When a half-Chechen, half-Russian, brutally tortured immigrant turns up in Hamburg’s Islamic community, laying claim to his father’s ill gotten fortune, both German and US security agencies take a close interest: as the clock ticks down and the stakes rise, the race is on to establish this most wanted man’s true identity – oppressed victim or destruction-bent extremist? Based on John le Carré’s novel, A MOST WANTED MAN is a contemporary, cerebral tale of intrigue, love, rivalry, and politics that prickles with tension right through to its last heart-stopping scene.
A Most Wanted Man is a British espionage-thriller film based on the novel of the same name by John le Carré, directed by Anton Corbijn and written by Andrew Bovell. The film stars Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rachel McAdams, Willem Dafoe, Robin Wright, Grigoriy Dobrygin, Daniel Brühl and Nina Hoss. It premiered at the 2014 Sundance Film Festival[6] and competed in the main competition section of the 36th Moscow International Film Festival and the 40th Deauville American Film Festival. It was also the last film released in Philip Seymour Hoffman’s lifetime.
About the Story
Issa Karpov (Dobrygin), a refugee from Chechnya, enters Hamburg, Germany, illegally. Günther Bachmann (Hoffman), a German espionage agent, leads a team which seeks to develop intelligence from the local Muslim community. The team learns of Karpov’s presence from CCTV footage and confirms from Russian intelligence that he is considered to be an extremely dangerous terrorist. The team also tracks the activities of local Muslim philanthropist Dr. Abdullah (Ershadi) who is believed to be funnelling funds to terrorist activities, though the team is unable to prove this. German security official Mohr (Bock) and American diplomatic attache Sullivan (Wright) both take interest in the two cases.
Karpov contacts an immigration lawyer, Annabel Richter (McAdams), through a local Muslim family and she puts him in contact with Tommy Brue (Dafoe), a banker whose father laundered money for Karpov’s father. Karpov identifies with his maternal Chechen heritage and doesn’t want his father’s money.
Bachmann’s team is able to turn Brue and Richter who convince Karpov to donate the funds to Abdullah’s organisation believing that Abdullah will reroute some funds to a shipping company which is a front for Al Qaeda.
Bachmann plans to capture Abdullah and turn him as well in order to ensnare those higher up in the terrorist organisation. The plan is approved by the interior minister and Abdullah does indeed route funds to the shipping company, but as Bachmann prepares to take Abdullah into custody, he is ambushed by forces reporting to Mohr and Sullivan who capture Abdullah and Karpov.
A Most Wanted Man
Directed by: Anton Corbijn
Starring: Philip Seymour Hoffman, Rachel McAdams, Willem Dafoe, Daniel Brühl, Nina Hoss, Robin Wright, Grigoriy Dobrygin
Screenplay by: Andrew Bovell
Cinematography by: Benoit Delhomme
Edited by: Claire Simpson
Music by: Herbert Grönemeyer
MPAA Rating: R for language.
Studio: Roadside Attraction
Release Date: July 25, 2014
Visits: 107
