Josh Reviews A Most Wanted Man
Gunther Bachmann (Philip Seymour Hoffman) is a German spymaster who leads a small counter-terrorism group in Hamburg that seeks to develop intelligence sources within the Muslim community. Gunther has been investigating a wealthy local Muslim man, Dr. Abdullah, on the suspicion that his charitable organizations hide a front for funneling money to terrorists. When a Czechen refugee, Issa Karpov, enters Hamburg illegally in an attempt to access his father’s money, Gunther believs he might have found the key to exposing Dr. Abdullah. But he must navigate the competing interests of the many foreign intelligence services also operating in Hamburg, including the Americans, and play all the pieces on his board just right in order to capture the “barracuda” he is hunting for.
Adapted from the John Le Carre novel of the same name, A Most Wanted Man is a deliciously twisty, dark little tale of spies in the post 9/11 world. It features a magnificent performance from the late Philip Seymour Hoffman in what I believe is his final starring role. Mr. Hoffman is astounding, and the act of watching this film makes his recent loss only more painful. How can it be that this phenomenally talented, vibrant actor has been taken from us? What a tragedy. Mr. Hoffman has played spies before, but his work here is 180 degrees away from his loud, hysterically funny role as Gust Avrakotos in Charlie Wilson’s War. Gunther Bachmann is a quiet man. He is pale and unassuming, and has a gentle way with his co-workers. But we can see that has steel behind his eyes. He is fierce in his pursuit of his suspects, and he clearly has incredible talent for putting the million tiny pieces of an investigation together in order to hook his targets. He drinks too much, he smokes too much, he lives alone, and he seems to have been discredited by something in his past that went down in Berlin (though one tantalizing scene suggests the possibility that is only a smokescreen). In many ways, Gunther is more bureaucrat than James Bond, but we see his fierce intelligence and craft in every move he makes, both behind a desk and in the field. What a performance. Mr. Hoffman commands the screen in every scene he is in. When the film ends, the feeling that overwhelmed me more than anything was regret at not getting to see what happens next, not getting to spend more time with this fascinating character and this marvelous actor.
A Most Wanted Man is a very quiet film. There is one foot-chase, but don’t go into this film expecting action. Everything in this film is quiet, subdued. The film doesn’t glamorize espionage, rather it digs deeply into the many small, almost mundane details that go into constructing an investigation. Director Anton Corbijn has given the film a strikingly murky, gray, atmospheric look. The whole film looks like it took place on a series of very overcast days, and that plus the very pale whiteness of Mr. Hoffman’s face tell us everything we need to know about this sad, gray world of spies operating in small offices and back alleys.
I have praised Mr. Hoffman’s terrific work, but the whole ensemble is wonderful. Willem Dafoe is magnificent as Tommy Brue, the wealthy German banker whose father seems to have once had some sort of illicit agreement with Issa’s father. Mr. Dafoe gives Tommy a certain greasy smarm, and he keeps us guessing throughout the film as to whether Tommy is really trying to do the right thing or not. Meanwhile, I don’t think Rachel McAdams has ever been better than she is here as the left-wing lawyer, Annabel Richter, who takes it upon herself to try to secure asylum for Issa. She is great in the role, all wide-eyed innocence in one moment, but then in the next she makes us wonder, just like Mr. Dafoe as Tommy, whether Annabel is really as innocent as she wants others to believe. Then there is Robin Wright as the American repsentative Martha Sullivan. I didn’t even recognize Ms. Wright in the role — for the whole movie I was asking myself, who is that actress? She is phenomenal in the film, making Martha tough as nails but also warm to Gunther, which leads him (and the audience) to want to trust her while wondering if he (and we) really can. It’s a great supporting role and Ms. Wright really kills it. Grigoriy Dobrygin plays Issa, the troubled young Czechen refugee sat the center of all of the other characters’ machinations. In many ways he, Issa is a cypher, allowing the characters and the audience to read what they will of his motivates. Is he a terrorist? Is he an innocent, lost young man? Or something in between? Mr. Dobrygin allows for all those possibilities in his quiet, desperate performance.
I love spy stories, both the big silly James Bond type and the more serious, complicated, realistic tales in the vein of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (another wonderful work adapted from a John Le Carre novel). A Most Wanted Man is definitely in the latter category. I found it to be most compelling, a quiet, understated nail-biter of the best kind. Don’t miss this last amazing performance by the late Philip Seymour Hoffman.