THE MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE is directed by Guy Ritchie. The film stars Henry Cavill, Henry Golding, Eiza Gonzalez, Rory Kinnear, and Cary Elwes.
During World War II’s early days, prior to the United States joining the war effort, England is under heavy scrutiny from Adolf Hitler’s regime, finding themselves outclassed and outgunned. A scheme is concocted to assemble a ragtag band of miscreants who don’t exactly have the best reputation in the country, against the better judgment of many officials in power. Making an effort to not be discovered by either their allies or their enemies, the team sets forth. But will they be able to put a stop to German supply distribution, or will they end up killed in action or made prisoners of the Nazis?
There’s no filmmaker quite like Guy Ritchie. I love his stylized approach to filmmaking, and I certainly love films about World War II. When I heard Ritchie would be directed a film about the true story of Operation Postmaster, I was particularly enthralled and interested to check out the end results. It’s heavily stylized and certainly fictionalized to a degree, and perhaps a bit too simple and straightforward in its storytelling, but I’ll be damned if I didn’t have a good time with this one. The casting, charismatic characters, and great action scenes definitely sell the movie.
The cast of THE MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE is top-notch. Henry Cavill, in particular, shines as the leader of this group of misfits. And whether he and his crew are rescuing a fellow man taken prisoner, going undercover in enemy waters, or being forced to improvise when plans are forced to change, these actors were born to play these roles. A story like this only works if the cast members have chemistry, but this ensemble is up to the task and then some.
The approach to this story works surprisingly well, making it accessible and not overly complex while not losing the substance of these real-world events. When the movie calls for action, Mr. Ritchie serves it up in spades, bringing the bullets, the explosions, and even bows and arrows! In many ways this feels like a more streamlined version of INGLOURIOUS BASTERDS without all the unnecessary tertiary characters and subplots. The approach is rather simplistic and uncomplex, but this is that rare occasion where that may be more of a strength than a weakness.
It’s not the deepest film in the world and it’s certainly not Oscar material. Probably the biggest weaknesses of the otherwise solid film are the lack of characters ever being in any real danger despite what they film throws at them (including moments where they have to improvise and change plans), and the lack of Ian Fleming in the film, who promotional materials pretty heavily advertised as being a part of the operation depicted in the movie.
THE MINISTRY OF UNGENTLEMANLY WARFARE has style, substance, a compelling story, and everything you want in a movie. The cast is great, and it’s a stranger-than-fiction odyssey well worth your time. Guy Ritchie serves up another gem here. Highly recommended!