The Tailor of Panama

This is extremely low-key tale of a British spy sent to Panama to see who is going to control the Panama Canal. The public didn't care for this movie because it was so slow-moving. Pierce Brosnan, Geoffrey Rush, Jamie Lee Curtis, Brendan Gleeson and Catherine McCormick are all actors I find interesting so I enjoyed watching them and this film, in general. My only objection was the normal bias, here making George Bush Sr., the British and the Americans look pushy and obnoxious in their dealings to control the locks. The story is a bit confusing in spots but interesting enough to stay with for the entire 109 minutes. There are a few sexy scenes thrown in to help keep your attention. I was surprised at the number of f-words in this ottherwise-classy movie.

I saw this film on DVD years ago, shortly after it came out. At that point in my apparently sheltered life, I had never seen nor heard of Geoffrey Rush. This was my very first exposure to him in any capacity. Well, all I could keep saying was -- where have they kept this guy hidden? He is an extraordinary actor! Not to short change Pierce, who gives an outstanding performance himself, but Mr. Rush steals the show for my money. I simply couldn't understand how such a gifted actor could fly beneath my radar for so long. Perhaps this was his first major motion picture, I guessed. Wrong! Anyway, the acting by the two male leads is superb, Jamie Curtis is great, the plot is complex and tricky, the dialogue and direction are first rate, and the cinematography and score are also excellent. All in all, I was very entertained by this film -- from opening scene to the credits. I can't ask for more from a motion picture. I think this film gets as many one star ratings as it does becau... Read more

The best way to describe this movie is James Bond gone bad...I absolutely love this movie. Probably one of the most underrated movies in the last 10 years. Put together an all-star cast with a twisting story line and the exotic, beautiful, and dangerous backdrop of Panama and you have a great movie. If Saville Row means nothing to you and you aren't intrigued by the seedy world of espionage, look elsewhere for entertainment. If this does spark your interest, sit back and enjoy some of the best lines in cinema ("It was just tight--from lack of use").

I've watched and enjoyed "The Taylor of Panama" several times now. It seems to represent co-producer John Le Carré's homage to Graham Greene, Ian Fleming, and a spoof on the spy genre-film in general (It even includes a humorous pot-shot at "Casablanca."). Geoffrey Rush turns in a moving performance as Harry Pendel, the tailor, whose fantasy life makes him all too vulnerable for the enticements and blackmail of the seedy would-be, but never-actually-was, James Bond--Andrew Osnard, a burnt-out MI-Sixer, banished to Panama as punishment for peccadilloes in foreign postings [Pierce Brosnan does an engaging satire on his cinematic Bond aplomb.]. Between the fantasies of Pendel (whose dead but not-so-silent partner is portrayed by Harold Pinter) the situation soon gets out of hand and almost ruins Pendel's marriage (His wife is played by Jamie Lee Curtis.); it destroys his loyal Panamanian friends, and almost starts a war. And while Osnard and most of his colleagues prove to be as corru... Read more

Pierce Brosnan plays a British spy in this film but in a closer-to-reality scenario. No gadgets, no powerful weapons, no Aston Martin's. Okay, he gets to drive a BMW for about 5 minutes, but without the surface-to-air missiles. And fine, he still gets the ladies... Despite the lack of intense action the story is intriguing and clever. Everyone has their own interests in mind and it's amazing and sometimes funny to see what they will say and do to get things to work in their favor. Definitely an entertaining film. The Blu-Ray version is an improvement over the DVD version, but I have seen better quality video in other Blu-Ray releases.