The Upcoming
  • Culture
    • Art
    • Cinema & Tv
      • Movie reviews
      • Film festivals
      • Shows
    • Food & Drinks
      • News & Features
      • Restaurant & bar reviews
      • Interviews & Recipes
    • Literature
    • Music
      • Live music
    • Theatre
  • Fashion & Lifestyle
    • Accessories
    • Beauty
    • News & Features
    • Shopping & Trends
    • Tips & How-tos
    • Fashion weeks
  • What’s On
    • Art exhibitions
    • Theatre shows
  • Tickets
  • Join us
    • Editorial unit
    • Our writers
    • Join the team
    • Join the mailing list
    • Support us
    • Contact us
  • Interviews
  • Competitions
  • Special events
    • Film festivals
      • Berlin
      • Tribeca
      • Sundance London
      • Cannes
      • Locarno
      • Venice
      • London
      • Toronto
    • Fashion weeks
      • London Fashion Week
      • New York Fashion Week
      • Milan Fashion Week
      • Paris Fashion Week
      • Haute Couture
      • London Fashion Week Men’s
  • Facebook

  • Twitter

  • Instagram

  • YouTube

  • RSS

CultureMovie reviews

A Most Wanted Man

A Most Wanted Man | Movie review
13 August 2014
Mark Sempill
Avatar
Mark Sempill
13 August 2014

Movie and show review

Mark Sempill

A Most Wanted Man

★★★★★

Release date

12th September 2014

Certificate

UPG121518 title=

Links

TwitterFacebookWebsite

A Most Wanted Man is an absorbing and intelligent thriller based on the novel by John Le Carré. A tale of espionage set in Hamburg, the story revolves around a secret organisation whose objective it is to monitor suspected terrorists. Led by overweight, chain-smoking, amostGerman intelligence agent Günther Bachmann, the organisation’s small group of spies are honing in on Issa Karpov, a suspicious-looking young Chechen Muslim who has illegally entered the country after escaping torture in Russia. He in turn seeks the help of a Annabel Richter, a lawyer who specialises in asylum cases. Issa wants Annabel to help him access a large sum of money left to him by his father, which he wants to donate to a series of Muslim charities fronted by influential Islamic philanthropist Dr Faisal Abdullah. However, once the United States enter the stage, themselves keeping an eye on Abdullah due to sums of money given to his charities disappearing that they suspect have gone to fund terrorist organisations, it is then that Annabel realises that she has become involved in something much more sinister than initially thought.

The story, inspired by the true account of Turkish citizen and German resident Murat Kurnaz, is a disturbing and thought-provoking study of the conflicting and often corrupt politics that govern the war on terror – in the name of “keeping the world a safer place” – as is quipped several times during the film.

Elegantly directed by Anton Corbijn (The American), the film features beautiful cinematography in muted, cool hues that echo the relentless, cold conspiring of shady organisations, shot by Benoît Delhomme, and a wonderful performance by Philip Seymour Hoffman in one of his last roles as the no-nonsense Günther Bachmann. Also great are Willem Dafoe as the bank executive who is forced into cooperating with Günther in aiding the capture of timid, young Issa, played by up-and-coming Russian actor Grigoriy Dobrygin. Rachel McAdams is pretty and determined as Annabel, although her German accent is not always convincing and Robin Wright does a subtle and interesting turn as a US ambassador in Hamburg who is hiding more than she’s letting on.

Overall, the film should generally please those of us looking for an intelligent alternative to giant warring robots and superheroes for a night out at the cinema.

★★★★★

Mark Sempill

A Most Wanted Man is released nationwide on 12th September 2014.

Watch the trailer for A Most Wanted Man here:

Related Itemsa most wanted manabsorbingintelligentmoviephilip seymour hoffmanreviewthriller

More in Movie reviews

Arlo the Alligator Boy

★★★★★
Mae Trumata
Read More

Ride or Die

★★★★★
Andrew Murray
Read More

Chadwick Boseman: In Honour of An Artist

Andrew Murray
Read More

Ip Man: Kung Fu Master

★★★★★
Jim Compton-Hall
Read More

For the Sake of Vicious

★★★★★
Lilly Subbotin
Read More

I Blame Society

★★★★★
Ben Flanagan
Read More

Why Did You Kill Me?

★★★★★
Emma Kiely
Read More

Me You Madness

★★★★★
Emma Kiely
Read More

Portal

★★★★★
Mersa Auda
Read More
Scroll for more
Tap

Movie and show review

Mark Sempill

A Most Wanted Man

★★★★★

Release date

12th September 2014

Certificate

UPG121518 title=

Links

TwitterFacebookWebsite

  • Popular

  • Latest

  • TOP PICKS

  • Cruise – Online
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • London’s Michelin-starred restaurants open al fresco right now – and all those re-opening in May
    Food & Drinks
  • Syml – Dim EP
    ★★★★★
    Album review
  • Birdy at Wilton’s Music Hall Online
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • Steelers: The World’s First Gay and Inclusive Rugby Club
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Arlo the Alligator Boy
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Digital signage: A new trend in communication
    Tech & Sport
  • London’s Michelin-starred restaurants open al fresco right now – and all those re-opening in May
    Food & Drinks
  • Ride or Die
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • Dad Stop Embarrassing Me!
    ★★★★★
    netflix
  • Arlo the Alligator Boy
    ★★★★★
    Movie review
  • London’s Michelin-starred restaurants open al fresco right now – and all those re-opening in May
    Food & Drinks
  • Live from the Barbican: Moses Boyd
    ★★★★★
    Live music
  • The Secret Connection – Online
    ★★★★★
    Theatre
  • London Grammar – Californian Soil
    ★★★★★
    Album review
The Upcoming
Pages
  • Contact us
  • Join mailing list
  • Join us
  • Our London food map
  • Our writers
  • Support us
  • What, when, why

Copyright © 2011-2020 FL Media

What If: Daniel Radcliffe discusses his latest project
Hetty Feather at the Vaudeville | Theatre review