Like a Bach toccata or a frosty drink on a sunlit veranda, a first--class movie spy thriller can offer one of life's cooler, more elegant treats. The Tailor of Panama fits that category.
The Tailor of Panama (2001)
Tomatometer
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Reviews Counted:111
Fresh:86
Rotten:25
Average Rating:6.8/10
Consensus: A smart and satrical thriller with an engaging cast.
Rated: R [See Full Rating] for strong sexuality, language and some violence
Runtime: 1 hr 49 mins
Genre: Dramas
Theatrical Release:Mar 30, 2001 Wide
Box Office: $13,123,070
Synopsis: Pierce Brosnan stars as the anti-Bond in maverick director John Boorman's adaptation of legendary spy novelist John le Carre's seamy tour of post-Noriega Panama. A British intelligence agent whose... Pierce Brosnan stars as the anti-Bond in maverick director John Boorman's adaptation of legendary spy novelist John le Carre's seamy tour of post-Noriega Panama. A British intelligence agent whose taste for gambling and other men's wives has put him on the wrong side of his bosses at MI6, Andy Osnard (Brosnan) is posted to the backwater of Panama to atone for his sins. To that end, he recruits upscale tailor Harry Pendel (Geoffrey Rush), leveraging the man's financial problems and questionable past to gain access to information about the activities of his elite clientele. Meanwhile, Osnard remains true to form, recruiting the personal services of lovely embassy official Francesca (Catherine McCormack), and attempting the same with Harry's wife, Louisa (Jamie Lee Curtis). When Harry's best friend Micki (Brendan Gleeson), a former member of the anti-Noriega underground, now a broken man, begins blustering about politics in front of Osnard, both of these con men begin to see him as the solution to their problems. The mundane tragedy of espionage familiar to le Carre's Cold Warriors has been replaced by farce with the collapse of the Soviet Union. Boorman creates an atmosphere redolent with U.S.-abetted corruption in this well written and acted film, which also features playwright Harold Pinter in a cameo role. [More]
Starring: Geoffrey Rush, Pierce Brosnan, Jamie Lee Curtis, Brendan Gleeson
Starring: Geoffrey Rush, Pierce Brosnan, Jamie Lee Curtis, Brendan Gleeson, David Hayman, Catherine McCormack, Harold Pinter, Leonor Valera, Dylan Baker, Daniel Radcliffe
Director: John Boorman
Director: John Boorman
Screenwriter: Andrew Davies, John Boorman
Studio: Columbia Pictures
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Reviews for The Tailor of Panama
A satisfying blend of action, intrigue, snappy dialogue and dark humor.
The director himself knows a bit about tailoring, but he still sent his movie out into the world with a few seams showing.
Pierce Brosnan may play a British spy but he's no 007 in this caustic, clever, tantalizing romp of international intrigue.
The Tailor of Panama is no more unlikely a tale than your typical Bond movie -- it's just a lot less fun.
Refashioned only imperfectly from the book, it ends up neither fish nor fowl, an amalgam of drama, satire and farce which never comes together into a satisfying whole.
A hypnotic film that stays resonantly humane even as Boorman skewers British and American diplomacy with martini-dry wit.
The film develops enough successful elements to satisfy most film fans.
It's hard to work up much enthusiasm for any of its characters or sympathize with their plight.
It's more like Harry's handmade suits--specially made for the person of taste.
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 66% 66% | Public Enemies |
| 83% 83% | Harry Potter and the H… |
| 44% 44% | Night at the Museum: B… |
| 75% 75% | Julie & Julia |
| 32% 32% | Terminator Salvation |
| Tomatometer Percentage | Movie |
|---|---|
| 88% 88% | Inglourious Basterds |
| 78% 78% | The Hangover |
| 49% 49% | Taking Woodstock |
| 26% 26% | The Goods: Live Hard, Sell Hard |
| 47% 47% | The Girl From Monaco |
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