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The Tailor of Panama

The Tailor of Panama

List Price: $14.94
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Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Bad ending
Review: As a great fan of Le Carré I was very disappointed with the ending of this movie. I had hoped that the alternative ending was better, but it wasn't. Pierce Brosnan was good, though I had imagined that the actor was more like a Michael Caine-type. I don't think that Jamie Lee Curtis was the best for that part - at least not with Geoffrey Rush as her husband. However he was a perfect taylor.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: a waste of film
Review: ok, first of all i'm panamenian so when we got the news that they were making a movie in our country we were excited!! you know mr. brosnan, geoffrey rush, jaime lee curtis even the kid from harry potter among others, it was awesome, great actors so the hype was visible, we could not wait 'till opening night, cause we are not used to have such talent in our small country at once, and we also had a few local actors in the movie as well so it was fun, but when the movie started, basically it was a little weird, what a waste of talent i mean brosnan character turns out to be a wise guy who's only interested in two things money and sex, nothing compared to his roll as mr. bond. rush's performance wasn't bad but it could have been way better as for the other players, well i'll say a regular outcoming. Another thing that bothered me is WHY everytime somebody makes a movie in another country other than USA always shows the "poor side" or the b side of that particular place, hey i know my country has its highs and lows but for some reason they always showed the low ones, we are more than just a little village or in this movie's case a lost city!!. but anyway the movie could have been way better than it did, the only fun thing about it is that you actually see the buildings and landscape that we are used to.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Not fond of this movie
Review: My spouse and I stopped watching this film about one half way through it. For me, Brosnan, is never believeable in the characters that he plays. My wife liked him as Remington Steele but I could not stomach him. I thought he did his recent Robinson Crusoe role alright. Here in "Tailor" he seems to project the correct image here, but his character really is not likeable. Besides that, I can't figure out where this movie fails. If it was any good, I could also excuse the face of the tailor's "conscience" that periodically flashes on the screen and speaks. Unless this film rescues itself in the second half, I don't recommend it. Certainly don't buy it.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Tailored to perfection
Review: The Tailor of Panama is an excellent and entertaining film. Both actors Pierce Brosnan and Geoffrey Rush bring a great sense of enjoyment to their characters. Mr. Brosnan brings a great sense of wickedness to his character Andy Osnard. Mr. Rush brings a great sense of naivetivity and at deception to his character Harry Pendel.
When Harry begins to spin his lies to Osnard both men know what's going on.But they allow each other to keep going just to see were everything leads to. I really liked the ending of the film. I also enjoyed the way it was filmed the scenery of Panama is breathtaking and the music adds a sense of mystery and excotic feelings. Also the story is very interesing. Although at times the movie kinda drags along it is overall very enjoyable.
I really liked this film and I think it's a very enjoyable movie.

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: 'Wag the Dog' with a sleazy 'James Bond'?
Review: Summary:
Andrew 'Andy' Osnard (Pierce Brosnan), an MI5 agent who has a tendency to 'screw' up missions despite being very good at getting information out of people (usually through sleeping with them), has been reassigned to Panama to help the British government determine the fate of the Panama Canal, which was recently returned to the ownership and direction of Panama. Andy hooks up with Harold 'Harry' Pendel (Geoffrey Rush), who is a tailor, mostly by digging up his true history as a criminal. Andy then uses this history (really the threat of making the history public), as well as a series of bribes, to get Harry to talk about all of his clients, which includes just about every major politician and businessman in Panama.

However, Harry, who really is just a tailor, can't handle the pressure. He cracks and begins feeding Andy lies, a response to pressure he apparently developed in jail. As Andy continues to pressure him Harry's lies grow to ever-increasing proportions until it appears that Panama is about to sell the Canal to China, which obviously the U.S. and the U.K. aren't going to allow. Of course Andy is aware that what Harry is telling him are a bunch of lies, but he goes along with it, claiming to his boss that the rebel group that is hoping to regain control of the Canal before it can be sold, 'The Silent Opposition', just needs $15 million to successfully stage a coup.

When the alleged opposition group leader is found dead the U.S. deems this a worthy reason to believe that everything is collapsing. The result - send in the troops. Just before the troops get there Andy snatches the money, pays a couple of quick bribes, and hightails it out of Panama, leaving Harry, and his wife, Louisa (Jamie Lee Curtis), who works for a major government official, to try to stop the impending invasion.

My Comments:
Other than decent acting by Geoffrey Rush and Jamie Lee Curtis, this is a horrible movie. Why? First, even though the combination of James Bond with 'Wag the Dog' is kind of unique, it's really pretty obvious that that is really all the movie is, a combination of plot devices that have been done (and much better I might add). A spy creates a scenario in which major world powers feel the need to go to war. Perhaps it is a decent premise, but when you consider it in light of the next criticism, it just doesn't work.

My second major problem with the movie are the motivations, or lack thereof, of the characters. Sure, Andy is greedy, but that doesn't explain why he is willing to destroy so many people's lives by starting a war in Panama. Is there a motivation beyond his penile urges and his greed? Or is he really such a shallow character that he is just driven by greed and sex? And what about Harry? Why is he investing in farms? He's a tailor, and a successful one at that. Why does he resort to lying? The stated reason, that this is his defense mechanism learned while in jail, is pretty silly. The problems with the motivations of the characters makes them all very unconvincing and shallow. Even the attempts at backstory - flashbacks to the Manuel Noriega days - don't add much depth to Harry's character.

The third problem is the limitless, gratuitous sex. Andy's affair with the embassy aide Francesca Deane (Catherine McCormack) is just that - sex. There must be 20 minutes of Andy and Francesca engaged in violent sex and for what? Nothing. He doesn't learn anything from her, he just has sex with her, over and over again. It doesn't advance the story in anyway. Andy also tries hitting on Louisa and even takes Harry to a gay bar. Maybe the director and producers realized that they didn't have a very good story so they opted for a mild porn ambience to sell this film. Whatever the reason, it can only be considered gratuitous.

Add these problems to the other major story holes and you have a very forgettable movie. What happened to the U.S. intelligence? Why do they not back anything up with their own people? What about calling the president of the country? Where did Harry get the 'spy phone'? Why would Harry think his wife's papers he photographs are of any importance? And on, and on, and on...

The political overtones to the movie are also kind of silly with the military being rampant warmongers that just want to kill, kill, kill; the politicians are all corrupt, etc.

Overall this is really just a silly story with a lot of sex to try to compensate for it. The acting is mediocre, at best, and none of the characters are believable. It just doesn't work as a convincing film. Not recommended.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Missed potential
Review: This uneven story can't be saved for me by the fact that I am a Big Brosnan fan. It is only a FAIR - 2.5 STAR movie, rounded up because I am a Brosnan fan.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Not Tailored Enough For Me...
Review: Available for rental, this slow spy thriller doesn't thrill very much. I love Geoffrey Rush and John Boorman. Unfortunaltely, they are both wasted on this proiject. Of course, Boorman wrote the film so I can't defend him there. You might remember Boorman's wqonderful Hope and Glory. Even The Emerald Forest was much better....anyway....boring! This proves to me that Ebert and Roeper's 'Two Thumbs Up' doesnt count for much anymore. ** stars.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Brosnan steals the show
Review: This is an excellent version of LeCarre's novel about spying in Panama. I have always enjoyed watching Brosnan as James Bond, and I suspect he enjoyed this role even more than 007. Brosnan's character is everything that Bond is not. He is loathsome, untrustworthy and completely immoral. I really enjoyed his scenes with Rush as he plays a cut-rate Mephisto and gets Rush to sell his soul. Jamie Lee Curtis is solid as Rush's wife, but it is Brosnan who really steals the show.

LeCarre's inversion of the glamour world of espionage has a ring of authenticity. No one in their right mind would enter into it. Everyone is either corrupt or a fool or both. It is dangerous and vile. Panama exudes the atmosphere of many film noir cities of decadence and decline - as Rush - the Tailor - makes his moral descent.

Also interesting is the scathing satire of British and American spies as they bid to outdo each other and look like fools as Brosnan's crazed plan takes shape.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: The Corruption of James Bond...
Review: ...ok, well maybe not James Bond, but close enough.

In this movie, we get to see a James Bond-esque character played by Pierce Brosnan screw up a tailor in Panama's life. Rather humorous is the fact that the British agent's character has all the elements of a James Bond: A British, womanizing, MI6 secret agent... except that he has an unhealthy thirst for cash and retiring.

Banished to Panama for landing in the British tabloids, he locates a local tailor (Geoffrey Rushe) who sends him on a wild goose chase, ending with rather tragic circumstances.

What seperates this from a James Bond film, though, is the lack of action, or gadgets. The only gunshot that goes off in this movie takes place off screen, and dialogue is what carries the movie.

Perhaps what best sums up the movie is a quote by the tailor himself: "It's like Casablanca, except without heroes."

Immediately engaging, witty, and very exciting, this movie is rather unpredicatable, and extremely volatile, making it a must see DVD!

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A very dry sly & entertaining movie!
Review: I can't believe so many people have trashed this film. It's extremely well written, acted, directed & shot, albeit quite low-key in its manner. Well, yes, I can believe it, because the message it delivers - very entertainingly & very drily - is...EVERYBODY LIES whihc is not a message that's too popular these days. Too bad. A good dose of reality can be an excellent tonic for what ails us.


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