Hamburg, just after 9/11: an anti-terrorist unit investigates a mysterious Chechen.

Picture gallery

Hamburg, Germany. Since 9/11, which was planned by Mohammed Atta in this port city, an anti-terrorist unit led by Günter Bachmann has kept a close eye on the population to find jihadist cells. When the trail leads to a mysterious Chechen-Russian named Issa Karpov, the chase begins. At the heart of the investigation are the head of a bank and a lawyer who are determined to help this fugitive, who on paper seems to be a threat...

The strength of A Most Wanted Man lies without a doubt behind the camera: first gaining attention with Control and confirming his talent with The American starring George Clooney, Anton Corbijn drapes this adaptation of a John le Carré novel in glacial beauty through elegant staging. But despite its intriguing first hour, the script doesn’t take flight, failing to blossom into the high-class thriller it should have been. In his last big role, the greatly missed Phillip Seymour Hoffman nonetheless gives the film a strikingly tragic dimension, especially in its final scenes.