The Film
Earlier this year, Philip Seymour Hoffman passed away unexpectedly. He left behind a crazy body of work and several unreleased films, most notably the next two entries in the Hunger Games franchise. However, the last film that allowed the actor to really showcase his talent was A Most Wanted Man.
That's a shame, too. Because even though this film was based on the 2008 novel by acclaimed author John le Carré (The Spy Who Came in from the Cold, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy), it got a very limited release.
Hoffman stars as Günther Bachmann, a German espionage agent who has been tracking Muslims since 9/11. This brings him to Issa Karpov (Grigoriy Dobrygin), who could either be a terrorist or a simple a Chechnya refugee looking to collect his father's fortune. However, could that money be used to fund the next terrorist attack? No one seems to know, but German intelligence and the CIA are equally interested.
Since Hoffman isn't exactly Jason Bourne, A Most Wanted Man relies on its smarts, as well as its twists and turns -- and there are plenty of those. However, it's the acting that more than makes up for some of the film's slower moments. Know that this is 100-percent Hoffman's show, but not just because of his untimely passing. Like all of his performances, this one is a great one. Of course, it doesn't hurt that he's backed by the likes of Robin Wright, Rachel McAdams, and Willem Dafoe.
The Picture
Despite a little bit of shaky cam, A Most Wanted Man has a good looking 2.35:1 image, with a color palette that's exactly what it needs to be. Sometimes the image is filled with warm tones and other times, it's a bit bluish. However, this is exactly the way it's intended to look. It doesn't have a ton of bright pop to it, but it's not supposed to. What it does have is some excellent detail throughout. Grigoriy Dobrygin's filthy face, Philip Seymour Hoffman's bushy eyebrows, textured clothing and outdoor scenery all add to the intense viewing experience.
The Sound
The film's DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track starts off quietly and sort of boring. Sure, it has clear dialogue and a few ambient effects, but it's not quite as memorable as the cast or the acting work on display here. However, about an hour into the film, the surrounds start to get a bit of a workout. There are several moments that stand out, including a bar scene, the subway train, street chatter, a car crash, and more.
The Extras
Final Thoughts
With such an insanely talented cast, you'd think that A Most Wanted Man would have received a wider release. Maybe mainstream audiences aren't too receptive to slow-moving spy thrillers. Yes, this moves slow, but the story and the acting is worth the pace and the 121-minute runtime. The AV package is great too, but seeing Philip Seymour Hoffman in one of his last starring roles is worth the price of this one alone.
Product Details
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