Right up until his death, Philip Seymour Hoffman was delivering the kind of intense performances he was always known for. We’re now seeing some of the fruits of that work.
In addition to the final “Hunger Games” movies, Hoffman worked on “A Most Wanted Man” in the year before died. The spy thriller from director Anton Corbijn, based on the book by the master of the genre John le Carré, just released its first trailer, and the it’s already apparent that Hoffman delivered a performance up to his high standard.
“A Most Wanted Man” takes place in the murky world of modern espionage and anti-terrorism. Hoffman plays Günther Bachmann, a German intelligence officer on the trail of an illegal alien, who could potentially lead him to a Muslim man suspected of having terrorism connections. To get to the young man, Bachmann enlists a lawyer named Annabel Richter (Rachel McAdams) with the hopes of turning her into a spy.
As you can see in the first trailer, “A Most Wanted Man” takes place far from the world of James Bond. This is a le Carré story, and that means suspense instead of explosions and bureaucratic monotony instead of vodka martinis.
On top of another great performance from Hoffman, “A Most Wanted Man” is noteworthy because of its director. Corbijn is a famed photographer, who only recently moved over to directing films. This will be his third feature after the Joy Division movie, “Control,” and the underrated George Clooney slow-burn thriller, “The American.”
“A Most Wanted Man” opens in theaters on July 25.
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