“A MOST WANTED MAN”
|| By FITSNEWS || It’s been over a year since actor Philip Seymour Hoffman died of an apparent heroin overdose – cutting short a brilliant career that spanned more than two decades.
The last of his movies to be released while he was alive? A Most Wanted Man, a spy drama which debuted in January 2014 at the Sundance film festival. We stumbled upon this little-known gem of a movie in the $5 discount bin at some big box retailer and gave it watch over the weekend.
Directed by Anton Corbijn – famous for his Arcade Fire, Coldplay, Depeche Mode, Metallica, Nirvana and U2 music videos – A Most Wanted Man is an adaptation of a novel by famed British spy writer John le Carré. It centers around a German anti-terrorism unit’s efforts to follow the money trail of a suspected al-Qaeda financier. Set in Hamburg and Berlin, it co-stars Rachel McAdams, Willem Dafoe and Robin Wright – each of whom gives stellar supporting performances (especially McAdams, who rocks blond curls and a little junk in the trunk for this role).
But Hoffman’s portrayal of German team leader Günther Bachmann is what moves the movie. It’s positively riveting … effortlessly advancing the ebb and flow of a cerebral thriller which didn’t require a single gunshot (not even as an exclamation point on its climax) to keep us hooked from start to finish.
That’s how good Hoffman is … or was. And while his performance in A Most Wanted Man will probably never garner the industry accolades showered upon his Oscar-winning portrayal of Truman Capote, it was a compelling reminder of his character acting genius.
And how his genius will be missed …
Sure Hoffman had cameos in the last two movies in The Hunger Games’ franchise (one of which has yet to be released), but A Most Wanted Man was his last leading role – and he absolutely hit it out of the park.
If you haven’t seen the movie, look for it next time you’re out …
It’s worth watching on its own merit, but its status as Hoffman’s coda makes it all the more special.
9 comments
Excellent review, Will. I will definitely seek this one out.
me too….
$83 / h0ur @mk24
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I loved him in Cold Mountain.
Portrayal of a lifetime in Catching Fire.
You know, for a selfish drug addict.
Great review. PSH is brilliant.
It truly is an excellent picture.
On Netflix now. Great movie, there are other very good actors, but Hoffman shines.
(The woman who plays the U.S. spymaster … she had me fooled, I thought she was a good guy, but …)
He was a real actor.So many play themselves in every role.He played some brilliant small parts in other films-Boogie Nights,Happiness(my favorite film ever),Almost Famous(as Lester Bangs),etc.Heroin was originally made by Bayer as a cure for Morphine addiction.It has very few side effects except addiction.You can live a long and successful life when you know what you’re getting.Legalize it.