But it probably wasn't Brosnan's cheeky tribute to Connery so much as Boorman's decision to make a funny-sad meditation on human weakness that did The Tailor of Panama in with American test audiences. Harry spins a tale as well as he tailors suits. And his lies prove popular with Osnard's employers as well as the U.S. Secret Service. Even Panama's native strongman enjoys hearing about a possible uprising, for it gives him an excuse to dress up and play general again. Some kind of war seems imminent.
Money starts flowing in and out of Panama as never before.
Everybody is happy. The Tailor of Panama is an exceedingly well-scripted drama that offers a few sharp insights into the nature of institutional corruption. Better still, the film manages to make all of its points in a winning, darkly comical fashion. Brosnan's Osnard asks Harry at one point, slapping him on the back. While the film offers great dialogue and a few rich characters, it's also loosely plotted and slow to get from one plot point to the next.