jawneyfloros
Director: Anton Corbijin
Screenplay: Andrew Bovell
Based on a most wanted man by John Le Carre
Cast: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rachel McAdams, William Dafoe, Robin Wright and Grigoriy Dobrygin
Plot: when a half-Chechen, half-Russian turns up illegally in Hamburg it puts the German and American Governments on full attack.
Review: I found this movie interesting because it looks at illegal immigration from America's War on Terror perspective. The direction and screenplay are both really. Both the casting and acting are really good also, especially by Philip Seymour Hoffman in his vary last performance. All in all I would give this five out of a possible five stars.
felix-wyderka
"A most wanted Man" is a movie about about an alleged terrorist that wants nothing more than give all his fathers money away and be a free man. This story is implemented in a very confusing manner and with too many characters having influence. It is never clear what exactly is happening and what the characters are up to and in the end the purpose of all the work and all the uncovering is unclear. There never seems to be a real ending to the story and nothing really makes sense. The movie is packed with renowned actors and while all of them deliver solid performances, even actors as good as Hoffmann or McAdams seem to feel uncomfortable and they never really seem to find their game. Corbjin is a great director and while he did an amazing job in "The American" in every aspect, he seems to try a little to hard in this movie. The cinematography is off and while in "The American" the camera did all the work here it is at times confusing and some lingering shots of buildings or in cars don't fit the situation and the movie. Corbjin's style is a great one and I admire it a lot but it just doesn't fit this movie. The whole movie is overall confusing and doesn't really make sense. There are so many exciting plot twists that one could've imagined in this movie, but instead the story is very plain and lacks tension and suspense. In conclusion we can say that "A Most wanted Man" is a rather boring movie with a basic plot that never really takes off and the most enjoyable this is to see those great actors together.
l_rawjalaurence
Let's face it, A MOST WANTED MAN is basically a Cold War thriller updated to the post 9/11 era. Only this time the enemies are not the Soviets or the CIA, but Islamic terrorists. But then what else would one expect from the pen of John le Carré?In its clichéd way, the film is a good example of the genre, building up suspense gradually until the dénouement when Gunther (Philip Seymour Hoffman) realizes that all his plans have gone awry. Granted, the action is not without its stereotypes (western filmmakers can never seem to understand the Islamic form of prayer, especially the five-times-a-day worshiping ritual, while the general view expressed by the Europeans is that most members of the Islamic faith are suspect, even if they lead perfectly normal lives). On the other hand, the direction is pleasantly low-key, with plenty of atmosphere placed on the dank, muddy-colored streets of Hamburg.In the end A MOST WANTED MAN shows nobody actually winning the battle - or should it be struggle - to "make the world a safer place." The US Embassy (personified by a sour-faced Robin Wright) are shown to be entirely self-interested, more concerned with maintain the country's status as the world's sole superpower rather than worrying about individual people. Gunther tries to show his humanity, but in the end even he reduces the people whom he deals with to ciphers.
capie4
From the reviews, I am in the minority. But another reviewer termed it "...a slow burn..." The burn is how every scene shows someone is leaving, going to another place just to leave it. This makes the movie not full of suspense, intrigue, or action oriented but struggling like a grass fire in the dust- bowl States. The camera man does not help by shaking the camera so much during the actual action scenes that the audience can't connect with the movie.Philip is a cigarette spokesman by having a cigarette in his face in almost every scene he is in. I am done with this movie at the scene where Philip announces that he is done with Issa.
AD
