Director: Guy Ritchie
Cast: Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer, Alicia Vikander, Elizabeth Debicki, Hugh Grant
So, for the first time in I don't know how long I went to the movies sans crochet. That's right folks, you heard me. I went to the movies without my crochet. I am on a 6 week ban from my one true love (thanks A LOT Dr Life Ruiner) while I work on strengthening my unstable wrists. I'm not going to lie, I cried when my specialist broke the news. I mean, what do people do when they watch movies or watch Netflix? Just sit there? What a waste of time that could be better used crocheting *sigh* #firstworldproblems.
Anyway, so I went to the Sun, feeling a little bit gloomy that I couldn't spend my luxiourious 2 hours crocheting while I enjoyed my other favourite pasttime - watching movies - but ready to enjoy the latest Guy Ritchie film, THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E. I was excited by the fact that Ritchie has put out a new movie, and excited that my future husband (Henry Cavill) and my other future husband (Armie Hammer) were starring in it. Also, I was excited to see what else Alicia Vikander could do after thoroughly enjoying her in TESTAMENT OF YOUTH and EX MACHINA. I had some trepidation, there was a lot of to-ing and fro-ing in the lead up to this film with Stephen Soderberg originally slated to direct before pulling out in 2011 (The Hollywood Reporter), and truth be told there isn't really a "star" in the film. Sure Henry Cavill is the new Superman, and Armie Hammer did some awesome stuff with the Winklevoss twins in THE SOCIAL NETWORK, but c'mon let's face it, they aren't A-listers yet. This is a star franchise to be without any stars in it, and I can't help but wonder what it would have been like with someone like Brad Pitt or Jude Law or even Bradley Cooper in it.
American super spy is meant to save super hot German car mechanic girl. Super spy and girl get chased by Russian super spy who is trying to kill them both. Russian super spy fails, super American super spy and super hot German car mechanic girl get away. American super spy and Russian super spy are forced to work together to find super hot German car mechanic girl's father and save the world from a nuclear weapon that has fallen into the hands of an international crime organisation. Super hot German mechanic girl is actually super hot German undercover English spy. Much hijinks. Such 60's technology. Very spy. Wow.
Henry Cavill being very spy
image via Warner Bros.
Based on the television series by the same name from the 60's THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E is not your run of the mill American summer spy movie blockbuster. It is small scale, subtle and funny. There are no gargantuan battle scenes, no super outlandish special effects and as I mentioned earlier no massive A-listers. Except Hugh Grant. He was in it for a whole 17 and a half minutes max. Quite a welcome change from all the high impact, same-sameyness that is coming out of Hollywood at the moment, but still clearly proof that no one can have an original thought anymore.
The casting could have been magical, I'm sure these three leading actors have so mmuch more to give than they gave in this film. I've seen glimpses of it in their other work, but there is something so reserved about them - Cavill and Hammer in particular - that makes this film not quite work. It's all very cookie cutter like and the characters don't have a nice flow or synergy about them and that's just a real downer. I actually quite like that they cast not quite A-listers, although it must be hard for casting agents in Hollywood right now with every other person signed on for movie after movie in a franchise because everyone must be so damn busy with their franchises they don't have time for anything else! I like a film that is a bit left of centre without a huge name cast, but sadly this time it didn't quite work.
Seriously Hugh Grant is in this film you guys - who knew?!
image via Warner Bros.
In interviews with the cast you can tell they've all had the best time and that they really like and respect Ritchie, but I think they've been let down by him. They all seem to be holding back and as a director he should have got right up in there and made them let it go a little bit. A lady in the session I was in said at the end "it was all very British wasn't it?", and I think she was quite right. There wasn't the sheer level of unpredictable craziness of an American spy movie, it was very "British" and by British I mean refined and cultured with subtle humor and an inoffensive soundtrack, and I actually think that's why I liked it even though I didn't love the acting and some of the directing. I liked the terrible 60's spy technology and the outfits (that suit...oh my), I liked the slightly deranged, very backhanded but oh so polite humor. All of those things are what made it so enjoyable. That and the fact that both my future husbands are in it.
hello future husbands
image via Warner Bros.
I like that it could be a stand alone movie, and I think Ritchie is pretty lucky that he made it that way...I really don't think it's going to pull in enough money for them to consider backing the final two films of this franchise. It's certainly obvious that there is a plan for this franchise - I mean the ending has left itself WIDE open there, so there isn't any doubt - but whether it gets off the ground is another story. If it does I hope to see all three of these leads just let go a little bit and show us who they really are instead of the cookie cutter versions of people we saw in this film.
If you're after something a little bit different to all the other Hollywood smut that's around at the moment but still want a fodder film, then you might well be glad you spent the twenty-something dollars on THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E, but it's not a must see.
3 out of 5 for this unlikely trio
xoxo
The Blonde Bombshell
THE MAN FROM U.N.C.L.E trailer
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