Review of Tailor Of Panama, The

Introduction

Washed-up spy Andy Osnard (Pierce Brosnan) is sent by his superiors on a frivolous detail to Panama where he happens across Harry Pendel (Geoffrey Rush) a respected tailor and former revolutionary who has a habit of telling tall tales. Intimidated by the obnoxious Osnard, Harry invents an elaborate tale involving the sale of the Panama canal that will threaten US interests. Aware of Harry’s half-truths, but equally aware that you should never let the truth get in the way of a good story, Osnard convinces his trigger happy superiors to take action. Meanwhile, Harry falsifies reports all the while attempting to shroud his secret past from the view of his loving wife Louisa (Jamie Lee Curtis) whose relationship with Osnard threatens to capsize everything he holds dear.

Video

Good, but not great. There’s a general fuzziness to the definition of this anamorphic transfer that while generally free of blemishes and other artifacts, somewhat stifles the rich colours and breathless vitality of the Panamanian locations.

Audio

The Dolby 5.1 surround doesn’t get used that much, save for background ambience and a salsa-inflected score.

Features

Despite a completely misleading trailer, this is a generally good (if small) collection of extras: the interview with Geoffrey Rush and Pierce Brosnan (irritating stylistics aside) is a good showcase for their different acting approaches, Rush is articulate and revealing, Brosnan is elegant and restrained. The alternative ending is an interesting talking point but it does contain a gesture of moral righteousness undeserved in a film like this. John Boorman’s commentary is very entertaining, as he speaks with great humor and enthusiasm about his cast swimming with crocodiles, the joys of Anglo-Saxon cussing and Curtis’ “little girls”.

Conclusion

A quirky, perversely unexciting espionage thriller, with a neat, nasty performance from Pierce Brosnan that plays wonderfully off his Bond persona, and a cherishably rare leading role for the undeniably excellent Geoffrey Rush. Admittedly the blend of satirical farce, spy games and domestic drama is an uneasy combination to say the least, leading to some pretty serious problems in the structure department when things never quite coalesce into a persuasive whole (both endings are pretty unsatisfying, for totally different reasons.) As for the tone, while admirably assured, has an unpleasantly misanthropic and mean-spirited aftertaste that helps explain the movie’s failure at the box office.

However, thanks to a handful of excellent performances, great location shooting and a mercilessly politically incorrect tone, ‘The Tailor of Panama’ remains eminently watchable. Rush and Brosnan spark up a wonderfully electric, even sensual chemistry and whilst their conflict remains rather stolid, their scenes together crackle with snappy dialogue and Boorman’s confident direction. If Brendon Gleeson’s accent is all over the place, and Jamie Lee Curtis’ character is never really given much room to maneuver, Boorman shows impressive sensitivity to the political issues and history posed by the narrative.

Director Boorman, a certifiable genius during the 60s and 70s has churned out masterpieces (‘Point Blank’, ‘Deliverance’) and spectacular duds (‘Zardoz’, ‘Excalibur’) with an equally modest slight of hand. ‘The Tailor of Panama’ continues the path treaded by his later films of being interesting but easily overshadowed (with the magnificent ‘The General’ a notable exception.) And as the rather beguiling ending rears its ugly head, you can’t help but think that the whole thing is more wacky than inspiring, however unconventionally entertaining the trip may have been.