Review of A Most Wanted Man (2014) by Tom W — 24 Aug 2014

Boasting the final leading performance from Phillip Seymour Hoffman in his tragically short life, A Most Wanted Man didn't look the most entertaining but was a film I could not miss.

The impression that I got from the trailer essentially dictated the entire experience I had with A Most Wanted Man because the elements of the film that I enjoyed were mostly based on the acting whereas the story itself was limited in precisely how much appeal it gave to me. The story in A Most Wanted Man did not engage me until the second half because for the majority of the first act in the film it is nothing but repetitive scenes depicting basic dialogue which do not illuminate the characters or explore the complex depth of the situation at hand. The concepts at the beginning of the film are not that interesting because things do not take off just yet, and all that is actually happening is a very gradual buildup of subtle tension. I'm positive that many viewers will find the atmosphere too subtle and too slow for their own entertainment because A Most Wanted Man is a prime example of a film where not much happens. Viewers who expect films to have energy and excitement need not apply because A Most Wanted Man is a very slow and quiet film, an espionage thriller which takes a very theoretical approach to the way that it gets information out of its characters. Although I'm a man of patience, the first half of the film did not really give me any stimulation whatsoever as there was little outside of a few plot dynamics occurring. The entire film is very subtle and it doesn't exactly get good until the atmosphere of the film has really been established which occurs in the second half, and so it is important for viewers to be able to wade through the first part of the film so that they can enjoy the second act. A Most Wanted Man saves itself with its second act because that is where everything discussed in the first half of the film unfolds into an actual reality.

By the second half of A Most Wanted Man, the subtle tension in the atmosphere has built up enough for the viewers to be fairly likely to find themselves engaged in the story if they are honestly feeling the effect of the film. It is the point where everything begins to happen and the reality of the story comes into play, where the espionage gets intense and the atmosphere thrives without losing its subtlety. While the narrative of the film only has so much of a story to tell, the general progression of the atmosphere is admirable and the film is a technically strong affair thanks to stylish direction on behalf of Anton Cobijn who manages to maintain the sophistication of the script while also giving the film the right visual edge. A Most Wanted Man capitalises on a lot of good scenery which gives the film the grim colour palette that is necessary while it is constantly brought on by atmospheric and gently edited cinematography. Everything in A Most Wanted Man goes gently and looks good so the concept feels very legitimate, and it doesn't have to go too many places to actually do it. The small scale of the tale in A Most Wanted Man is great and the entire tale is told very well with firm execution, so the second half of the plot really makes for an interesting viewing pleasure.

The actors in the film manage to work with the atmosphere as well to ensure that everything is kept tense.

Phillip Seymour Hoffman gives an excellent final leading performance. The late actor easily steps into the part of Gunther Bachmann by bringing the perfect level of professionalism to the part. A man in his line of work has to be confident and easily able to work under pressure, and thanks to Phillip Seymour Hoffman's natural sophistication and sense of wisdom that emits from him in essentially any role where it is necessary, it comes into play once more. Phillip Seymour Hoffman gets the part easily in A Most Wanted Man because he leads the story with firm confidence and tenacity over his character. The role does not demand too many emotions from him because he only speaks to answer and not to question, yet with the limited array of emotions he can express. Phillip Seymour Hoffman performs in the role easily. The final scene in the movie has him actually expressing some which is shocking after an entire film of him being subtle and monotonous, so it shows just how easily Phillip Seymour Hoffman is able to manipulate the character and the audiences emotions for the sake of the film. Phillip Seymour Hoffman is perfect in A Most Wanted Man, and it is a performance so good that it makes it all the more difficult and unbelievable to accept that he has actually died.

Rachel McAdams is also great in A Most Wanted Man because she takes on the adult material of the film with dedicated sophistication and dramatic charisma. Although it is hard to understand what accent she is actually going for because she has a habit of varying between English, New Zealand and Australian in minor parts, her line delivery has the right level of dramatic tension to it. She makes her character easily sympathetic and is able to convey the emotional stress of her part without challenging herself too hard as she is a naturally talented actress. Her main skill is how she interacts with the surrounding cast members in A Most Wanted Man, and she does that well because their interactions are really organic. Rachel McAdams is a good cast member in A Most Wanted Man and her ability to handle the serious material is easy for her.

Willem Dafoe delivers a small but extremely pivotal supporting role where he stands very powerful in how delivers his lines. He captures the same sort of wisdom along the lines of Phillip Seymour Hoffman but is a lot more intense in how he articulates his dialogue as his emotions are a lot less subtle. Willem Dafoe is excellent in his short amount of screen time in A Most Wanted Man.articulates his dialogue as his emotions are a lot less subtle. Willem Dafoe is excellent in his short amount of screen time in A Most Wanted Man.

Grigoriy Dobrygin manages to give it a memorable effort in A Most Wanted Man because of how easily he delivers the emotional material his character faces and the fact that his easy dramatic passion in the part comes to him organically. He is terrific and makes a compelling character out of his role easily.

Robin Wright and Daniel Bruhl also give firm efforts.

So although A Most Wanted Man is very slow and subtle in its first act, the second act justifies that by conveying a tense atmosphere which has the viewer truly involved in the project. And the actors consistently treat the material with realistic and strong dramatic skills which pay them a lot of credibility as actors, particularly Phillip Seymour Hoffman in his skillful final leading performance.