 |
| Roadside Attractions |
Master spy novelist John le Carré’s novels have been
adapted into films several times. One, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy was made twice, the more recent of which may go down as
one of the great spy thrillers. Now comes A
Most Wanted Man, based on his 2008 novel, which is on the same plane, if
not as deeply intricate and taut as Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy. The film, directed by Anton Corbijn and adapted by Andrew
Bovell, is a brilliant exercise in restraint. Unlike Corbijn’s last film, The American, it has a great deal of
forward momentum, generates real suspense, and is not nearly as opaque. And
make no mistake about it – A Most Wanted
Man is profoundly and subtly critical of American foreign policy with
regard to the war on terror.
