Plot: What’s it about?
Although he is a gifted agent, Andrew Osnard (Pierce Brosnan) often finds himself on the bad side of his superiors. In the latest event, Osnard romanced an ambassador’s wife and of course, this meant serious action had to be taken. So Osnard is sent packing to Panama, where he is to learn about the Panama Canal and more to the point, what Panama’s leaders plan to do with it in the near future. Of course, he needs to make some connections in order to gather the information he needs and the prime source seems to be Harry Pendel (Geoffrey Rush). No, Pendel is not a government agent or the like, instead he is a tailor, but he has a mysterious past and connections with almost everyone in Panama. In addition to his normal connections, Pendel’s wife Louisa (Jamie Lee Curtis) works for Panama’s president, which means another valuable door is open. But as the two work off each other, gathering information and such, some of the data ends up being false. But as time passes and the stories grow in scope, someone is bound to be held accountable, but which will it be, if not both of these men?
This movie was never given much of a push, even with some famous names involved, including Pierce Brosnan as an international secret agent. Even so, the buzz was strong on The Tailor of Panama, so I couldn’t wait for this disc to be released. The film turned out to be well worth the wait, as it provides great performances, a solid premise, and some good old fashion spy thrills. This not like the Bond movies where action is the focus however, so don’t expect explosions every second or insane gadgets around every corner. This is more of a character driven piece, which means the pace is a little slower, the story is more involved, and the characters are more complex, much deeper than you’d see in a Bond flick. In other words, your brain might kick in a few times here and if you’re like me, that’s an all too welcome notion. The Tailor of Panama has suspense, action, humor, thrills, and of course, romance and in this case, those elements combine to create a coherent, enjoyable motion picture. The movie itself is worth a look, but for fans who already own the standard release, there isn’t much reason to upgrade. The high definition transfer leaves a lot to be desired and the soundtrack isn’t memorable, but Blu-ray doesn’t offer much in this case.
Yes, Pierce Brosnan is present and in full spy mode, but don’t expect James Bond here, as that’s not the approach taken. In truth, Brosnan is sort of an anti-Bond so to speak, but he plays it very well and commands the screen, as usual. Brosnan seems right in home within the role and I would think he relished it, given his usual turn as Bond and all. In any event, Brosnan is on the mark here and really shines, one of better roles of late I think, including his spins as the omnipresent Bond. He is offered the chance to prove his mettle here and he does just that, I never looked at him as Bond, at least after the first few minutes. I am pleased Brosnan chose to approach this as he did, because a Bond like turn would have ruined this picture. You can also see Brosnan in such films as Goldeneye, The Thomas Crown Affair, Mrs. Doubtfire, The Lawnmower Man, and Taffin. The cast also includes Geoffrey Rush (Quills, House on Haunted Hill), Jamie Lee Curtis (True Lies, Halloween), Brendan Gleeson (Mission: Impossible 2, Braveheart), and Catherine McCormack (Shadow of the Vampire, Braveheart).
Video: How does it look?
The Tailor of Panama is presented in 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen. This is not the movie to use to showcase your new hi-def home theater. I couldn’t even tell I was watching a Blu-ray movie at times, as resolution looks standard in some scenes and never rises much above that. I couldn’t even find a scene where the visuals did pop out, this is just a poorly executed presentation. To be honest, this is only better than standard resolution in a handful of scenes and even then, you won’t be dazzled. This is a real shame, as I am sure fans expected a dynamic visual effort.
Audio: How does it sound?
An uncompressed PCM soundtrack is offered, but it fails to impress. I didn’t look to be bowled over, given the film’s low key audio design, but I expected more. The audio is very low, with no power and minimal surround presence. The material doesn’t call for dynamite audio by any means, but the mix could have been improved. You can have a low key soundtrack with life and presence, but that just isn’t the case here. As long as you don’t mind cranking the volume to be able to hear the dialogue, this track is passable, but it is still a disappointment. This disc also includes a Dolby Digital 5.0 option, a French language track, and subtitles in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese, Korean, and Thai.
Supplements: What are the extras?
The same extras from the standard edition return, which should please fans. This special edition release kicks off with an audio commentary by John Boorman, who of course, directed the picture. I’ve never been let down by a Boorman session and this track is no exception, as he offers a lot of comments on the film. He touches on the characters and his thoughts on the book, but also discusses production details, which means this is a well balanced, always interesting session. This disc also includes an interview featurette with Brosnan and Rush, an alternate ending with optional Boorman comments, and of course, the film’s theatrical trailer.
