2001 - USA
/ Ireland
Director: John Boorman
Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Geoffrey Rush, Jamie Lee Curtis,
Leonor Varela, Brendan Gleeson, Harold Pinter, Catherine McCormack, Daniel
Radcliffe
- Reviewed by Kerri
Strange. It was definitely strange, but I liked this movie. I'm not sure
whether to classify this as a spy thriller, a spy spoof, a spy comedy, or
all of the above. It was pretty entertaining, no matter how you classify it. The movie is based on John
LeCarré's book of the same name, and he even
had a hand in the production.
Pierce Brosnan gets to play the smarmy bad guy for once! I must say that was a great change of pace. He plays Andy Osnard, a British spy who's been exiled for his bad behavior to Panama, where he is told to keep an eye on who's controlling the Canal.
Geoffrey Rush plays Harry, a Jewish tailor (for some odd reason they make a point of that in the film. Like there's not already enough stereotypes about Jewish tailors?), who is also British and is married to an American (Jamie Lee Curtis). They have a happy little family life in Panama with good jobs and two adorable children (one of whom will play Harry Potter in the upcoming movie). Then one day the tailor gets a visitor... enter the British spy.
Osnard wants Harry, who clothes all the important people in Panama, to provide him with information. And Harry, who is desperate for money and harboring a past from his wife, does just that—but with a twist I won't give away. Things get out of hand, and it's pretty spy-thrillerish from there, except there are no mass killings, explosions, or the like. It's more focused on the tailor's story than anything action-like.
The movie does have a lot of gratuitous sexual content. In fact there is a scene that sets up the premise of the film with full-blown porn on a television set in the background. How on earth did they get away with that? And while we're on the subject, I must say that we've all had enough of Jamie Lee Curtis' bare breasts, haven't we? I mean, they're fabulous as far as breasts go, but really, I know them better than I do my own by now. She's married to a tailor for God's sakes and yet he can't fashion a dress that won't let her boobs fall right out of it?
However, I found this film pretty humorous and entertaining. This is full of a good story with great acting. If you're looking for a spy action-thriller, keep in mind this isn't it. If you're looking for some bare Brosnan ass, well there's plenty of that.
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