Salesman takes up the role of a delivery man to stop a global nuclear crisis
Having spent the last few weeks watching big blockbuster movies, I was unsure what to go and see this week. There was The Courier, and also Stillwater, but both seemed rather serious. The fact there were only a few showings for each too didn’t fill me with confidence. I know that’s not how you should judge a movie – but I’m a simple man. Eventually I went with The Courier, simply because it was 28 minutes shorter than Stillwater. Time is money, people!
Set during the 1960s, The Courier follows Greville Wynne (Benedict Cumberbatch), a salesman chosen by the MI6 and the CIA to act as a business partner of Oleg Penkovsky (Megan Ninidze), a Soviet source, to gain and transfer intelligence regarding Soviet missiles being transferred to Cuba. Both men form a friendship with a common interest to save their families from the threat of a global nuclear crisis.
So, all in all, a pretty heavy plot! I didn’t know anything about the movie before walking in, so my expectations were quite low. Make no mistake – this isn’t a spy thriller like your James Bonds and er… Spy Kids… this movie is based on a true story. Gone are the giant alien starfish, cursed immortal beings, and self aware computer simulations from the movies I recently watched.
The acting in this movie is marvellous. It starts of semi light-hearted with Cumberbatch playing a clueless everyman when given the task. But very quickly it all gets very serious, and Cumberbatch extends his acting range perfectly. Ninidze plays a more straight-faced character, but both actors get you to really care for the characters. I’m a sucker for movies where people are caught between their families and something bigger happening – especially since the OddDaughter came along. I’m able to really resonate with the love for family, though I’m yet to be called upon to save the world from a nuclear crisis.
The movie is very intense, I found myself sitting through the first couple of acts waiting for something to go wrong. There’s a scene in a theatre that is so powerful – capturing the tension and the emotion perfectly with the music and cutaway scenes. A real high point. What follows is a gruelling watch – similar to the experience I had when reading the last act of 1984. Though I won’t go into how the movie ends… yet. Either way, both actors give smashing performances that truly portray the hope and anguish their characters go through.
Despite the strong performances, I think the friendship between Greville and Oleg leaves a lot to be desired. This friendship is supposed to be the core of the movie and the decisions each character makes. Even though I grew to care for each of them as individuals, I just didn’t buy their close friendship with each other. I guess there’s only so much a movie can do to build up a friendship in a short space of time, but I’ve seen it done well in other movies. Don’t ask me to give examples, my mind goes completely blank when I need it to think!
Another issue is that whilst Cumberbatch plays the leading role, the movie probably could have done with spending more time with Oleg in the final act. I feel Oleg’s story isn’t explored enough and just feels a bit hidden. There definitely was an opportunity to see how his story played out in parallel to Greville’s story.
I really struggle to write reviews and keep them spoiler-free. Maybe it’s in my nature to be completely open that I like to discuss pretty much anything and everything I can! So I’m going to hide the next section to discuss a few spoilers. Only click if you don’t want the outcome spoiled for you. You’ve been warned…
Watching Oleg and Greville get captured in the plot to get Oleg out of the Soviet Union is truly heart-breaking. The scenes showing Greville getting pretty much tortured were a hard watch. I found myself wondering if there was to be a happy ending. But the tension increased even more when Oleg and Greville find themselves face to face again. I honestly thought Oleg was going to sell Greville out, and the scene is shot expertly to lead you down that path only to show he remained loyal. Powerful stuff again, especially with Greville announcing to Oleg that he has made a difference with the missile crisis being averted. I found myself saddened to learn Oleg’s fate, but once again that’s a testament to the movie for allowing me to feel connected to the characters.
There were good supporting characters and acting too, however, I’m keeping this review focussed on the two central characters. As always with movies based on true stories, I’m finding myself wanting to read up more about Greville, Oleg, and the Cold War. Damn you movie for making me want to read up on history!
Verdict
A terrific movie with amazing performances, particularly by Benedict Cumberbatch. A rollercoaster of a journey that makes you feel you’re with the characters, often being quite hard-hitting in places.