The Tailor of Panama (2001)

A tailor living in Panama reluctantly becomes a spy for a British agent.

Director:

John Boorman

Writers:

John le Carré (novel), Andrew Davies (screenplay),

Stars:

Pierce Brosnan, Geoffrey Rush, Jamie Lee Curtis

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Pierce Brosnan	...	Andrew 'Andy' Osnard
Geoffrey Rush	...	Harold 'Harry' Pendel
Jamie Lee Curtis	...	Louisa Pendel
Leonor Varela	...	Marta
Brendan Gleeson	...	Michelangelo 'Mickie' Abraxas
Harold Pinter	...	Uncle Benny
Catherine McCormack	...	Francesca Deane
Daniel Radcliffe	...	Mark Pendel
Lola Boorman	...	Sarah Pendel
David Hayman	...	Luxmore
Mark Margolis	...	Rafi Domingo
Martin Ferrero	...	Teddy, the Reporter
John Fortune	...	Maltby
Martin Savage	...	Stormont
Edgardo Molino	...	Juan-David

Storyline

John LeCarre's spy thriller is brought to the big screen. A British spy is banished to Panama after having an affair with an ambassador's mistress. Once there he makes connection with a local tailor with a nefarious past and connections to all of the top political and gangster figures in Panama. The tailor also has a wife, who works for the Panamanian president and a huge debt. The mission is to learn what the President intends to do with the Panama Canal. But what the two do is concoct a tremendous fictional tale about former mercenaries who are ready to topple the current government and are willing to work with Britain and the US to do so.

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Plot Keywords:

panama | spy | tailor | president | ambassador | 

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Taglines:

In a place this treacherous, what a good spy needs is a spy of his own.

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Genres:

Drama | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for strong sexuality, language and some violence

Details

Country:

USA Ireland

Language:

English Spanish

Release Date:

30 March 2001 (USA)

Also Known As:

El sastre de Panamá

Filming Locations:

Ardmore Studios, Herbert Road, Bray, County Wicklow, Ireland

Box Office

Budget:

$18,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend:

£285,368 (UK) (20 April 2001)

Gross:

$13,491,653 (USA) (6 July 2001)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Columbia Pictures Corporation, Merlin Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

109 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital EX

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Pierce Brosnan is the second and to date the last actor to play James Bond to appear in a filmed adaptation of a John le Carré spy story. Sean Connery was the first in The Russia House. Connery did it after playing Bond whereas Brosnan did it during his era as Bond. This picture was made and released between his Bond movies The World Is Not Enough and Brosnan's last Bond film, Die Another Day. The Mi6 building seen in the film is the real Mi6 head-quarters in London and this use of the building was consistent with the Pierce Brosnan's Bond movies of the time which also used the real Mi6 HQ.

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Goofs

Harry the tailor mispronounces a common term of his trade, "worsted". He pronounces it phonetically, but at least in British English it is correctly pronounced "woosted" with the "oo" as in "good".

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Quotes

[first lines]
MI.6 Handler: Panama.
Andrew 'Andy' Osnard: Panama?
MI.6 Handler: Best I could do Andrew. Under the circumstances, given your sins. They were baying for blood.

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Connections

References Goldfinger (1964)

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Soundtracks

"The Pick Up Dance"
Written by Jorge Reyes

User Reviews

Excellent satire of the intelligence business, told with a straight face

It's too bad about the low IMDB rating for this movie. It is a deft blend of James Bond, Casablanca and Dr Strangelove which directs its often vicious tongue-in-cheek barbs at both the intelligence industry and the spy films which glorify it. While it can be enjoyed "straight", that is as a story in its own right, I think those who miss its satirical structure (the film doesn't directly let the audience in on the joke - it must be inferred), miss half the fun.