Product: Tailor of Panama [VHS] (2001)
Rating: 3.0
Old-fashioned spy pic is long on character, short on action
The Tailor of Panama is an old-fashioned thriller. It is high on character delineation, plot and well written, often witty dialog. It is low on action, which perhaps makes it a poor choice for those viewers who are addicted to the adrenaline rushes found in most current thrillers. For those who believe that adventure doesn't always have to be linked with action, it should make for a perfect evening's entertainment.Pierce Brosnan plays Andy Osnard, an intelligence agent for the British government. Don't expect to see him reprise his James Bond character. Andy is a sleazy, devious, self-obsessed guy, and the actor obviously delights in this change of pace. Perhaps one day they should make a Bond movie in which Brosnan also play's the hero's evil twin. That would be fun.Osnard has recently been caught having an embarrassing affair with someone's mistress in Spain. As punishment, the agency banishes him to Panama, where the Brits are keeping a close eye on the Panamanian government's controlling of the canal, that vital, strategic link between the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans. Our spy soon is going over a list of locals who might be able to give him information on the dealings of officials there. He settles on Harry Pendel [Geoffrey Rush], an exclusive tailor who advertises himself as being of London and Panama City. What Osnard knows is that Harry has no London connection. The man is a convicted felon who learned his trade in a British prison. He's the perfect stool pigeon. He dresses all the important men in the city, and Osnard has the information that could destroy his career. Better yet, Harry's wife, Louisa [Jamie Lee Curtis], happens to be the top aide to the man in charge of running the canal. Harry becomes a reluctant spy. As Osnard puts increasing pressure on him, the poor guy attempts to satisfy him by given him false information. Osnard realizes this but quickly sees that he can use these false claims for his own benefit. Everyone becomes trapped in a potentially lethal game.As in the best thrillers made twenty to thirty years ago, there is a lot of humor in The Tailor of Panama. Spying for a living is fertile ground for a few jokes because it is so contradictory. It is a profession in which deception is the primary tool for finding the truth. Brosnan, Rush and Curtis have a talent for comedy, and it's a pleasure watching them. it helps a great deal that the script provides them with some memorable lines to work with.Appropriately, director John Boorman was a major director in the 70s and was at the helm of such memorable hits as Deliverance and Excalibur. A decade later, he tired of Hollywood and returned to his native England where he concentrated on small, independent films and on theater. The Tailor of Panama is his return to bigger projects, and it's a welcome return. His style hasn't changed much in the last thirty years, but that's okay. One of the great things about the movies is that they are made by all sorts of people with all sorts visions and points of views. There's something for everyone, and Tailor of Panama may be something for you.