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| The Tailor of Panama | |
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| Directed by | John Boorman |
| Produced by | John Boorman John le Carré Kevan Barker |
| Written by | John le Carré Andrew Davies John Boorman |
| Starring | Pierce Brosnan Geoffrey Rush Jamie Lee Curtis |
| Distributed by | Columbia Pictures |
| Release date(s) |  11 February 2001 (Berlin International Film Festival) 30 March 2001
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| Running time | 109 min |
| Country |  Panama |
| Language | English |
| Budget | US $21,000,000 |
The Tailor of Panama is a 2001 spy film made by Merlin Productions and Columbia Pictures. It was produced and directed by John Boorman from a screenplay by Boorman, Andrew Davies and John le Carré based on the 1996 Le Carré novel, itself inspired by Graham Greene's Our Man in Havana.
The film stars Pierce Brosnan, Geoffrey Rush and Jamie Lee Curtis with Brendan Gleeson, Daniel Radcliffe, David Hayman, John Fortune, Catherine McCormack and Harold Pinter.
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Background and production
- This is the only film based on a Le Carré novel, on which the author actually worked on the script.
- The film was shot at the Ardmore Studios, County Wicklow, Ireland and on location in Panama City.
Plot
Andy Osnard (Pierce Brosnan) is an MI-6 spy exiled to Panama after having an affair with an ambassador’s mistress. He trusts that he can uncover something big that will get him back into London’s good graces. Believing Panama to still be corrupt after General Noriega’s reign, and as the Americans have now given the Panama Canal back to Panama, Osnard concludes that if he can find out where the true balance of power surrounding the canal is, London will want him back.
His informant is a tailor, Harry Pendel (Geoffrey Rush), who has a few secrets of his own. Harry's wife, Louisa (Jamie Lee Curtis) is the assistant to the Canal director. Harry is in need of money and doesn’t have the business sense to ask his customers for the money to pay for their suits. Osnard knows that Harry has been lying about his background. He persuades the tailor to spy on his own wife to find out what the President plans on doing with the Canal. Pendel agrees and begins spinning stories to keep the money from Osnard flowing.
Cast and characters
- Andrew "Andy" Osnard - Pierce Brosnan
- Harold "Harry" Pendel - Geoffrey Rush
- Louisa Pendel - Jamie Lee Curtis
- Marta - Leonor Varela
- Mickie Abraxas - Brendan Gleeson
- Uncle Benny - Harold Pinter
- Francesca Deane - Catherine McCormack
- Mark Pendel - Daniel Radcliffe
- Sarah Pendel - Lola Boorman
- Luxmore - David Hayman
- Rafi Domingo - Mark Margolis
- Maltby - John Fortune
Differences from the Novel
There are many differences between the novel and the film, most significant being the issue of the Canal. The novel is set in the mid-1990's prior to the hand-over of the Canal to the Panamanian Government from the United States. In the film, this has already happened and the plot is changed to reflect that. In addition, much more is known about Harry Pendel's past and his relationships with Marta and Mickie. The background of Andrew "Andy" Osnard is also changed. In the film, he is seen as a semi-washed up foreign services officer who is given a posting in Panama so he will not be able to cause any trouble. In the novel, he is seen as a younger man who is hoping for a big break which will get him the posting of his choice. He sees Pendel as his way out. But the crucial difference is the final section where the poignant bitterness of the novel is replaced with a glib happy ending and the Americans call off an accidental attack.
Related links
- The Tailor of Panama at the Internet Movie Database
- The Tailor of Panama at Allmovie
- The Tailor of Panama at Rotten Tomatoes
- The Tailor of Panama at Metacritic
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Wikipedia content modification information:
- This page was last modified on 2 December 2008, at 17:10.
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