A Most Wanted Man (2014)
Cast includes: Philip Seymour Hoffman (Capote), Nina Hoss (Barbara), Rachel McAdams (About Time), Robin Wright (House of Cards), Willem Dafoe (Spider-Man), Grigoriy Dobrygin (How I Ended This Summer)
Director: Anton Corbijn (The American)
Genre: Thriller (121 minutes) Based on a novel by John le Carré
Hamburg has been on high alert since 9/11… as one of the world’s great port cities, it’s a natural hub for jihadist with terrorist plots. Günther Bachmann learns about the hooded man almost as soon as he arrives. “You know what I need,” he says to the voice on the other end of the line. Meanwhile, Abdullah looks like one of the Muslim good guys… “Violence against innocents is not the way of Allah,” he tells an audience of apprehensive non-Muslims. Günther’s team is making headway on the hooded man… Issa Karpov, a Chechen Muslim who has escaped from Russia… Why? That’s something they need to find out. The “scrawny bastard” in one of the photos is known to Günther, so that’s a good starting point. But Günther doesn’t have the luxury of being able to be single focused. Sure Abdullah looks like one of the good guys, but why did his last trip to Dubai have a 4-hour layover in Cyprus?
Günther is a self-described “cave dweller.” His anti-terror unit “doesn’t exist… not legally.” They do the things the German government won’t own up to, but he’s reminded that, “Your license to operate in Hamburg is contingent on your cooperation.” He’s been on a short leash ever since that “fuck-up in Beirut.” The Americans want to know why he’s allowing terrorists to walk the streets of Hamburg… they’re referring to Karpov. For some reason the Americans consider the Chechen a most wanted man. As far as Günther can tell, Karpov is a small fish. Martha, the American liaison, and Günther play a game of cat and mouse… each trying to pry loose bits of unintended intelligence from the other. But Günther isn’t prone to making mistakes. “Old habits die hard,” says Martha. “That’s what I’m concerned about,” answers Günther. “I was talking about you,” she says.
A Most Wanted Man is based on a John le Carré’s post-9/11 novel. Instead of cold-war espionage, it deals with Muslim terrorist networks. Phillip Seymour Hoffman’s Günther Bachmann reeks of unemotional, unglamorous cold-war spy craft… repurposed for new kind of dangers. Like le Carré’s cold-war thrillers, it’s understated but packed with details we don’t understand at first. It’s not quite as elegant as Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, but the adversaries aren’t as elegant either. We’ve come to expect Hoffman to take his roles to a level beyond what’s on the page, and he has done it again… sadly his last major role. It’s hard to rattle this battle-hardened, seasoned spy… but the American’s are making a valiant effort. Aren’t they supposed to be on the same side? They talk about making the world a better place. Well, Günther can play that game, too, because it takes more than just ham-handed muscle. That small fish, Karpov, for example… the Americans want him… now. They don’t understand why Günther is giving him so much scope. “It takes a minnow to catch a barracuda.” Maybe that makes sense… “So you’re trying to catch a barracuda?” they conclude. “It takes a barracuda to catch a shark.”
3 popped kernels
Post-9/11 anti-terror unit on the trail of either a single jihadist or a network of them
Popcorn Profile
Rated: R (Language, Violence)
Audience: Grown-ups
Gender Style: Bold
Distribution: Mainstream Wide Release
Mood: Sober
Tempo: Cruises Comfortably
Visual Style: Nicely Varnished Realism
Nutshell: Post-9/11 spy thriller
Language: True to life
Social Significance: Pure Entertainment & Thought Provoking
