John le Carré's spy thriller is brought to the big screen. A British spy is banished to Panama after having an affair with an ambassador's mistress. Once there he makes connection with a local tailor with a criminal past and connections to all of the top political and gangster figures in Panama. The tailor also has a wife, who works for the canal administrator, and a huge debt. The spy's mission is to learn what the President intends to do with the Panama Canal, but he's really in business for himself, blackmailing the tailor into spinning a fantastic tale about the canal being sold to China and former mercenaries ready to topple the current government.
'The Tailor of Panama is lively and provocative... [John Boorman] always manages to get in his special licks ... Philippe Rousselot's cirneatography is fabulous; Panama seems cyrstalline and sharply etched, even in its drab slums.'
'A sophisticated, subtle adult entertainment that is also a compliment to the audience.'
'In a world full of off the rack thrillers, it's fine boutique quality.'
'Like a Bach toccata or a frosty drink on a sunlit veranda, a first-class movie spy thriller can offer one of life's cooler, more elegant treats. The Tailor of Panama fits that category.'
