A Most Wanted Man (DVD): Review

The Film

Cold war spy craft is swapped for post-9/11 anti-terror, in this powerful thriller, intellectual thriller.

When a Muslim, half-Chechen, half-Russian (Issa, played by Grigoriy Dobrygin) enters Hamburg illegally, fleeing prison and torture, he lands in the midst of an international terror operation. Persued by Günther Bachmann (Philip Seymour Hoffman), there is a battle of wills between the two men taking place, while in the background the various German and international agencies fight for their own authority, seeking to achieve their own goals.

A Most Wanted Man is a thriller, that is certainly going to exercise your intellect. It’s a thinking person’s spy story, serving up a tour de force of acting, directing and story.

Hoffman totally inhabits his role as Günther, giving a sense that he has become the character, while Grigoriy evokes a sense of sympathy with his tortured ways as Issa. Not forgetting the supporting cast, who bring detailed and colourful characters to the story.

Set in Hamburg, there is a constant feeling that there is certainly more to things than meets the eye. Perfect for the cloak and dagger of the world of espionage.

A Most Wanted Man is sure to satisfy anyone with a penchant for thrillers, spies and the fight on terror. Well acted, and well presented it’s certainly one that will thrill a wide variety of viewers.

Disc And Bonus Features

The disc is encoded at a high bitrate, meaning it can be viewed on a larger screen, and upscaled via hardware or software to HD. You have a choice of two sound setups, either a 5.1 track or a downmix of 2.0.

Being that this is not an action film, it will not give your surround setup too much of a workout, however the surround track adds a noticeable detail to the atmosphere of the on-screen images, broadening the stage and drawing the viewer slightly more in to the story.

There are some trailers of upcoming releases as the beginning of the disc, but other than this, there are unfortunately no bonus features included.

A Most Wanted Main is available in South Africa, to buy on disc, from 13 March 2015.

By Andrew Germishuys

Founder of SAMDB | Actor | Armourer | Tech Enthusiast With over two decades in the film industry, I'm a seasoned actor and skilled armourer. I hold numerous certifications in acting and filmmaking, complemented by degrees and diplomas in IT and technology, giving me a unique blend of creative and technical expertise. When I'm not on set or in the workshop, you'll find me immersed in the world of gaming and VR, fuelling my passion for cutting-edge technology. Connect with me: X / Twitter Facebook Instagram Mastodon Threads Explore my work on SAMDB IMDb

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