the tailor of panama ( 2001 ) pierce brosnan , geoffrey rush , leonor varela , jamie lee curtis , brendan gleeson , harold pinter , catherine mccormack . screenplay by andrew davies , john le carré and john boorman , based on the novel by john le carré . directed by john boorman . 109 minutes . rated r , 4 stars ( out of five stars ) review by ed johnson-ott , nuvo newsweekly www . nuvo . com archive reviews at <a href= " http : //us . imdb . com/reviewsby ? edward + johnson-ott " >http : //us . imdb . com/reviewsby ? edward + johnson-ott</a> to receive reviews by e-mail at no charge , send subscription requests to <a href= " mailto : ejohnsonott@prodigy . net " >ejohnsonott@prodigy . net</a> or e-mail <a href= " mailto : ejohnsonott-subscribe@onelist . com " >ejohnsonott-subscribe@onelist . com</a> with the word " subscribe " in the subject line . " the tailor of panama " is a different kind of spy movie . despite the presence of pierce brosnan , there is nary a hint of james bond flash here . instead of big action scenes , leering super villains and empty-headed femme fatales , we get interesting characters and an intriguing situation . based on the novel by john le carré , who also co-wrote the screenplay , the film offers viewers something rarely seen in theaters this time of year : a solid , well-told story . brosnan plays andy osnard , a british operative walking on thin ice . his british superiors ship him off to panama , making sure he understands that he had better not screw up the placement . osnard arrives in the tropics virtually oozing contempt for his new co-workers and his new home base . when shown the bridge of the americas by a person marveling over the fact that , since the creation of the panama canal , the structure is the sole connection between north and south america , he barely keeps from yawning . brosnan clearly relishes the chance to be the antithesis of 007 , investing the suave spy with a distinct reptilian quality coupled with an air of indifference that irks his fellows to no end . searching for a way to get information on the government , osnard sets his sights on harry pendel ( geoffrey rush ) , an unctuous tailor serving the panamanian elite . harry claims to be a transplant from britain's renowned saville row , but osnard knows his secret : the tailor is an ex-con who served five years in prison after torching his uncle's shop in an insurance scam . he also knows that harry is up to his ears in debt , having spent a fortune on an unsuccessful farm . osnard offers harry a way out . he will pay for information harry has gathered from his upscale clientele . eager to comply , harry offers what he knows , then starts concocting tidbits to keep the money flowing . before long , he is forced to spy on his loving wife , louisa ( jamie lee curtis ) , an aide to the canal director . harry's little lies build , eventually taking on a life of their own . osnard turns in reports about the " silent opposition , " a group threatening to upset the balance of control over the canal . the bogus revelation proves explosive , leading to meetings in washington d . c . over how to best protect the vital waterway . meanwhile , osnard wallows in his newfound status , enjoying the best the city has to offer and wooing an attractive co-worker . and harry grows ever more fretful , fearing the consequences if his clients , not to mention his wife , learn about his lies . geoffrey rush is wonderful as harry , fawning over his customers by day and savoring his rich family life in the evenings , all while playing secret agent in the off hours with his new benefactor . rush makes harry a credible figure , presenting the various levels of the character so effectively that he remains sympathetic despite his duplicity . after gaining fame playing larger than life characters , rush flips everything around for this role , using his energy to depict the quiet desperation of a man slowly realizing that the solution to his troubles may be worse than the original problems . although she gets far too little screen time , jamie lee curtis imbues louisa with a depth greater than the screenplay provides her . of the central characters , she is the only one that exhibits maturity and genuine self-confidence . curtis is one of my favorite female actors ; whiplash smart , sultry and charismatic , she deserves more than supporting roles . speaking of supporting characters , there are some great ones here . harold pinter is amusing as harry's uncle benny , who pops up throughout the story in a number of creative ways . also shoring up the proceedings is jon polito as a corrupt banker and dylan baker , who is a riot as a united states general straight out of the dr . strangelove school of armed patriotism . but the most important secondary performers are leonor varela and brendan gleeson , both outstanding as two wounded activists . their presence adds weight to the story , reminding us that beyond the charades of the leading men , there are real people that have suffered greatly over the politics connected to the canal . director john boorman adds additional verisimilitude by shooting the film on location . instead of using panama city merely as a colorful backdrop , he adroitly weaves in footage of all aspects of life there . the metropolis , described by one character as " casablanca without heroes " pulsates with life , underling the folly of the two foreigners playing dangerous games that could have a disastrous impact on a great many people . " the tailor of panama " succeeds because the principals behind it were bright enough to make it more than a simple entertainment . 
