The Tailor of Panama

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The Tailor of Panama

R

Released Mar 30, 2001

1h 49m

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

75%

Tomatometer

119 Reviews

46%

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10,000+ Ratings

Harry Pendel, a Cockney ex-con who has reinvented himself as a popular tailor to the rich and powerful of Panama, is famous for his storytelling as well as his suits -- but this time, his tales carry lethal repercussions. Preyed upon by ruthless, seductive British spy Osnard, Harry spins a yarn that inadvertently sets off a series of events to destroy everything he values most in life.

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Critics Consensus

The Tailor of Panama is a smart, darkly satirical thriller with exuberant performances from Pierce Brosnan and Geoffrey Rush.

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Joe Morgenstern

Wall Street Journal

The premise still provides some fun, but only Le Carre fans with tin ears and clouded eyes will fail to note the film's sour tone, crude performances and drab look.

Jul 15, 2023

Full Review

Anthony Lane

The New Yorker

Boorman wants to turn the novel’s rueful satire into something sharp and sweaty, but the tone veers all over the place, and the plot feels like reckless fantasy.

Feb 7, 2023

Full Review

Geoff Andrew

Time Out

Boorman has crafted a witty, classy and richly enjoyable morality play, which skewers the mercenary self-interest behind Anglo-American imperialism almost as an afterthought.

Jun 24, 2006

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Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Smart and challenging though it may be at times, The Tailor of Panama remains fragmented in unsatisfying ways.

Rated: 2.5/4

Mar 14, 2022

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Tim Brayton

Antagony & Ecstasy

Brosnan... completely alters the tone of the movie with every scene he's in, bringing a level of smarminess that makes it far more interesting than just a bureaucratic spy thriller

Rated: 6/10

Sep 11, 2014

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: B

Jan 18, 2013

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Stephen C

Success in 1 hour and 49 minutes. Rated R for Strong Sexuality, Language, and Violence!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/02/25

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Adam K

I have watched this a few times and find new stuff I love about it every time

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/16/25

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Steve D

The actors are here but the story is just not interesting.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

02/05/23

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William L

The Tailor of Panama seems like a very attractive film on paper: a Le Carré adaptation with an appealing cast - Pierce Brosnan, Geoffrey Rush, Jamie Lee Curtis, and a near-unrecognizable Brendan Gleeson, among others (including Daniel Radliffe's first cinematic credit). But all of that seems misused in the context of the film, which is pure satire of the classic spy formula. Rush's Harry Pendel is an opportunistic purveyor of fine clothes and tall tales whose unlikely collaboration with Brosnan's crass spy (a parody of his years as Bond, with superficial charm thinly coating very crude sensibilities) leads to possible international upheaval thanks to a shared lack of morals. It's a clever premise and the book might translate it well, but the movie adaptation sacrifices all sense of realism and storytelling in service of it (including a bizarre recurring bit where Harry sees his dead uncle, which goes nowhere), a rushed and nonsensical conclusion that sacrifices any audience investment, and a miscasting in Brosnan that poisons his Bond years rather than playing off them. It plays out like a poor man's Armando Iannucci film at its best, but at its worst it's just not functional despite a lot of good raw materials. (1.5/5)

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

07/06/22

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Audience Member

Espionage drama with a tropical con twist.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/03/23

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Audience Member

an appalling, opportunistic ‘film', the definition of inept.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

01/22/23

Full Review

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John Boorman

Director

Pierce Brosnan

Andy Osnard

Geoffrey Rush

Harry Pendel

Jamie Lee Curtis

Louisa Pendel

Brendan Gleeson

Mickie Abraxas

Catherine McCormack

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Synopsis

Harry Pendel, a Cockney ex-con who has reinvented himself as a popular tailor to the rich and powerful of Panama, is famous for his storytelling as well as his suits -- but this time, his tales carry lethal repercussions. Preyed upon by ruthless, seductive British spy Osnard, Harry spins a yarn that inadvertently sets off a series of events to destroy everything he values most in life.

Director: John Boorman
Producer: John Boorman
Screenwriter: John Boorman, Andrew Davies, John le Carré, John le Carré
Distributor: Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment
Production Co: Merlin Films, Columbia Pictures
Rating: R (Strong Sexuality|Language|Violence)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Mar 30, 2001, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 16, 2012
Box Office (Gross USA): $13.5M
Runtime: 1h 49m
Sound Mix: Dolby Stereo, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, Surround, Dolby SR
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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