The problem with comparing movies to their books is that they don't usually compare well at all (Russia House is another example of a good movie based on a great John Le Carre book). Still, The Tailor of Panama was in my opinion brilliant BUT if you don't appreciate spy humor in a very dark key, and, if you can't fathom irony, then this movie is likely to disappoint. The movie was never intended to be a parody but neither is it a serious movie. Let me help a bit: Irony, in modern usage, can refer to incongruity between the intended meaning of an action and the actual or perceived meaning of an action (as opposed to parody, which means, in contemporary usage, to mock, comment on, or poke fun at an original work, its subject, or author, by means of humorous or satiric imitation. Black comedy, aka black humor or dark comedy, is a sub-genre of comedy/satire where topics and events that are usually regarded as taboo (such as death, rape or domestic violence--in the case of Tailor of Panama international espionage, death, sex, etc)) are treated in a satirical or humorous manner. If you've seen Tailor then I trust you can understand that it isn't parody at all but very, very blackly ironic. I've seen all the Brosnan Bond flicks and in this movie his character Osnard acts at times like Bond. My guess is that you never quite understood what the director or actors were trying to do and that's why you panned it in your comment: Certainly, if thought the movie was a parady I can well understand your opinion! Once you gain an understanding of irony and black humor, I suspect you might rethink your evaluation. I found the movie interesting, perfectly sensible, internally consistent, with great acting (you might watch a few of Brosnan's Bond flicks especially The World is Not Enough at this will give you a better handle on the irony). I give the movie 4 stars out of a possible 5.
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rogerscorpion
15 years ago
Nicely done, Roger.
I love this film. I much prefer Brosnan in this sort of dodgy, less heroic roles, over macho roles.
Carpe Noctem
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peterquennell
8 years ago
Good film and in fact true to life 25 years ago. Perhaps not even sure a taste for parody, irony or satire are required. I used to observe intelligence types from UN field offices, and real-life raffish amoral types with a taste for black humor were not exactly uncommon, at least prior to rendition days.
I dont know Panama but I do know it had a reputation not unlike Berlin's for furtive goings-on there. CIA station chief Robert Lady, long wanted by the Italians, installed himself there. When the Italians zeroed in on him, after a brief attempt to flee elsewhere he boarded a military plane for the US, though he never disembarked at the other end and was helped to disappear in midair.
Having diligently watched the Remington Steele series when first aired I prefer Brosnan in dry-comedy roles more than any other. Bruce Willis first emerged the same way, at the same time, in the quite similar Moonlighting series.
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