Today’s quick review: The Tailor of Panama. Andy Osnard (Pierce Brosnan), a disgraced MI-6 agent, is exiled to Panama, where he recruits Harry Pendel (Geoffrey Rush), a well-connected tailor with a mountain of debt, as his source of local information. Under pressure from Andy, Harry begins to feed him false information about a brewing revolution. But when Harry’s tall tales take on a life of their own, he discovers principles he didn’t know he had.
The Tailor of Panama is a spy drama with elements of political satire based on the novel by John le Carre. The movie weaves a convoluted web around Harry, a British expat with a knack for lying, and Andy, a self-interested spy willing to do anything for money. The Tailor of Panama also takes shots at British and American foreign policy, showing the misguided policies and attitudes that let Harry’s blatant lies gain traction.
The Tailor of Panama suffers from a few issues that keep it from reaching its full potential. The movie does not set its hook well; its plot starts out slow and aimless until Harry’s false intel gives it direction. Its stylistic quirks—abrupt flashbacks and peeks into Harry’s mind—feel jarring and out of place. And while the movie toys with interesting ideas, its script isn’t sharp enough to make all of them work.
For all of that, The Tailor of Panama does try something unusual and worthwhile. Harry Pendel is a complex figure, a fundamentally decent man wrapped up in a catastrophe of his own making. His character arc starts slowly, but it is rewarding for those who stick it out. Andy Osnard is less compelling but plays an important role. The movie also benefits from a veteran cast that includes Pierce Brosnan, Geoffrey Rush, Jamie Lee Curtis, and Brendan Gleeson.
The Tailor of Panama holds a very specific kind of appeal that won’t work for everyone. Viewers like character-rich stories, low-key comedy, and moral struggles will find the movie to be an interesting experiment, if not an entirely successful one. Those looking for a sharper spy thriller or a more overt comedy will find it a little too weak to be satisfying.
For Pierce Brosnan in a similarly character-driven, morally ambiguous crime move, try The Matador. For an even more satirical story about a chronic liar, try The Informant!. For a more serious spy thriller from John le Carre, try The Deadly Affair or The Spy Who Came in from the Cold.
6.1 out of 10 on IMDB. I give it a 6.5 for a clever premise and mixed execution.