A Most Wanted Man - B

Rated R, 121 minutes

"A Most Wanted Man" another tense, intelligent  le Carre spy outing

"Tinker Tailor Solider Spy" and "The Constant Gardner" are among the many classic spy novels from legendary author John le Carre, and another of his books gets the big-screen treatment with the involving new spy thriller "A Most Wanted Man." Well-acted and sublimely executed, "A Most Wanted Man" is a solid, worthy film though not on the level of the power "Tinker." When a half-Chechen, half-Russian, brutally tortured immigrant turns up in Hamburg's Islamic community, laying claim to his father's ill-gotten fortune, both German and US security agencies (including Philip Seymour Hoffman in one of his last roles, Rachel McAdams, Willem Dafoe, Daniel Bruhe and Robin Wright) take a close interest: as the clock ticks down and the stakes rise, the race is on to establish this most wanted man's true identity - oppressed victim or destruction-bent extremist? Directed by Anton Corbijn ("The American") and written by Andrew Bovell ("Edge of Darkness") and based on le Carre's best-seller, like most of le Carre's works, it's a powerful, tense and even thoughtful ride. The films based on le Carre's books are usually very good, as this one, though the action is often so well-spoken and leisurely paced that you often have to pay good attention to what's going on, or you'll miss something (in other words, go to the restroom before seeing the movie), not to mention you must stay until the very end to see everything. Hoffman, in one of his final roles before his untimely death earlier this year, is very believable, with a sturdy German accent that's likely to rival Meryl Streep's; McAdams and Dafoe are also strong here in roles central to the script. The only miscasting in my opinion seemed to be Robin Wright, a fine actress but here given an ill-fitting black wig to wear that is most distracting, especially in her scenes with Hoffman, who gives the movie's most intelligent performance. You generally can't go wrong with le Carre's books, and the movie is an easy sell for his large fanbase. A serviceably intense, intelligent spy thriller with a mostly satisfying payoff, "A Most Wanted Man" is worth your time and far less simplistic than most contemporary spy fare.

Wes's Grade: B