“Remember, take it like a pussy.”
Directed by: Guy Ritchie
Written by: Guy Ritchie (screenplay), Lionel Wigram
Cast: Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer, Alicia Vikander, Elizabeth Debicki
Swift shot: Most of today’s theater dwellers have never heard of the sixties series, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., so they won’t appreciate the nuanced nods to the original series. The film has to stand out on its own as a worthy entertainment morsel. With a sleek, smarmy style, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. does excite, but it takes awhile to get to the juiciest crumbs. You’ll either love Napoleon Solo or you’ll detest his arrogant, debonair demeanor. Or, perhaps, like me, you’ll warm up to him by the final act.
Napoleon Solo (Cavill) is an exceptional antiquities thief, following World War II, he realized there was much profit to be had across Europe pilfering and selling rare art. He is eventually caught and sentenced, but the CIA makes him a deal to work for them to work off his sins rather than rot in a cinereal cell. Not only does he accept, he becomes their best field man. Plus, he’s not entirely out of the stealing enterprise.
Illya (Hammer) is a child of the Soviet Union, his father was once regarded as a hero by the state, but he may (or most likely, may not) have stolen from the Politburo and was sentenced to Siberia. At a young age, Illya had difficulties playing well with others, so, naturally the KGB recruited him to work off his father’s sins.
In a way, Solo and Illya are both prisoners of their respective nations.
In the opening sequence of the film, the two are pitted against each other as they are on opposite sides of a plot to smuggle an East German mechanic across Checkpoint Charlie. The lovely Alicia Vikander plays the vitally coy mechanic Gaby, who starts off the film more comfortable under a car than in it.
Soon, the two adversaries are forced to work together with Gaby to thwart a Nazi plot to create a devastating nuclear device that will simplify a crucial step in the atomic design . . . essentially making it child’s play for any nation-state to wield a nuke. This would be bad.
The only lead they have is that Gaby’s father is the scientist being forced to work against his will to design the bomb. Yes, that is essentially the plot of Top Secret, but I didn’t mind. The pair are a clumsy couple. Illya’s strengths are his physical brutality, while Solo’s cup is more the classy cerebral sort. Most of the comedy in The Man from U.N.C.L.E. stems from forcing Illya to step out of his comfort zone and watching him twitch when he has to restrain himself from using violence to achieve all his mission goals. He’s KGB, remember?
Then, there’s Victoria (Debicki) who is the mastermind behind the sinister organization that wants to watch the world sizzle in a nuclear frying pan. She is magnificently evil. Her matter-of-fact delivery and onus of her vile nature is captivating. She’s a scene stealer, and her casting makes this film teeter from admirable to exceptional.
Fans of the series will most likely be amused and hopefully appreciate the effort to do the original justice. It’s not easy to accoutre a television series from the sixties as a film. And, I must confess that I haven’t seen the series in so long, that I can only assume many of the split-screen effects and constant chiming of a certain chord were added for the fans. And here I thought 24, with Jack Bauer, was the first show to use that trick.
If you are looking for a little more suave, and less sinewy, in your spy flicks, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. may just be your bag. I have to admit, seeing the film has given me an urge to watch the old series again.
