A Most Wanted Man

This is a John Le Carré adaptation, so prepare to have a sore post-perplexion face after seeing it. Philip Seymour Hoffman, in his last full role, is a German intelligence officer who has a couple big bungles in his past (including 9/11, whoops), so when a Chechnyan refugee (Grigoriy Dobrygin) washes up in Hamburg with ties to the Russian mob, you can bet he’s gunning for him. The refugee, Issa, is connected with bleeding-heart lawyer Rachel McAdams, who’s just trying to get him amnesty, while the Germans run an intense surveillance operation. And then Robin Wright, with her House of Cards haircut dyed an unflattering shade of Clairol Dark Brown, shows repping the USA to either help or fuck him over again, he’s not sure. So many double crossings! So many moving parts! So much serious! Director Anton Corbijn, who made the visually appealing but dead-eyed Control, goes for wide, long single takes here for a more traditional, effective spy story. It drags on a little long, but you can’t look away. —Tara Thorne