The Tailor of Panama (film)

The Tailor of Panama
Theatrical release poster
Directed by	John Boorman
Screenplay by	John Boorman Andrew Davies John le Carré
Produced by	John Boorman John le Carré Kevan Barker
Starring	Pierce Brosnan Geoffrey Rush Jamie Lee Curtis
Cinematography	Philippe Rousselot
Edited by	Ron Davis
Music by	Shaun Davey
Production company	Merlin Films
Distributed by	Columbia Pictures
Release dates	February 11, 2001 (2001-02-11) (BIFF) March 30, 2001 (2001-03-30) (United States)
Running time	109 min.
Countries	United States Ireland
Languages	English Spanish
Budget	$21 million
Box office	$28,008,462

The Tailor of Panama is a 2001 American-Irish drama thriller film directed by John Boorman and starring Pierce Brosnan, Geoffrey Rush and Jamie Lee Curtis. It is based on the 1996 spy novel of the same name by John le Carré, who wrote the screenplay with Boorman and Andrew Davies.

The film also stars Brendan Gleeson, Daniel Radcliffe (in his film debut), David Hayman, Lewis Daly, John Fortune, Catherine McCormack and Harold Pinter. The film was shot at the Ardmore Studios in County Wicklow, Ireland, and on location in Panama City, Lake Gatun, and Gamboa, Panama.

Plot

Andy Osnard is an MI6 spy exiled to Panama after having an affair in Madrid with the foreign minister’s mistress. His superior warns him of the corruption present in Panama, but Osnard views that as an opportunity. Consulting a list of British citizens residing in Panama, he comes across Harry Pendel, who is the tailor to many of Panama's elite, including the President of Panama. Pendel, who has kept his criminal background as an ex-con hidden, is happily married to Louisa, an American who is the assistant to the Panama Canal Authority's administrator. While Harry is a superb tailor he is a lousy businessman, his tailor shop is constantly behind due to his habit of letting debts slide, and he invested a lot of his wife's money in a farm that he is being swindled out of by a banker friend he makes suits for and his caretaker.

Osnard knows that Pendel often does work for the elite of Panama, including the president, and that he needs money. He offers to help him (and not reveal his past to his unsuspecting wife) if Pendel feeds him intelligence on the happenings amongst the elite of Panama City. Pendel agrees, and Osnard supplies money as well as information on how he is being duped out of his farm. However, Osnard tells Pendel he needs better information to keep the arrangement going, and now he can also threaten to reveal that Pendel has been spying. Pendel starts "tailoring" his stories, making them fit better, escalating the roles of friends to make them appear like more than they are. His friend Mickie, a local drunk, he casts as a romantic revolutionary who still holds sway over the youth of Panama. His shop manager he also casts as the leader of an opposition movement. After fixing the suit of the President of Panama (whose conversation consisted of his suit being too tight), he came up with a tale that the president intended to sell the canal to China. When an incredulous Osnard asks which, Beijing or Taiwan, Pendel replies "both". Osnard knows that Pendel is making up these stories, but doesn't care if it is true, as long as it is believable to his superiors.

As he feeds this information to his superiors (bypassing the local embassy staff, apart from Francesca, a staffer he has an affair with), the information makes its way to Washington, where officials are alarmed and plan an invasion to prevent the canal from falling into Chinese hands. Pendel meanwhile seeks to end his spying, saying the opposition won't listen to him because they need funds. Osnard asks how much, and Pendel names a figure he thinks is high enough to put off Osnard. Ten Million dollars. Osnard smiles, and relays a request to fund the opposition as a means to control Panama after this supposed revolution. He asks for fifteen million. At the Pentagon the request is made for twenty million, which then gets pushed back down to fifteen. Osnard's superior arrives with a briefcase containing the money, ready to meet with the opposition, while attack helicopter formations are preparing for an assault on the city.

The British Ambassador uncovers what Osnard has been up to, and threatens to reveal everything. Osnard offers to bribe him and they haggle over the price, settling on 1.25 million for his silence and cooperation. Osnard manages to ditch his superior and make off with the briefcase.

Louisa, who never approved of Osnard, finds out what Pendel has been doing, is aghast. She races to the Administrator's office, who contacts the president of Panama, who is able to contact the US government and have the invasion called off shortly after it began (and after its presence was enough to cause a panic in Panama City). During this confusion, Osnard makes it to the airport, where he meets the Ambassador and hands him his bribe. The Ambassador allows Osnard to make it to an airplane, where he makes his getaway, accompanied by Francesca.

Pendel returns home to Louisa, where he tries to explain everything. The film ends with her appearing to forgive him.

Cast

• Pierce Brosnan as Andrew "Andy" Osnard, an MI6 officer sent to Panama after screwing up in Madrid.
• Geoffrey Rush as Harold "Harry" Pendel, a former convict, who torched his uncle's shop in London to help him commit insurance fraud. While in prison he learned tailoring, and moved to Panama where he pretended to be a branch of a famous Saville Row tailoring business. His is an extremely adept tailor, but a lousy businessman. He also loves to tell stories...
• Jamie Lee Curtis as Louisa Pendel, an American who has stayed on at the Panama Canal Authority (PCA) after the turnover of the Panama Canal to Panama. She has strong professional respect for the Panamanian Administrator of the PCA
• Leonor Varela as Marta, Harry's secretary at his tailor shop and a former member of the opposition to Noriega, and has a scarred face from when she was beaten up by Noriega's police.
• Brendan Gleeson as Michelangelo "Mickie" Abraxas, a former member of the opposition to Noriega, Abraxas is disgusted by all the corruption in Panama, and has become a drunk. He is made into the leader of the mythical Silent Opposition by his friend Pendel, who prefers to cast him as a heroic figure instead of as a drunkard.
• Harold Pinter as Uncle Benny; although long dead, Harry's Uncle appears periodically as the voice of his conscience.
• Catherine McCormack as Francesca Deane, a diplomat at the British Embassy in Panama, Francesca is attracted to Osnard and later leaves with him at the end.
• Daniel Radcliffe as Mark Pendel, Harry and Louisa's son. This was the film debut of Radcliffe, better known for playing Harry Potter.
• Lola Boorman as Sarah Pendel, Harry and Louisa's young daughter.
• David Hayman as Luxmore, head of MI6
• Mark Margolis as Rafi Domingo
• John Fortune as Maltby
• Jon Polito as Ramon Rudd
• Dylan Baker as General Dusenbaker, a Marine who was the last American military commander in Panama, and believes there is a "missing star" on the U.S. flag for the former Canal Zone. He is an enthusiastic backer of the invasion.
• Jonathan Hyde as Cavendish

Differences from the novel

The film deviates from the novel in a number of ways, the most significant of which is the status of the Panama Canal. The novel is set in the mid-1990s, prior to the U.S. handing over sovereignty of the canal to Panama. The film is set after this event. A further difference concerns the protagonist's character: the Osnard of the film is a failed foreign service officer exiled to Latin America, where he is unable to embarrass Britain. The Osnard of the book, however, is a new recruit on his first posting, attempting to use it to his own advantage. Unlike the book, the film ends with the United States ceasing its attacks.

Reception

The film currently holds a 77% approval on Rotten Tomatoes with an average rating of 6.8 out of 10 based on 112 reviews; the consensus states: "The Tailor of Panama is a smart, darkly satirical thriller with exuberant performances from Pierce Brosnan and Geoffrey Rush." On Metacritic, it holds a score of 66 out of 100 indicating "generally favorable reviews".

External links

• The Tailor of Panama at IMDb
• Template:Allrovi movie
• The Tailor of Panama at Box Office Mojo
• The Tailor of Panama at Rotten Tomatoes
• The Tailor of Panama at Metacritic