Since 1992
Print and digital marketing
Operation Mincemeat
(Netflix/Cohen Media Group)
By Lucas Allen
Based on a nonfiction book by Ben Macintyre, “Operation Mincemeat” is a true spy thriller about the most unbelievable mission of deception ever undertaken. Under the direction of John Madden, of 1998’s Best Picture winner “Shakespeare in Love,” the movie attempts to present this story with all the intricate puzzle pieces from concept to reality. It also presents somewhat an origin story of one of the major players, who would go on to redefine the spy genre for decades to come.
In early 1943, World War II continues to have a devastating impact around England. To try to counteract Hitler’s plans, British Intelligence tries to come up with a mission of spreading misinformation towards the Axis so that the Allies could gain the upper hand. Officers Ewen Montagu (Colin Firth) and Charles Cholmondeley (Matthew MacFadyen) soon put to work the idea of sending the body of a drowned British soldier containing top secret documents to the shores of Spain as a way of distracting the enemy. The end result would be that the Nazis would believe that Allied forces are planning to invade Greece, when in reality those forces will be liberating Sicily. With approval from Prime Minister Winston Churchill (Simon Russell Beale), Admiral John Godfrey (Jason Isaacs) soon gives the green light to go ahead with this ruse.
Once they find a dead body, the two officers, along with corporal Ian Fleming (Johnny Flynn) and secretary Hester Leggett (Penelope Wilton), come up with the name William Martin for the corpse and background. Their clerk Jean Leslie (Kelly MacDonald) also volunteers to pose as the dead soldier’s lover by including an old photograph of herself. The pieces seem to be falling in place, but they’ll have to rely on hard luck for the mission to succeed. Complications soon arise when Godfrey and Charles believe that Ewen’s brother Ivor (Mark Gatiss) could be a Russian spy.
While the outcome is certainly predictable, the movie uses its two-hour runtime wisely on how the plan is all set up and executed. It’s entertaining to see these stuffy characters going through the motions that you’ll end up rooting for them to succeed. The movie can be slow at times when it tries to add some drama with the main characters’ personal lives and it can bog down any momentum it is trying to build. For a spy thriller, it needed more of a bump to make it more than your average period piece like last year’s The Courier.
The real bright spot and what makes the film worth watching is seeing the evolution of Ian Fleming from young officer to captivating writer. Through his narration, you are instantly pulled into the spy world much like how he wrote his James Bond novels. Not to mention, 007 fans will be tickled by the origin of M and Q Branch. Flynn certainly did his homework because he captures the voice and mannerisms to a T, it’s simply astonishing. The only disappointing aspect is that there’s not a scene of Fleming being a womanizer like his famous fictional spy.
The acting is pretty good enough for this kind of spy thriller. Each of the actors add a distinct personality to their characters and all do a fine job in the process. Flynn however remains the true standout among the cast as Fleming that Bond fans will highly appreciate.
“Operation Mincemeat” does its job telling a compelling spy story highlighted by its intricate nature and the presence of Fleming. It’s one of those movies where the journey is more important than the destination, and that’s all right. This one is worth watching if you’re bored or couldn’t find anything interesting to watch.
THE MOVIE’S RATING: PG-13 (for strong language, some sexual content, brief war violence, disturbing images, and smoking)
THE CRITIC’S RATING: 3.25 Stars (Out of Four)
