A Most Wanted Man

Philip Seymour Hoffman's last film. Everyone should see it, right? Well, unless you loved Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy or John le Carre books and find espionage with lots of dialog the way to go, maybe you should skip this one. I love a good story and definitely don't want or need action in thoughtful films-- but sometimes a story needs more. In A Most Wanted Man, Gunther Bachmann (Hoffman) is an Intelligence operative in Hamburg. He's determined not to let another 9-11 happen (Mohammad Atta planned 9-11 in Hamburg). However, it's hard to trust the CIA and Russian counterparts he works with. The story of a half Chechyan Muslim is compelling, but it didn't pan out. Confusing at first, but as it became clear later in the film, it didn't seem to matter. The ending was somewhat anti-climatic. I'd rather remember Hoffman in When the Devil Knows You're Dead, The Savages, or Magnolia.

3.5 out of 5