The tailored lies of Panama’s tailor
By Dilshan Boange
Based on the 1996 spy novel of the same name by John le Carré, The
Tailor of Panama is a film which sees the combining of acting talents of
Geoffrey Rush and Pierce Brosnan to deliver a thriller for which the
screenplay had been written by the author John le Carré with Boorman and
Andrew Davies.
The story shows Andy Osnard, an MI6 spy reassigned to Panama to
something of demoted station as a penalty for having had an affair in
Madrid with the foreign minister’s mistress.
Osnard, played devilishly by Brosnan, is warned of the corruption
present in Panama, but he sees it as an opportunity. A host of reliable
references leads Osnard to Harry Pendel, who is the tailor to many of
Panama’s elite, including the President. Interestingly, Pendel, has kept
his criminal background hidden rather successfully. He is married to
Louisa, who is the assistant to the administrator of the Panama Canal
Authority. Harry is a superb tailor but a bad businessman. The evidence
is obvious as his tailor shop is frequently in debt.
Information
Pendel’s need for money, leads Osnard to offer him help, on the
condition that Pendel feeds him information about the elite of Panama
City and Pendel agrees. However, Osnard tells Pendel he needs better
information to keep the arrangement going, and now he can also threaten
to reveal that Pendel has been spying.
Apart from expert tailoring Pendel proves another talent, which is to
“tailor” stories, making them fit better, escalating the roles of
friends to make them appear more significant than they are.
Pendel’s friend Mickie, a local drunkard, is cast as a revolutionary
who still holds sway over the youth of Panama. His shop manager he
transformed into the leader of an opposition movement.
After fixing the suit of the President of Panama, one day, he comes
up with a tale that the President intends to sell the canal to China.
Although he finds it hard to believe, Osnard does not care if it is
true, as long as it is believable to his superiors.
As he conveys this misinformation, it eventually makes its way to
Washington, where officials are alarmed and plan an invasion to prevent
the canal from falling into Chinese hands. Pendel, meanwhile, seeks to
end his spying, saying the opposition won’t listen to him because it
needs funds.
Control
Osnard asks how much, and Pendel says a figure he thinks is high
enough to put off Osnard a whopping ten million dollars. Osnard then
relays a request to fund the opposition as a means to control Panama
after this supposed revolution.
He asks for fifteen million. At the Pentagon the figure escalates to
20 million, which then gets pushed back down to fifteen.
Osnard’s boss arrives with a briefcase containing the money, ready to
meet the opposition, while an aerial assault is planned on the city.
The British Ambassador discovers what Osnard has been up to, and
threatens to reveal everything. Osnard offers to bribe him and they
haggle over the price, settling on 1.25 million for his silence and
cooperation. Osnard manages to ditch his superior and make off with the
briefcase.
Pendel’s wife who never approved of Osnard, finds out what Pendel has
been doing.
She races to the Administrator’s office, who contacts the President
of Panama, who is able to contact the US government and have the
invasion called off.
During this confusion, Osnard makes it to the airport, where he meets
the Ambassador and hands him his bribe. The Ambassador allows Osnard to
make it to an airplane.
The story ends with the villains making their payday while Pendel who
created his own web of self deceit is faced with the task of having to
win back his credibility in the eyes of his own wife. |