Review of A Most Wanted Man (2014) by Justin765 — 05 Aug 2014

Based on a John le Carré espionage novel of the same name, A Most Wanted Man follows a German intelligence officer in Hamburg as he attempts to prevent terrorists from attacking his city. The plot is woven with many unexpected turns and relies on realism to distinguish itself from its counterparts. This focus on realism is a refreshing change from the normal thriller template, but it in turn has its own set of drawbacks.

The foremost of them being pacing. The film drags on at a brutal pace. Although it attempts to create slow burning tension the result accumulates to a very slow two acts. To further enunciate the pacing problem, A Most Wanted Man never feels like if failure does come much would be lost. Various scenes attempt to create feelings of tension but these are mitigated by lack of a consequence for failure. Simply put, very little seems to be on the line.

A Most Wanted Man also has a slew of redeeming qualities. Take the late Philip Seymour Hoffman’s performance for example. His chain smoking, German accented portrayal of the fictional Günther Bachmann is both engaging and undeniably cold. His performance exemplifies true emotion and is one of the best in his outstanding career. The direction is also very polished and stylistic; and the score greatly complements the somber tone of the film.

Although Its focus on realism slows down the pace; this gives it time to propel the emotions of its lead characters. A Most Wanted Man excels through its poor pacing to become a worthy entry in the thriller genre.