Film No. 93 (2021) November 14th. 1:45 PM. Cinema 2 LUNA SX Fremantle.
"The plan is highly implausible. So when can it be ready? When can we start?" (Churchill gives his approval to a sceptical now surprised Admiral Godfrey).
The story behind the largest piece of wool ever pulled over the eyes of The Nazis' in the heat of WWII (1943) is told in this, tick all the cinematic boxes, piece of story telling. OPERATION MINCEMEAT is prosaic, but a fun watch; perfect for the streaming market where, let's face it, it will be watched most prolifically.
The first 5 minutes establishes a scene we re-visit later. It is tense. Characters we will meet and get to know (Ewan Montagu (Colin Firth), Charles Cholmondeley (Matthew Macfadyen), Jean Lesley (Kelly Macdonald) and Hester Leggett (Penelope Wilton) wait, praying that good news will arrive via telegraph tape. What is the news? Well, the screen goes to black and the words 6 months earlier appear. You know the drill!
The story of how England hoodwinked the Nazis' into believing English forces intended to land on Greek soil to gain a foothold in Europe in mid 1943, (when in reality the shores of Sicily was their real focus) unfolds in this very handsome film. Handsome as only the the Brits could frame it. That doesn't tell you much I know! But a major part of the intrigue is the stranger than fiction sting. It involves a dead body being set-up with a military identity and a briefcase containing VIP letters and papers, then being planted in the ocean off Spain (neutral territory). The hope being, the contents of the briefcase would surely leak into German hands? Thus unfurling another intriguing aspect to the story.
The players, mentioned earlier, colour the film with their backstories, agendas, determination to succeed against adversity and even Macdonald's Jean steaming up the lens as she decides if having eyes for Firth's Montagu is wise. After all Charles (Macfadyen) is a bit keen on Jean himself. Director Madden (MRS SLOAN) is the conductor of these, fictionalised sub-plots to give us better connection to the main players. It works.
OPERATION MINCEMEAT is an attractive, lavish, well told, old-fashioned war story. 9GUMS.
A waste of a good story diluted by a whole series of boring subplots
ReplyDeleteThere was that too echobase ..... this was the non-alcoholic version of telling this story.
ReplyDelete