Arrivals of bearded Muslim men seeking asylum do not go unnoticed, given the climate of suspicion and paranoia. The young man’s presence has been noticed by senior German police authorities, the US embassy in Berlin, and the CIA are also sniffing around. Luckily for Karpov, the young lawyer Antonia Richter (Rachel McAdams) decides to help him.
Meanwhile, Philip Seymour Hoffman plays Günther Bachmann, whose autonomous anti-terrorist unit operates under the radar, prepared to use any means, fair or foul, to minimise the chances of terrorist attacks. There is no love lost between Günther’s squad and the German police, as they are both chasing the same baddies, and the case of the young Chechen is no exception.
However, Karpov is not the main quarry: Günther is much more interested in the Muslim businessman who is suspected of diverting funds from grain shipments for the purchase of rocket launchers. Will the young Chechen lead Günther to the bigger fish, becomes the core question.
As in the recent God’s Pocket, Philip Seymour Hoffman is much bigger than the movie, which is no more or less than standard le Carré. The actor dominates the whole thing, his face reflecting a coiled, frustrated intelligence.
Yet it must be said that he deserved a richer, more challenging role to finish on - ultimately, he is just doing a job of work. Willem Dafoe is fascinating as the mercurial banker Tommy Brue, but again, the scope is limited.
At two hours, A Most Wanted Man is too long. Tighter editing and more attention to pace would have resulted in a better film, but it still would have been nothing wildly exceptional.
Paddy Kehoe
