Most Wanted Man, A

Synopsis:Gunther Bachmann (Philip Seymour Hoffman) is a German intelligence officer investigating a prominent philanthropist believed to be funding terrorists. Illegal Chechen immigrant Issa Karpov (Grigoriy Dobrygin) turns up in Hamburg’s dockyards and enlists the help of altruistic lawyer Annabel Richter (Rachel McAdams) to claim a large sum of money held by banker Thomas Brue (Willem Dafoe). Bachmann uses Karpov to catch his bigger fish and the real enemy is forced to emerge.

An adaptation of John LeCarré’s 2008 novel of the same name, A Most Wanted Man explores ideas of trust, deception and altruism against the backdrop of the industrial city of Hamburg where Mohammed Atta and conspirators plotted the real life 9/11 terrorist attacks.

The film is less spy thriller and more a study of the complexities of state security. The genre’s trademark nail-biting twists and turns, are notably absent and in their place is an intelligent, plot-driven exposé of the inner workings of an intelligence unit. The script, from Australian Andrew Bovell, who was hired following the success of his Australian thriller, Lantana, remains a tight and intricate rendering of LeCarré’s original text, requiring viewers to pay attention or risk missing a vital piece of information. Though driven by dialogue over character, the film is nevertheless a tense viewing experience.

The knowledge that A Most Wanted Man was Philip Seymour Hoffman’s final lead role following his death from a drug overdose weighs heavily on our viewing. But, testament to Hoffman’s supreme acting chops, this doesn’t detract but rather endows the film with wistful dignity. As the quietly-spoken, melancholic chain-smoking Bachmann, with his pitch-perfect German-speaking-English lilt, Hoffman delivers another Oscar-worthy performance and the film is something of a final tribute to an enigmatic and accomplished actor.

As the morally-ambiguous, American diplomat, Robin Wright borrows from another of her stellar performances, that of her Lady Macbeth-type character in television’s House of Cards. Here she is equally as harsh, in look and demeanour, never revealing her hand until the final moment. Pitted against her is McAdams’ ideological lawyer, a character who allows the filmmaker to raise questions regarding the US’s handling of terrorists, although political sentiments remain secondary to the story. There will be those who will question the casting of the distractingly gorgeous McAdams but on the other hand Nina Hoss's good looks do not get in the way of a convincing performance as Bachmann's second-in-charge, nor for that matter does is work against Willem Dafoe though admittedly both actors are playing mature-aged characters, 

A Most Wanted Man hypnotizes with its slowly unfolding plot intelligently brought home by Anton Corbijn's stylish helming.

 

 

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