2014: The Year in Film: "A Most Wanted Man" Review

So, the overdose/death/suicide of Philip Seymour Hoffman was one of the truly sad premature deaths of the last few years. One of the truly great and distinctive talents of his generation, he was only 46 years old when he passed... and I'm legitimately still a little sad about it. Other than his crowning achievement, his Best Actor Oscar for Capote, he turned in particularly memorable roles in The Master, Doubt, Boogie Nights, Charlie Wilson's War, and so on and so on. He was the type of performer who left his mark on every single role, no matter how small (hell, he was even pretty great in Along Came Polly) and who elevated otherwise forgettable films into great, memorable works just by the sheer force of his talent. I was, and remain, incredibly sad to see him go, as I feel that his best years may have been ahead of us, but as a small consolation he left us a few more films to remember him by. In addition to the final Hunger Games flicks, which are 'meh' as far as PSH goes, he left us with A Most Wanted Man, an adaption of a John le Carre spy novel. (le Carre, who had worked for British intelligence during the Cold War also wrote "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" among numerous other books)

In A Most Wanted Man, we're introduced to Hamburg, Germany, where a mysterious Chechan man swims to shore and attempts to hide with the local Muslim community. German and American intelligence services take an interest with this man - who may have ties to terrorism - and the spies on the ground struggle to discover the truth before its too late.

The Good: like a good spy novel, quality TV drama or 70's-era film, the plot unfolds gradually, choosing to focus on character points and narrative tension over James Bond-style action and car chases. I'm under the impression that this film paints a realistic picture of what spycraft and intelligence work are really like focusing on the bureaucratic, political elements, although of course I have absolutely zero perspective on what is or is not "realistic" when it comes to such things. Rather than painting its characters as "good" or "bad", more or less everyone exists in a shade of grey, and it remains a legitimate question for most of the film as to whether the "most wanted man" in question is a legitimate target and potential terrorist or a political refugee and victim. Philip Seymour Hoffman is, in a word, brilliant. His Gunther Bachmann is understated, intense, and driven despite the failures of his career, and his posture, mannerisms and every move belie a man determined to fight for his beliefs even as he's nearly been defeated by the demands of his chosen profession. Even though the performance is more subtle than what's typically considered "great", this film is a great encapsulation of what made PSH such a tour de force on the screen. If it's not an ideal farewell, it's a suitable one. The rest of the cast doesn't quite keep pace with him, but Willem Dafoe, Robin Wright and newcomer Grigoriy Dobrygin are bright spots.



The Bad: the plot is at times a bit melodramatic, and some of the character motivations don't quite make sense. Rachel McAdams is miscast, as she's simply not up to the task of matching PSH in a serious film, and her character's motivations seem to miss, as she's simply not believable as a crusading immigration lawyer. Additionally, this film falls into the personal pet-peeve trap of having American actors playing Germans talking to each other in English with German accents. I have always thought that is just absurd, and I know that it's an old Hollywood trope, but I simply cannot abide it and think it's always ridiculous. We're all adults. We can read a movie. Film it in German or adapt it so that it's set in an English-speaking country.

In all, you're coming to this film for one reason and one reason only: to see one of the greats in his last performance as a leading man. Even though the film is subtle and understated, it's done well, and PSH for his part does not disappoint. So if you're a PSH fan, or feel like watching what's basically a very good extra-length episode of Homeland, you'll like what you see.

7.5/10