Hey folks, Harry here... with our buddy Fred Mertz... a man of many rhumbabilities! And this time out he's going to be taking a look at THE TAILOR OF PANAMA, John Boorman's latest film based on a John Le Carre novel starring Pierce Brosnan which is coming to a theater near you at the end of the month. Hopefully the great ol Mr Mertz will be chiming in on some additional titles quite soon as he's seen some great stuff... But first, here's a look at Bond being not-Bond...
THE TAILOR OF PANAMA
"The Tailor of Panama" directed by John Boorman is a mess. It stars Pierce Brosnan as a British MI6 agent who is an absolute scoundrel. This is an adaptation of a John Le Carre novel and it probably should have stayed a book. The plot echoes "Our Man in Havana" a bit too much, but it's not plot similarities that sink this ship. This is a film that is not sure what it wants to be. The tone strays from tongue in cheek spy thriller to political drama. At times it's interesting, but it's killed by one of the worst all time endings I've seen. Brosnan plays Andy Osnard, an unscrupulous British agent who is assigned to Panama. In Panama he hooks up with Geoffrey Rush who plays Harry Pendel, a tailor pretending to be from a tony distrcit in England but who is really an ex-convict who learned how to tailor in prison. Harry Pendel hides his past from everybody including his wife played by Jamie Lee Curtis, until Brosnan lands on the scene exposing him. Brosnan's character manipulates Harry into almost creating a war in Panama in exchange for keeping Harry's secret. The plot is seriously ridiculous. But the acting is excellent. It's fun to watch Brosnan playing the anti-Bond and Rush (as usual) totally becomes Harry Pendel. He gets so caught up in his lies and deceit and Rush brings all of that off spledidly. Jamie Lee Curtis has a couple of near naked romps in bed with her husband and she is strong in this, but this film never really grips you like it should. It's scattershot and for all the lush locations and photography, you never really end up caring about how the movie turns out.
SPOILER WARNING
The ending is abysmal. In a nutshell, Brosnan and Rush have created the impression that the Panama Canal is about to be sold and that there is going to be an uprising in Panama by the peasants and political dissidents. Somehow, the American governent gets invovled and they send a battalion of Helicopters to Panama to blow things up. This is all caused by Brosnan's and Rush's lies. The outcome is Brosnan gets away with a suitcase full of millions of dollars and Rush, after his wife realizes he lied to her about who he is on top of the fact that he started a near war in Panama, decides to let him off the hook and keep her marriage together. When Rush's character is asking Jamie Lee Curtis what he should do after all the mayhem he has caused, she tells him simply to "make breakfast" for her and the kids. The movie ends there. There no consequences for Rush's actions, I mean, he started a fricking war and he lied to his wife about who he was and she lets him off the hook like that? Seriously weak, not to mention that all the political sub plots are treated with little to no respect throughout the film. The political backdrop is there, but it's never the focus of the movie, yet at the end we're supposed to buy into all this political havoc caused by these two men and care about it? Simply put, they needed an ending and they wrapped the film up as quickly as possible, hoping the audience wouldn't notice what they didn't deal with while Brosnan flies away with a suitcase full of dough and a devil may care grin on his face.
The movie lacks substance and it was so disappointing coming from a accomplished director such as Boorman.
END SPOILER
As much as I respect Boorman (Excalibur, Hope and Glory among others), he really misses the mark on this movie. If I were you, I'd stay away from The Tailor of Panama, unless of course you are seeing it for free, like I did. Even then, it makes little sense while it mildly entertains you.
Fred Mertz
