makers lapse. John Boorman, responsible for his fair share of seminal cinema took his eye off the ball, or rather the scissors on this one and left in what should have been cut out. There is a troubling mysogony in Brosnan's charecter which seems to effortlessly extend to his performance which is more bland than Bond but too Bond for Le Carr?. Catherine Mckromakc is ill served both by the script and then Brosnan, while the poor tailor,Geoffrey Rush, hosit by all his own pittards is completley lost in the confusing and pointless plot. Ultimatley this film does not do what the quiet American did far better but not that well either. One has the unerring sense of too many tailors spoiling the suit. Mr le Carr? cannot be happy with the finished garmant and we are sure the talented Mr Boorman knows better...

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