Thanks to a release on Amazon Prime — included with the subscription no less, hurrah! — we can finally enjoy Guy Ritchie’s The League of Ungentlemanly Warfare. Which, scandalously, did not get a proper global cinematic release earlier this year.
But I digress. The movie is loosely based on the real-life events of the Second World War’s Operation Postmaster, where a group of British-sided commandos dealt the Nazis — I quote from the movie — a bloody nose. Ritchie took these historical events and turned them into into a heavily fictionalized affair. Best described as a cross between James Bond and Inglourious Bastards, this is a fun, action-packed film.
For those expecting an actual historical recounting: you will likely be disappoited. I would say that this is a bit more glamorized and coated with a generous helping of what can best described as a Hollywood approach to history. While at its core, this did happen, it probably didn’t quite go the way the movie portrays it. But they present it in a cool, suave and fun-to-watch fashion, and I’m here for it.
Speaking of fashion. I’m not a fashion historian, but it looks like the movie’s costume designer at least took a good hard look at the uniforms and fashions of the time. Even if you know very little about them, they look authentic, no silly fantasy approach in sight. So if you’re into uniforms and, for the most part, daily wear of the World War II era, you will likely enjoy what the characters wear without feeling the need to cringe.
It’s a diverse cast, and every single actor did a splendid job portraying their character. It’s hard to pick a stand-out, because they are all that good. It’s easy to root for the heroes and despise the villains, but they’re all very well portrayed.
There’s just enough backstory so you don’t need to have read the Wikipedia entry in advance. There’s a bit of information about each of the real-life characters when the film ends, which is a nice touch. James Bond fans will undoubtedly get a chuckle out of the inclusion of Ian Fleming and M as characters. Considering that it is rumored Gus March-Phillipps (the lead character, played by Henry Cavill) was Fleming’s inspiration for the famous spy, this seems only fitting.
There is quite a bit of gore and language in the movie (this is Guy Ritchie, after all), but it’s never extremely graphic. There are brutal moments, but this is not a movie overflowing with blood and you get worse language in other films. Nevertheless, parental advisory, of course, so maybe have a look first before you watch along with your kids.
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is not your typical war movie. It’s fun popcorn entertainment, and I can appreciate they brought an obscure operation into it (even if the accuracy is far gone). The acting is solid, it has a diverse cast (a happy byproduct of the fictionalization) and there’s a really good ratio of intrigue, violence, humor and shenanigans.
