Der Schneider von Panama (2001)

Der Schneider von Panama: Directed by John Boorman. With Pierce Brosnan, Geoffrey Rush, Jamie Lee Curtis, Leonor Varela. A tailor living in Panama reluctantly becomes a spy for a British Agent.

“Geoffrey Rush is excellent as Harry, an Englishman with a sadly shady past who has re- invented himself in Panama as the best tailor in the country, making clothes for the rich and politically powerful. Into his world comes Osnard, played by Pierce Brosnan. A morally corrupt, self-serving MI6 spy, sent to Panama as a last chance after seducing a Euro diplomats wife. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eMany were bowled over by the irony of casting Brosnan, so associated with James Bond, as this much realer, creepier Bond alter ego. A man who is handsome, and self-confident, but whose endless seduction of women seems smarmy not sexy, and who delights in screwing other people while profiting himself. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eFor me the casting was actually problematic. Brosnonu0026#39;s terrific, but the irony is so distractingly obvious, that it pulled me out of the story, and made me think too much about film and our hero images instead of simply accepting the character. Beyond that, Osnard is drawn a little too broadly for my taste. Heu0026#39;s so transparent, I have a hard time he gets anyone to trust him even for a moment. If his inner self-serving pig were a bit better hidden, it might have given the audience more to unravel, and make other charactersu0026#39; willingness to do his bidding a bit easier to buy. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eThe mix of tones also was a bit of a misfire for me. Never quite darkly funny enough to ascend into true satire, but certainly never edgy enough to be taken seriously, thereu0026#39;s a lack of danger here. Unlike u0026#39;Dr. Strangeloveu0026#39;, we never really think Harry and Osnardu0026#39;s games will reduce Panama to a pile of rubble, and the intimation of it seems false and a bit silly. u003cbr/u003eu003cbr/u003eYet, all that complaining is because the movie is good enough, smart enough, brave enough and entertaining enough that I felt frustrated it didnu0026#39;t quite work as brilliantly as is should. But Iu0026#39;d certainly still recommend it, in spite of my long winded misgivings, and Iu0026#39;m also willing to give it another look.”