Helmed by Shakespeare in Love director John Madden, this British spy thriller stars Colin Firth and Matthew Macfadyen as British intelligence officers in charge of Operation Mincemeat, the real-life intelligence operation that sought to disguise the invasion of Sicily from the Germans during World War II.
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Fooling Hitler
Television veteran Michelle Ashford turns in an extensive script based on Ben Macintyre’s nonfiction book of the same name. Both detail the nail-biting efforts of the real-life 1943 effort on the part of the Brits to fool Hitler into thinking the Allies were planning to invade Greece rather than Sicily.
This premise might sound a bit outlandish, but of course, the truth is often stranger than fiction. The tone of the film reflects this with many unexpected twists that make for a compelling narrative that keeps viewers on the edge of their seats. To get a sense of the difficult tonal balance this film manages to pull off, think Weekend at Bernie’s set during World War II with a touch of romance tossed in among a slew of spy craft bits and physical jokes.
Adding to the “too wild to be true” aspect of Operation Mincemeat is its association with a former spy-turned-novelist, an association that would inspire the origins of perhaps the world’s most famous fictional spy, none other than 007 himself.
Bond, James Bond
It might be surprising, or perhaps it’s not at this point, that famed author Ian Fleming was one of the a British intelligence officers involved with the real-life Operation Mincemeat. Fleming’s time in British Intelligence, specifically his work on Operation Mincemeat, went on to inspire the beloved James Bond/007 series of novels. Specifically, the film offers an intriguing look at the origins of characters like M and Q.
With a soundtrack of typewriter clicks accompanying the dramatic narration of him, the character of Fleming (Johnny Flynn) guides the interagency intelligence team as they get down to the business of fooling the Germans, all while working to root out bad information within.
Operation Mincemeat
Operation Mincemeat: Not Just A Game
But there was more to Mincemeat than just the famed Fleming. To fool Hitler and shatter his army’s grip on Europe, a million bits of information had to fall into place in the right time at the right place. And, as with any great heist film, part of the excitement is in seeing the participants work through their strategy.
Viewers watch as Firth’s Ewen Montagu and Macfadyen’s Charles Cholmondeley do just that, spearheading the plot to obtain a body for their Weekend-at-Bernie’s-style scheme, outfit it in a military uniform, and dump it off the coast of Spain with a briefcase full of bogus paperwork.
For this 80’s-movie-gone-wrong plot to succeed, the lead spies must also fabricate an entirely false name and history for their deceased wanderer in order to avoid raising suspicions about the Allied army’s true whereabouts.
As Montagu and Cholmondeley strive to pull off the silliest yet most ingenious subterfuge of the 20th century, viewers learn more about the individuals risking all for King and country. It becomes clear that these operatives are not just playing a high stakes game of make-believe. Indeed, everyone here has a lot invested in the fictional Captain William Martin, the Weekend at Bernie’s decoy so integral to Operation Mincemeat. As the film progresses, the audience becomes less invested in Captain William Martin per se and more invested in the outcomes for those who put everything on the line to make a dead man come to life.
Should Operation Mincemeat Make It onto Your Watch List?
Operation Mincemeat can be nerve-wracking, and for that reason it can also be exhausting. This is true as much for viewers as it is for the spies involved who have taken risks both professional and personal to pull off a noble yet bonkers mission.
Because it is a bit off its rocker, it’s impossible to predict what will happen during Operation Mincemeat at any given time, which leads to a film that does feel exhausting at times but nonetheless manages to be stimulating in its own way. And Madden does an excellent job of pulling the audience into the subterfuge by crafting relatable characters worth investing in. So, for those looking for a kooky thriller to keep them on the edge of their seats, go ahead and add it to the queue.
Operation Mincemeat
Director: John Madden
Genre: Drama, War | Runtime: 128 Minutes
Cast: Colin Firth, Matthew MacFadden, Kelly MacDonald, Rufus Wright, Ruby Bentall
Operation Mincemeat is streaming now on Netflix.