The Tailor of Panama (2001)

NEUTRAL

Amazon, Google Play, iTunes, Vudu, YouTube

66%

2001, Mystery & thriller, 1h 49m

RT Critics’ Score: 77% (BIAS DETECTED)
RT Audience Score: 46%
Awards & Nominations: 1 win & 1 nomination

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Critics Consensus

The Tailor of Panama is a smart, darkly satirical thriller with exuberant performances from Pierce Brosnan and Geoffrey Rush

Audience Consensus

The Tailor of Panama is a spy-thriller that will make you laugh, cringe, and question your own morals. Brosnan’s performance is smarmy and entertaining, and the dry Brit wit throughout the film is a delight. It’s a classic adult film that doesn’t rely on sophomoric comedy, but instead, delivers a literate and entertaining comic thriller. Sure, it may be fragmented and challenging at times, but that’s what makes it interesting. So, grab some popcorn, sit back, and enjoy the ride. Just don’t forget to question your own self-interest behind Anglo-American imperialism.

Storyline

Women have been MI.6. agent Andy Osnard’s weakness. As punishment for being caught sleeping with the wrong woman on his last posting in Spain, Andy is relegated to the global backwater of Panama as his next field assignment. Although nothing is happening there on the surface, Panama is still seen as having global importance due to the canal, with something always possible to rock the boat as seen by the recent history of the corrupt regime of Manuel Noriega. The advice of his superior is to co-opt one of the only few hundred British nationals living there to act as an informant for pay. Andy chooses Harry Pendel, a men’s-suits tailor with Savile Row credentials through his now deceased business partner Arthur Braithwaite. This choice is because of Harry’s client list, he the tailor to the elite and powerful, including the Panamanian president, who might treat him like the proverbial “bartender” or “hairdresser” confidante, and because his American wife, Louisa, works in a senior managerial position within the canal authority. But what may have swayed Andy’s choice the most is that he knows the truth about Harry: that he not only does not have Savile Row credentials, but is an ex-con, Arthur Braithwaite was his Uncle Benny, also a criminal, and that despite his tailor shop doing good business, he is deep in debt from a farming venture gone wrong, none of this known to Louisa. As such, Harry has no choice but to cooperate; the payment from Andy at least gets him out of his farm debt. As a side, Harry also has some connections to people who actively worked in the opposition against Noriega: Mickie Abraxas, who has turned to the bottle to cope, and Harry’s store manager Marta, the right side of her face which shows the physical scars of that war, the scars at the hands of Noriega’s men. With Andy placing more and more pressure on Harry to provide intel of some importance, Andy eventually learns through Harry that the Panamanian government is planning on selling the canal to the Chinese. This intel is exactly what Andy was looking for to set in motion a plan to reach his ultimate goal with this Panamanian posting.

Production Company(ies)
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer,

Distributor
Columbia Pictures, Sony Pictures Entertainment

Release Type

Filming Location(s)

MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for strong sexuality, language and some violence

Year of Release
2001

Technical Specs

Color:

Color
Sound mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital EX
Aspect ratio:

2.35 : 1
Runtime:

1h 49m
Language(s):

English, Spanish
Country of origin:

United States
Release date:

Release Date (Theaters): Mar 30, 2001 Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 3, 2003

Genre(s)
Mystery & thriller

Keyword(s)
starring Pierce Brosnan, Geoffrey Rush, Jamie Lee Curtis, Brendan Gleeson, Catherine McCormack, Leonor Varela, directed by John Boorman, written by John Boorman, Andrew Davies, John le Carré, produced by John Boorman, Mystery & thriller, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Geoff Andrew, Peter Rainer, Liam Lacey, Stanley Kauffmann, Marc Savlov, Eric Harrison, Brian Eggert, Tim Brayton, Emanuel Levy, Ellen MacKay, Ron Wells, Scott Nash, R MPAA rating, espionage, Central America, storytelling, suits, British spy, morality play, Anglo-American imperialism, strong sexuality, language, violence, Dolby Stereo, Dolby Digital, Dolby A, Surround, Dolby SR, Scope (2.35:1)

Box Office Details

Worldwide gross: $28,008,462
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $47,202,337
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,360
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 5,147,474

US/Canada gross: $13,729,742
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $23,138,576
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,362
US/Canada opening weekend: $1,837,068
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $3,095,989
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 1,159

Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $21,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $35,391,057
Production budget ranking: 1,053
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $19,058,084
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): -$7,246,804
ROI to date (est.): -13%
ROI ranking: 1,468

Cast & Crew

Pierce Brosnan

Andy Osnard

Geoffrey Rush

Harry Pendel

Jamie Lee Curtis

Andy Osnard

Harry Pendel

Louisa Pendel

Mickie Abraxas

Francesca

Pierce Brosnan – Andy Osnard
Geoffrey Rush – Harry Pendel
Jamie Lee Curtis – Louisa Pendel
Brendan Gleeson – Mickie Abraxas
Catherine McCormack – Francesca
Leonor Varela – Marta

John Boorman

Director

Writer

Producer

Director(s)
John Boorman

Writer(s)
John Boorman, Andrew Davies, John le Carré, John le Carré

Producer(s)
John Boorman

Film Festivals

Awards & Nominations
1 win & 1 nomination

Academy Awards

Top Reviews

Geoff Andrew

Peter Rainer

Liam Lacey

Stanley Kauffmann

Marc Savlov

Time Out

New York Magazine/Vulture

Globe and Mail

The New Republic

Austin Chronicle

THE TAILOR OF PANAMA
All Critics (117) | Top Critics (38) | Fresh (89) | Rotten (28)
Boorman has crafted a witty, classy and richly enjoyable morality play, which skewers the mercenary self-interest behind Anglo-American imperialism almost as an afterthought.

June 24, 2006

Geoff Andrew
Time Out
TOP CRITIC
If you think the spy-thriller genre has been streamlined and spoofed and subverted until nothing new can be done to it, think again.

September 26, 2002

Peter Rainer
New York Magazine/Vulture
TOP CRITIC
March 22, 2002 | Rating: 2/4

Liam Lacey
Globe and Mail
TOP CRITIC
Seems diligently assembled.

May 2, 2001

Stanley Kauffmann
The New Republic
TOP CRITIC
An adult film in the classic sense of the phrase — no sophomoric comedy allowed, and a dry Brit wit is manifested throughout.

April 23, 2001 | Rating: 3.5/5

Marc Savlov
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
A literate and entertaining comic thriller.

April 20, 2001

Eric Harrison
Houston Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
Smart and challenging though it may be at times, The Tailor of Panama remains fragmented in unsatisfying ways.

March 14, 2022 | Rating: 2.5/4

Brian Eggert
Deep Focus Review
Brosnan… completely alters the tone of the movie with every scene he’s in, bringing a level of smarminess that makes it far more interesting than just a bureaucratic spy thriller

September 11, 2014 | Rating: 6/10

Tim Brayton
Antagony & Ecstasy
January 18, 2013 | Rating: B

Emanuel Levy
EmanuelLevy.Com
Not a great movie — for adults only.

January 1, 2011 | Rating: 2/5

Ellen MacKay
Common Sense Media
December 6, 2005 | Rating: 2/5

Ron Wells
Film Threat
September 30, 2005 | Rating: 4/4

Scott Nash
Three Movie Buffs…

Plot
Women have been MI.6. agent Andy Osnard’s weakness. As punishment for being caught sleeping with the wrong woman on his last posting in Spain, Andy is relegated to the global backwater of Panama as his next field assignment. Although nothing is happening there on the surface, Panama is still seen as having global importance due to the canal, with something always possible to rock the boat as seen by the recent history of the corrupt regime of Manuel Noriega. The advice of his superior is to co-opt one of the only few hundred British nationals living there to act as an informant for pay. Andy chooses Harry Pendel, a men’s-suits tailor with Savile Row credentials through his now deceased business partner Arthur Braithwaite. This choice is because of Harry’s client list, he the tailor to the elite and powerful, including the Panamanian president, who might treat him like the proverbial “bartender” or “hairdresser” confidante, and because his American wife, Louisa, works in a senior managerial position within the canal authority. But what may have swayed Andy’s choice the most is that he knows the truth about Harry: that he not only does not have Savile Row credentials, but is an ex-con, Arthur Braithwaite was his Uncle Benny, also a criminal, and that despite his tailor shop doing good business, he is deep in debt from a farming venture gone wrong, none of this known to Louisa. As such, Harry has no choice but to cooperate; the payment from Andy at least gets him out of his farm debt. As a side, Harry also has some connections to people who actively worked in the opposition against Noriega: Mickie Abraxas, who has turned to the bottle to cope, and Harry’s store manager Marta, the right side of her face which shows the physical scars of that war, the scars at the hands of Noriega’s men. With Andy placing more and more pressure on Harry to provide intel of some importance, Andy eventually learns through Harry that the Panamanian government is planning on selling the canal to the Chinese. This intel is exactly what Andy was looking for to set in motion a plan to reach his ultimate goal with this Panamanian posting.

Trivia