A Most Wanted Man

A Most Wanted Man was a bitter sweet experience for me.  On the one hand it was a terrific film, while on the other it was a reminder that the number of times I will see Phillip Seymour Hoffman in theatre is finite.  To watch the film felt like observing a ghost, leaving traces of its existence caught on camera in a haunting way.  Indeed, it left me mourning the loss of Hoffman.

When a film comes out after the passing of one of its actors, there seems to be some extra allowances given to their performance.  Does anyone really want to rip apart the last remnants of a deceased person’s career (there are exceptions, such as Wagons East)?  In the case of A Most Wanted Man, if you hear talk of the wonderful performance of Phillip Seymour Hoffman, I am hear to assure you that it is not over emphasized in any way.  It is a terrifically nuanced role that indicates exactly why he was considered one of the best, using subtleties to show not only how his character was reacting in the moment, but leaving clues around the inner workings of a man who strained hard to conceal his inner emotions.

The movie is about a small anti-terrorist group working out of Hamburg, which operates in secrecy and is led by Gunther (Hoffman), that uncovers information that a suspected terrorist, Issa Karpov (Grigorily Dobrygin), has arrived at the city.  They scramble to keep eyes on Karpov, working to uncover a greater network of terrorists that is operating internationally.  Director Anton Corbijn (The American) allows time to pass as the depths of the story becomes uncovered.  Suspense is created through the combination of cinematography, the musical score, and keeping a great number of unknowns scattered throughout to keep the audience thinking.

Corbijn keeps from using any superfluous shots, a rigid manner that never allows the film to meander and makes the most of every second of its run time.  The style of filmmaking reminds me of terrific past thrillers that focus on characters, progression, and story over car chases and pumping music.  In this essence, it really does feel like a film of old being retold in modern times, returning to the more cerebral style that Silence of the Lambs and Se7en embraced.

With the focus being centred around Gunther, we see a man who is the definition of being married to his job.  There is little that we know of him outside of the images displayed of him while tirelessly doing everything within his power to uncover and capture his quarry.  I only recall one scene in the film where we observe him at home, getting very little insight into the person who lies behind the business-like demeanour that is shown to all those around him.  This is where Hoffman excels, playing the role with such proficiency that we can study the subtleties of Gunther and gain a mild reckoning of him.

To contrast his character, Martha Sullivan (Robin Wright) enters the story from the US embassy to cooperate with Gunther while seeking her own interests.  She is seen as a character skilled in the art of politicking, something which Gunther appears to have little interest in.  Whenever the two meet, if she picks the location it is a high class, sterile environment, while Gunther chooses local eateries that reflect his down to earth, working from the streets approach to his job.  Through this comparison of characters, the movie makes a subversive criticism of American procedures on the anti-terrorism front, a visual architecture that reveals opposing positions of thought and philosophies.

As the film flows, it becomes apparent as to just how well it is constructed.  It is hard to notice any music (Herbert Gronemeyer) or filming technique, because it all blends and camouflages itself in perfect synchronicity.  This is a high calibre film that shows just what can be created when all cinematic elements are thoughtfully and artfully incorporated together.  As well, it is a piece that does justice to the legacy of Phillip Seymour Hoffman, and displays all of the reasons he was considered one of the best.

Rating - 4 out of 4 stars