A Most Wanted Man

Down and Dirty: A real character study, super slow, good but definitely not for everyone. (thumbs up)

Director: Anton Corbijn (The American)

Big Names: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rachel McAdams, Willem Defoe, Robin Wright

A Most Wanted Man is the film adaptation of a spy novel. It could most aptly be described as a fascinating thriller about terrorism, though that is still a bit of mistaken identity in my opinion. Anton Corbijn, a Dutch man known for his music videos, directs the movie with fervor. But let me be clear, it is not James Bond. The pacing is extraordinarily slow, however, it is deliberate and makes the experience worthwhile. You are drawn into the world of terrorism in Europe where each player has a different role, a different bureaucratic authority, and a different demon to face.

It is, at its core, a slow-burning thriller – though not by Hollywood’s standards. There are no exceptionally choreographed action sequences that get you pumped. Graphic content is at a minimum (which I must say is refreshing). No, this is not a Bond film. This is a character study. The film focuses on an anti-terror unit in Germany, but if you look past the skin you’ll find a human portrayal of what drives us to work so hard. When did this vocation switch from their job to their identity? These characters are working desperately to accomplish something in the name of peace. These characters are methodically destroying people’s lives in the name of peace. It is a thankless, tortured, morally ambiguous profession.

Nowhere is that better seen than in Philip Seymour Hoffman’s face. This is his first film released posthumously and you can see the effect that his drug habit had taken on him. His tired eyes and the sharp creases in his face reveal everything about where he was personally. But they also complete his character, Gunter Bachmann, in a way no one else could have hoped to capture. That tragic look of despair and resignation mixed with an unbridled work ethic – it is eerie to see him portray something that was such a direct reflection of himself. Hoffman truly was a master craftsman.

There are many fine performances in this film including those of Willem Defoe, Rachel McAdams, and Robin Wright (shouts out to House of Cards). But Hoffman is the star that they revolve around and they complement him brilliantly in the bureaucratic solar system of government agency. Aside from the acting, the dark cinematography captures Hamburg in a beautiful way. The characterization of the city does not distract the viewer, but its heavy presence is always apparent.

For all the things it does well (the ending is especially good), the movie does struggle with pacing here and there. Sometimes the slow lurch is building to something and other times you feel as though everything is moving in slow motion. Again, this isn’t James Bond. Don’t see this if you cannot handle theatre because that’s what this is closest to – a really good play that they happened to film. I would definitely recommend it to anyone who loves film as art or just a good character study. The many layers of complexity will keep you engaged throughout; and if they don’t, just observe the magnificently heartbreaking descent into despair by Philip Seymour Hoffman.