Guy Ritchie’s latest action comedy, “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare,” takes us back to World War II with an unorthodox twist. Based on the book by the award-winning filmmaker, war reporter and author Damien Lewis, “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” follows Churchill’s top-secret black ops unit. After the fall of France in 1940, Churchill created the Special Operations Executive (SOE) to operate behind enemy lines in Operation Postmaster. The team aimed to destroy the German U-boats to open up the Atlantic. This ragtag group of criminals used their entirely “ungentlemanly” tactics to gain an upper hand during the war.
Ritchie’s Action-Fueled Entertainment
While a serious WWII drama based completely on real-life events could be interesting, there’s also a place for pure action-fueled entertainment. “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” falls squarely in the latter category. While turning such a serious event into a comedy could have been a complete disaster, Ritchie saturates the film with enough flair to make it work. It may not be the same as Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglorious Basterds,” but “The Ministry” is consistently entertaining – explosions, close calls and Nazis meeting their demise with surprising ease. Solid laughs punctuate the action sequences and Ritchie carries jokes through the movie with a good payoff at the end. Likewise, most of the film didn’t feel like it was based on real life – the whole thing feels, well, like a movie. But once it’s over, you are reminded that the operation was real and changed the course of the war entirely.
The Ministry’s Colorful Cast
The film has an impressive ensemble cast led by Henry Cavill. Cavill takes on the role of Gus March-Phillips, a British officer leading the unit. He is joined by a diverse group of actors, including stars like Eiza González, Babs Olusanmokun and Henry Golding. This casting choice reflects a growing trend in Hollywood, where casting directors have begun casting based on talent rather than identity. We’ve seen “color-conscious casting” in many things, such as Netflix’s “Bridgerton” and “Persuasion” or Lin Manuel Miranda’s “Hamilton.” Considering the time period this film depicts, it was interesting to see how they incorporated people of color into the story without blatantly pointing out the actor’s race. While some people find color-conscious casting a good way to increase diversity, others see it as harmful.
Casting people of color into roles of white characters might be seen as a creative way to give opportunities to underrepresented groups, but can often feel jarring or forced. Even so, the casting directors in this film did an excellent job, and the actors’ performances flowed well with the story.
Chaos, Charisma and Comedy
Cavill and González do a great job at carrying the story. While the narrative focus could be a bit cleaner at times, the quality of their acting makes the back-and-forth between their storylines enjoyable. Some conflicts on Cavill’s side fell somewhat flat and were too quickly resolved. It felt like nothing could stop him and his crew. Although, when the storyline returned to González, the scenes had edge-of-your-seat, anxiety-provoking tension. González and Olusanmokun’s characters felt real and had high stakes, which made their storyline more interesting. The SOE, on the other hand felt like some kind of super-powered crew, almost like “The Suicide Squad.” This, however, is certainly fun in its own right. The two storylines felt like two different movies with completely different tones: one an action comedy, and the other a tense spy drama.
“The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” isn’t going to win awards for historical accuracy, but it delivers a thoroughly entertaining escape with thrilling action, sharp performances and a dash of humor. If you’re looking for a fun, action-packed adventure that rewrites history with a wink and a handle-bar mustache, then this “Ministry” is worth a visit.
i.habib@dailyutahchronicle.com
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