"A Most Wanted Man" Review

Title: A Most Wanted Man

Directed by: Anton Corbijn

Screenplay by: Andrew Bovel

Year: 2014


Funny story about this film, I didn't hear of it until my father suggested we should see it. I agreed but I hadn't seen any trailers so I had no idea what I was in for. Something I forgot while watching it was that Philip Seymour Hoffman passed away this year. This is actually a good thing because I did not have the notion that this was his final film in my head while watching it. A Most Wanted Man is Hoffman's last major performance. And is it a fitting final performance for such an actor?

German and American security agencies take interest in an immigrant of both Russian and Chechen descent who is claiming his father's evil-gotten money. Gunter Bachmann is on a mission to uncover this man's identity and discover what his intentions are.

It only seems fitting to begin this review by addressing the late Philip Seymour Hoffman first. Hoffman is brilliant in his role. His performance transcends acting and he becomes one with the character of Gunter Bachmann. He is an absolute joy to watch and his German accent is very convincing. When watching this movie, I didn't see Philip Seymour Hoffman, I saw Gunter Bachmann. From the larger moments, to the little subtleties, Hoffman nails every aspect of his character and is easily the best part of the film. That is not to discredit everyone else involved in the movie as they also give stellar performances. Rachel McAdams plays Annabel Richter, a lawyer who attempts to aid Issa Karpov, the "most wanted man." McAdams might seem like a strange choice to appear in such a film as this but I can assure you that she plays her part excellently. She turns what essentially could have been an "eye-candy" character into a believable person. Issa Karpov is portrayed by Grigoriy Dobrygin, who doesn't have as much screen time as one would think but makes the most of all of his appearances. Willem Dafoe plays a banker and, as always, he delivers a masterful performance. Finally, Robin Wright is cast as an American agent after Karpov and, much like Dobrygin, makes the most of all her appearances in the movie.

A Most Wanted Man is a spy thriller but a very unique one. Whereas other spy movies focus more on the action and have a faster pace, A Most Wanted Man takes its time with telling the story and the action is kept to a minimum. In fact, I don't believe we even see a single gun until the very end of the movie. The main conflict of the film is like a game of cat and mouse. Gunter is trying to track down Issa but there is no major chase sequence filled gunshots and fast tracking shots. There is nothing really like that in this movie. Everything is kept restrained and is more like a battle of wits, which makes it a completely engaging watch. A Most Wanted Man moves at a very slow pace, but that is not to say that there is no tension or suspense. In fact, the entire film is fueled by tension. A key feature that really makes this movie excel is that it is unpredictable. Though it is based on a novel of the same name, written by John le Carré, A Most Wanted Man feels fresh, new, something we haven't seen before, or at least in a really long time.

One of the most admirable aspects of the film is the direction by Anton Corbijn. Corbijn directs this film with such style and symbolism that I think given some time, A Most Wanted Man might become a film to be taught in a film class. For example, when one of Gunter's spies is telling him that he does not want to continue working for him, seagulls are flying in the background, symbolizing his freedom. But when Gunter convinces him to stay, the camera flips and the birds are gone, showing a grey sky. Here are a few more instances:

*SPOILERS AHEAD* Another example is at the end when Gunter's plan was foiled by another agency. This has happened to him before, hence his trust issues. When he gets in his car, he sits there in silence for a few moments. We are watching him through the window of the car and on the window is a very clear reflection of the building where his plan failed. This signifies his reflecting on the past. When he is speaking to Annabel in her cell, Annabel is directly in front of the camera, in a close-up shot, while Gunter is sitting in the background. However, because Gunter has her on the ropes and holds all the cards, he is the one in focus while Annabel is left out of focus. The ending of the film has Gunter driving through the streets with the camera acting as a passenger in the car. When, he reaches his destination, he parks the car, gets out, and walks away, while the camera remains in the car. Looking through the windshield we can clearly see a red stop light. This short sequence symbolizes not only the end of the film but also introduces a sense of uncertainty about how the incident will actually end. It's as if Gunter told the audience "Wait here. Don't leave the car."

*SPOILER FREE* The musical score is not very memorable or noticeable...which is a compliment to it in this case. It perfectly fits into the background and sets the mood of the respective scene. Nothing too special at all, but it gets the job done. The editing is clean and never toys with the pace of the story. The editing works very well with the slow pace of the movie. There is also an interesting lack of color in this film. Most of the colors are grey, black, brown, blue, and other things along that line. This lack of brighter colors adds a sense of grimness and darkness to the entire movie and makes the rare use of brighter colors (yellow in particular) all the more jarring. It makes me wonder how this film would have turned out had it been filmed in black and white.

A Most Wanted Man is an incredible film. It has a stellar cast, magnificent direction, and is a very engaging experience. I can see people having trouble appreciating this or even liking it. I would say that this is a movie that deserves and rather demands multiple viewings in order to understand and appreciate everything about it. In my opinion, Philip Seymour Hoffman has left the world of cinema with a fantastic film that showcases his worth as an actor. A Most Wanted Man ranks as one of the best spy thrillers in recent memory.

Grade: A-