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. I highly recommend this movie to all those interested, especially since Columbia has issued this excellent special edition release.
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 a 2.35:1 anamorphic widescreen transfer. As usual for their new releases, Columbia has supplied an impressive treatment here, with minimal flaws to discuss. The print looks clean and has no serious defects, while the colors look bold and true, very sharp, but never too much so. The contrast remains stark also, with accurate black levels and no traces of detail loss in the least. In the end, this is another superb visual effort from Columbia, which should please fans to no end.
Audio: How does it sound?
This is a subtle, but immersive track, although I think some might be let down by the lack of surround presence. The rear channels are used to enhance the score for the most part, but some smaller effects can be heard at times also, so the back of the room won’t be silent, I can assure you of that much. But this is more of a front based mix, which seems to be the right choice, as the material sounds rich and very natural. The dialogue is clean and never presents any problems, so I am going to score this one well. It might not be an in your face mix, but it handles the material to perfection, which is what counts. This disc also includes 2.0 surround options & subtitles in English and French, in case you might need those.
Supplements: What are the extras?
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, some talent files, and of course, the film’s theatrical trailer.
