There are deaths it is very difficult for me to reconcile with, deaths about which I maintain a degree of disbelief. I can't believe, for example, that I won't see new movies with Robin Williams or Philip Seymour Hoffman. These are such great actors who have created so many memorable roles, so diverse from one film to another, it's still hard for me to accept that there will be no more. It's hard for me to talk about them in the past tense, because death took them by surprise when they still had so many lives to live as movie heroes on screens plus their own. I kept postponing watching 'A Most Wanted Man', even though I'm a passionate of spy books and movies and a big fan of John le Carré. The main reason, of course, is that I knew it was Philip Seymour Hoffman's last great role. Now that I've seen the film directed by Anton Corbijn released in 2014, I should probably start getting used to it. His role is fascinating and the film, which has many other qualities but also some problems, revolves around him.
In adapting John le Carré's novel, the screenwriters simplified the story, eliminating for example all British references but especially simplified (and in many respects over-simplified) most of the characters by turning them into typological examples rather than complex, ambiguous characters, always carrying several layers of masks from the novels of the English master writer. It can be said that Günther Bachmann (Philip Seymour Hoffman), the head of the German intelligence team that organizes shadow operations in the pursuit of terrorist organizations and follows the financing channels of Islamic terrorism, is the only character truly belonging to le Carré's universe. Around him is built the conspiratorial intrigue that takes place in the milieus of the espionage services, of the legal and illegal immigrants, of the big finance in Germany. The story is well written and interesting, and as an international spy film 'A Most Wanted Man' can be considered a success. The cinematography is excellent, Hamburg with its cold, fog and shadows looks very good and authentic in Benoît Delhomme's conception, and let's not forget that the film director Anton Corbijn is also a photographer by formation, and author of short films with a strong visual impact.
We can, of course, only regret that such talents as Rachel McAdams, Robin Wright or Willem Dafoe do not have more consistent roles. Their characters hold much promise but remain at the sketch level. The same goes for the relationship between the idealistic leftist lawyer (Rachel McAdams) and the Chechen refugee (Grigoriy Dobrygin) who could have been the subject of an entire film, but here it does not convince and does not create emotion. Maybe all this is also due to the fact that the film is dominated by the acting creation of Philip Seymour Hoffman. His Günther Bachmann tries to play a honest role in a dishonest world, agrees to engage in illegal activities in the fight against those for whom the law has no meaning, manipulates and is manipulated, and is aware that those he uses risk being destroyed just by agreeing to cooperate with him even if he tries to save them, but he continues, because there is no alternative. If Philip Seymour Hoffman's life and career had continued, this would have been one of a series of outstanding roles on screen. Being the last role, it gains extra significance - we know when we see his last cry of despair, his last disappointed look thrown over his shoulder. Farewell, Philip Seymour Hoffman!
In adapting John le Carré's novel, the screenwriters simplified the story, eliminating for example all British references but especially simplified (and in many respects over-simplified) most of the characters by turning them into typological examples rather than complex, ambiguous characters, always carrying several layers of masks from the novels of the English master writer. It can be said that Günther Bachmann (Philip Seymour Hoffman), the head of the German intelligence team that organizes shadow operations in the pursuit of terrorist organizations and follows the financing channels of Islamic terrorism, is the only character truly belonging to le Carré's universe. Around him is built the conspiratorial intrigue that takes place in the milieus of the espionage services, of the legal and illegal immigrants, of the big finance in Germany. The story is well written and interesting, and as an international spy film 'A Most Wanted Man' can be considered a success. The cinematography is excellent, Hamburg with its cold, fog and shadows looks very good and authentic in Benoît Delhomme's conception, and let's not forget that the film director Anton Corbijn is also a photographer by formation, and author of short films with a strong visual impact.
We can, of course, only regret that such talents as Rachel McAdams, Robin Wright or Willem Dafoe do not have more consistent roles. Their characters hold much promise but remain at the sketch level. The same goes for the relationship between the idealistic leftist lawyer (Rachel McAdams) and the Chechen refugee (Grigoriy Dobrygin) who could have been the subject of an entire film, but here it does not convince and does not create emotion. Maybe all this is also due to the fact that the film is dominated by the acting creation of Philip Seymour Hoffman. His Günther Bachmann tries to play a honest role in a dishonest world, agrees to engage in illegal activities in the fight against those for whom the law has no meaning, manipulates and is manipulated, and is aware that those he uses risk being destroyed just by agreeing to cooperate with him even if he tries to save them, but he continues, because there is no alternative. If Philip Seymour Hoffman's life and career had continued, this would have been one of a series of outstanding roles on screen. Being the last role, it gains extra significance - we know when we see his last cry of despair, his last disappointed look thrown over his shoulder. Farewell, Philip Seymour Hoffman!