The Tailor of Panama Review
By Roburado
Tropical Weight Entertainment
The Tailor of Panama, helmed by John Boorman, is based upon the John Le Carré novel of the same name. Geoffrey Rush stars as Henry Pendel, sartorial advisor to the Panamanian elite. The little devil on Pendel's shoulder is MI6's fallen angel Andy Osnard, deliciously spiced by Pierce Brosnan. Jamie Lee Curtis fills out the starring trio as Pendel's voluptuous wife Louisa.
The movie opens with a shot of the very same MI6 headquarters that we saw in The World Is Not Enough. It seems the filmmakers are setting up the audience for the James Bond parody that is Andy Osnard. Indeed, one might consider Tailor to have its tongue implanted firmly in its cheek.
Of course, we still need a plot. Mr. Brosnan's Osnard is being banished for having done the equivalent of "going ballistic with Penny Benjamin" (if you have to ask, see Top Gun). His "M" intimates that Osnard may redeem himself by supplying juicy tidbits about the security (or lack thereof) of the Panama Canal. Osnard's quest drives the movie.
Our over-sexed, ersatz Bond seeks out Rush's Henry Pendel. Our tailor also has a sketchy past of his own; he also needs redemption and acceptance. Osnard blackmails Pendel into showing him around town, introducing him to the locals, and dishing the dirt. It's Osnard's belief that this tailor has heard all that MI6 wishes to hear. These reluctant friends both wish to profit by selling information for a few million dollars of Uncle Sam's money. Osnard isn't really interested in doing the leg work himself; he trusts Pendel to provide the goods. Symbolic of this dynamic is a scene in which Pendel is driving Osnard through the back streets of Panama City. We know he's just a tourist there. He sits in the air-conditioned comfort of the Pendel's plush Land Rover Discovery, observing the lurid events unfolding. He doesn't deign to break a sweat in the sensuous humidity of Panama City. Osnard is out of touch with the population. He associates mostly with Brits and Pendel's American wife. His detachment from the locals allows Pendel's tall tales to pass for juicy intelligence. Thus, events nearly snowball into an international incident.
Throughout the movie, Mr. Brosnan gets to be a scumbag. His part seems to be the most fun here. He skillfully parodies his James Bond. Mr. Brosnan's Osnard is allowed to deliver a few delightfully lascivious quips, as if James Bond were allowed to sink to a more boorish level. The result is good for a few chuckles here and there. Brosnan's Osnard is just about the most fun thing this movie has to offer.
Geoffrey Rush is adequately engaging as Pendel. The sibilant Rush is up to the task of Pendel's most manic moments and his most pathetic. It is clear from Mr. Rush's earlier work that he has chops. Tailor allows him to exercise them a bit. Yet, we don't see too much depth in this performance. It's as if we caught a virtuoso pianist jamming with his buddies.
Jamie Lee Curtis' Louisa serves her function providing curvaceous window dressing, one of two moral foci for Pendel, and a source of predictable conflict for both Osnard and Pendel. It's a part that could have been played by any of a number of actresses. Perhaps, the filmmakers decided to continue the spy-movie in-jokes by casting Curtis, who had co-starred in True Lies, another tongue-in-cheek "spy" movie.
Tailor provides slick, smooth entertainment for the moviegoer. It's a movie with no pretensions of being either a true political thriller or a true spy movie. The plot doesn't feature anything so dire as a diabolical scheme for world domination. There is very little actual intrigue. What makes it fun is the aspect of parody. This movie is good fun for a weekend afternoon, I think. It's light. Whereas Jack Ryan movies may be clad in charcoal gray suits, Tailor is relaxed in linen and loafers.
