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Tailor of Panama, The

Generally favorable reviews
Based on 31 critic reviews
How did we calculate this?
Based on 18 votes
Read user comments
Rate this movie >
Movie Info
Genre(s): Suspense/Thriller
Written by:
John Boorman
Andrew Davies
John Le Carré (also novel)
Directed by: John Boorman
Release Date:
Theatrical: March 30, 2001
DVD: September 11, 2001
Running Time: 109 minutes, Color
Origin: USA / Ireland
Summary
RATING: R for strong sexuality, language and some violence
Starring Pierce Brosnan, Geoffrey Rush, Leonor Varela, Jamie Lee Curtis, Brendan Gleeson, Harold Pinter, David Hayman, and Catherine McCormack
Ruthless, seductive British spy Andy Osnard (Brosnan) may have been banished to Panama, but he's got a secret weapon -- Harry Pendel (Rush), a Cockney ex-con who has reinvented himself as a popular tailor to the rich and powerful of the country. Harry is famous for his storytelling as well as his suits, but this time Harry's yarn will give the arrogant Osnard his comeuppance. (Sony Pictures)
Also On Metacritic
FILM: In My Country
Also On The Web: Internet Movie Database View The Trailer Official Studio Site
What The Critics Said
All critic scores are converted to a 100-point scale. If a critic does not indicate a score, we assign a score based on the general impression given by the text of the review. Learn more...
Seattle Post-Intelligencer Sean Axmaker
Energetic and inventive, it's a satirical, smart, grown-up thriller.
Read Full Review >Chicago Sun-Times Roger Ebert
A real movie, rich and atmospheric, savoring its disreputable characters and their human weaknesses.
Read Full Review >Baltimore Sun Michael Sragow
Brosnan turns his typical talent on its head. So does director Boorman, who forsakes his usual tingling virtuosity.
Read Full Review >Chicago Tribune Michael Wilmington
Like a Bach toccata or a frosty drink on a sunlit veranda, a first-class movie spy thriller can offer one of life's cooler, more elegant treats. The Tailor of Panama fits that category.
Read Full Review >Entertainment Weekly Lisa Schwarzbaum
In a world full of off the rack thrillers, it's fine boutique quality.
Read Full Review >Los Angeles Times Kenneth Turan
Benefits from delicious acting from co-stars Geoffrey Rush and Pierce Brosnan, a mordant script co-written by le Carre (along with Boorman and Andrew Davies), and the distinctive touch of its director.
Read Full Review >New York Magazine Peter Rainer
The film starts out as a freewheeling farce and turns into a pitch-black burlesque with surprising depths of feeling.
Read Full Review >The New York Times Dana Stevens
The first really good spy movie about the impossibility, under present historical circumstances, of making a really good spy movie.
Read Full Review >Village Voice J. Hoberman
A cut above last season's best studio offerings. The performances are well turned out. The morality is stylishly gray. The attitude is almost fashionable.
Read Full Review >Salon.com Charles Taylor
A sophisticated, subtle adult entertainment that is also a compliment to the audience.
Read Full Review >Mr. Showbiz Kevin Maynard
A fast, funny film that goes down like a cyanide-spiked piña colada.
Read Full Review >Austin Chronicle Marc Savlov
It's a humorous film, to be sure, but there's also a stringent vein of giddy realism to it.
Read Full Review >New York Post Lou Lumenick
Overall, it's a hand-tailored job in a marketplace filled with off-the-rack movies.
USA Today Mike Clark
Brosnan and Rush are a smooth fit, playing off each other like a snappy shirt and tie.
Read Full Review >Boston Globe Jay Carr
Many spy capers lose their intended irony and wry black humor, but The Tailor of Panama stays stylishly on target in ways that would put a heat-seeking missile to shame.
Philadelphia Inquirer Desmond Ryan
Forget the end and there is much to enjoy here.
Slate David Edelstein
I fear that the cozy domestic ending will leave audiences disappointed, convinced that they've seen something smaller and less momentous than they have.
Read Full Review >TV Guide Maitland McDonagh
A cut above the preposterous action spectacles that now pass for espionage films.
Read Full Review >Rolling Stone Peter Travers
The show belongs to Geoffrey Rush in a note-perfect performance as Harry Pendel, the tailor.
Read Full Review >Washington Post Desson Thomson
Despite a dissatisfying conclusion, a sense that things don't completely jell, The Tailor of Panama is lively and provocative.
Read Full Review >Miami Herald Rene Rodriguez
If The Tailor of Panama doesn't quite gel, the attempt is still worth savoring.
Christian Science Monitor David Sterritt
Strains too hard to seem smart and savvy.
Read Full Review >Washington Post Stephen Hunter
The rhythms excite expectations that go unanswered.
Read Full Review >New York Daily News Jack Mathews
The script gets so silly, the Monty Python troupe would reject it.
Read Full Review >Time Richard Schickel
The film finally collapses under the burden of implausibility.
Read Full Review >LA Weekly Ella Taylor
The movie is crudely jokey and, finally, a wimpy betrayal of its source.
Read Full Review >San Francisco Chronicle Bob Graham
Anyone expecting a flashy Bond-style fantasy is going to be disappointed.
Read Full Review >Wall Street Journal Joe Morgenstern
Only Le Carre fans with tin ears and clouded eyes will fail to note the film's sour tone, crude performances and drab look.
What Our Users Said
The average user rating for this movie is 4.3 (out of 10) based on 18 User Votes
Note: User votes are NOT included in the Metascore calculation.
JJ G gave it a9:
Lots of fun in an evil, devilish, and absolutely delicious way. Brosnan and Rush are both wonderful.
g fisher gave it a7:
Worth renting.
Pat C. gave it a 6:
Brosnan tones it down. It's a mild thriller with an air of authenticity. Worth a view when nothing else is on.
Eric S. gave it a 0:
I didn't find one redeeming quality about this movie.
Gilberto C. gave it a 0:
This movie sucks. I'd prefer j*** off than see this movie.
Byron E. gave it a 10:
Cool...una buena ambientación de un libro..
Don D. gave it a 7:
I thought the plot was thought provoking and the idiocy of the British and US governments was a plus! Brosnan in a real change of character and Rush is brilliant.
