{"id":18047,"date":"2015-08-29T11:17:21","date_gmt":"2015-08-29T01:17:21","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/?p=18047"},"modified":"2015-08-29T11:17:37","modified_gmt":"2015-08-29T01:17:37","slug":"the-man-from-u-n-c-l-e","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.thefatwebsite.com\/?p=18047","title":{"rendered":"The Man From U.N.C.L.E"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"manfromuncleposter\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Director: \u00a0<\/strong>Guy Ritchie
\nWriter: \u00a0<\/strong>Guy Ritchie
\nCast: \u00a0<\/strong>Armie Hammer, Alicia Vikander, Henry Cavill, Elizabeth Debicki, Hugh Grant<\/p>\n

T<\/span>he original Man From U.N.C.L.E<\/em> is a fifty year old television series, set against the backdrop of the Cold War as two spies – one American and one Russian – find themselves partnered together as culturally mismatched frenemies who have to set aside their countries hostilities to battle an international terrorist organization bent on world domination. \u00a0Although I am too young to have seen the original series, I’m told\u00a0that this evil organization is called “Thrush”. \u00a0They didn’t opt to keep this name in the 2015 cinematic remake.<\/p>\n

Although director and screen writer Guy Ritchie keeps the original Sixties setting for the film, part of the reason The Man From U.N.C.L.E<\/em>\u00a0still resonates today is that\u00a0the relationship between America and Russia remains as frosty as ever. \u00a0Films about spies that form an uneasy alliance that teeter between respect and mistrust is a time honoured cinematic motif and when done right, they result in some of my favourite spy thrillers.<\/p>\n

Guy Ritchie, who made his name with the one-two combo of\u00a0Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels<\/em> and\u00a0Snatch<\/em>, is the man responsible for resurrecting this property and upon consideration, I think he’s as good a choice as any. \u00a0The spy genre is a pretty crowded landscape at the moment with James Bond, Jason Bourne, Jack Reacher and Ethan Hunt all crowding the box office. \u00a0Ritchie rose to prominence\u00a0with two sharp witted British crime capers that had memorable one liners and were shot using hyper kinetic camera work that thrilled audiences fifteen years ago. \u00a0In Ritchie films, the style is the substance. \u00a0And with so many of the other spy franchises focused on large action set pieces and straight laced storytelling, a tongue in cheek buddy movie set against the backdrop of the swinging Sixties is not a bad niche to carve out for yourself.<\/p>\n

So does Ritchie successfully pull it off? \u00a0Kinda. \u00a0Mostly. \u00a0In an interview with Robbie Collin on the BBC, Armie Hammer described the onset atmosphere of Ritchie’s film as being supremely relaxed and laid back. \u00a0I think this breezy and nonchalant approach to film making\u00a0is reflective of the final product. \u00a0The leads in the film have a pleasing chemistry and sense of comradery with one another but the film is tonally inconsistent and occasionally a little loose around the edges with its pacing.<\/p>\n

\"manfromuncle\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Henry Cavill is the dapper and debonair American spy Napoleon Solo. \u00a0Solo attracts the attention of the CIA thanks to\u00a0his prolific skills in committing heists and when he is eventually captured by the government, he is blackmailed into service in exchange for avoiding jail time. \u00a0His counterpart is the no-nonsense Russian hulk Illya Kuryakin. \u00a0Kuryakin possesses near superhuman strength which is established in his introduction\u00a0where he rips the boot off of a car Terminator<\/em> style. \u00a0We learn that daddy issues are a source of his rage which he struggles to contain. \u00a0Their respective governments pair them together to stop a Nazi villain who is developing weapons of mass destruction that would wipe out both superpower nations.<\/p>\n

Cavill and Hammer both have the looks, talent and ambition to be established leading actors in Hollywood but they have yet to find the vehicle to take them there. \u00a0Both also had high profile box office misfires in the form of Superman Returns<\/em> and\u00a0The Lone Ranger<\/em>\u00a0respectively.\u00a0 The Man From U.N.C.L.E<\/i> isn’t a big enough film to necessarily catapult them to superstardom but I think it serves as a good platform to show what they can do. \u00a0Ritchie’s script gives them a chance to shine – Cavill as a dashing and suave womaniser – and Hammer as a tormented monster with a heart of gold. \u00a0I thought the two riffed off one another pretty well too when called upon to provide some comic relief. \u00a0A sequence where they debate what to do with a captured enemy combatant whilst he fries in an electric chair behind them was a gem of a scene.<\/p>\n

Alicia Vikander plays Gaby, an Eastern European femme fatale whose estranged father is the key to stopping the villainous Victoria Vinciguerra’s plans for world domination. \u00a0Vikander turned heads\u00a0earlier this year with her excellent performance in the sci-fi thriller\u00a0Ex Machina<\/em>. \u00a0Although she isn’t really called upon to use the same level of acting chops in\u00a0The Man From U.N.C.L.E<\/em>, she delivers an entertaining performance as the talented and capable mechanic whose allegiances to the U.S or Russia aren’t totally clear.<\/p>\n

There’s plenty about\u00a0The Man From U.N.C.L.E\u00a0<\/em>that might feel derivative or overly familiar when the cards are laid on the table and we meet all the characters and their motivations are laid bare. \u00a0But where the film shines is through Ritchie’s\u00a0buoyant and playful direction. \u00a0The film has plenty of action sequences as the spies go globe hopping in pursuit of Gaby’s father and Vinciguerra’s headquarters. \u00a0Ritchie purposefully plays against audience expectations when constructing these sequences. \u00a0A dramatic chase sequence on a water boat involving Kuryakin is relegated to a view out of a truck window as Napoleon Solo tucks into a hearty sandwich and a bottle of wine. \u00a0A military raid of an island hideout involving dozens of armed troops is shot with a cheery screen wipe using four or five panels showcasing the action. \u00a0The final moments of one of the films villains is revealed by a chronological mash up, where their demise is set in stone and then explained retrospectively. \u00a0Ritchie’s creativity really helps set the film apart from its contemporaries.<\/p>\n

The Man From U.N.C.L.E<\/em>‘s final scene pushes hard for a sequel. \u00a0If I was a director shooting films in exotic locales around Europe having a lovely time in the company of talented actors I would too. \u00a0I’m not sure Ritchie will get it though as the film has only performed modestly at the box office. \u00a0Which would be a shame. \u00a0The Man From U.N.C.L.E<\/em> is a spy thriller that doesn’t take itself too seriously and has a palpable sense of fun. \u00a0I’d happily see them return for another go.<\/p>\n

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