Movie Review
Guy Ritchie brings humor to history in The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare
Alex Pettyfer and Henry Cavill in The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.
The recent filmography of writer/director Guy Ritchie defies any kind of logic. He helmed the live-action remake of Aladdin in 2019, followed by a return to action with the trifecta of The Gentlemen, Wrath of Man, and Operation Fortune: Ruse du Guerre. Then, out of nowhere, he delivered a compelling war movie starring Jake Gyllenhaal with The Covenant.
His latest, The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, is — bafflingly — a mixture between real history and the irreverent films for which he’s best known. Set in the early days of World War II, it centers on a group — led by Gus March-Phillips (Henry Cavill) — of unruly but highly skilled soldiers (or spies?) recruited by British Prime Minister Winston Churchill (Rory Kinnear) and Brigadier Gubbins (Cary Elwes) to carry out a secret mission to hamper the ever-expanding Nazis.
The group — which includes Anders Lassen (Alan Ritchson), Geoffrey Appleyard (Alex Pettyfer), Marjorie Stewart (Eiza González), and Heron (Babs Olusanmokun), among others — is specifically sent to Africa to take out a ship that delivers supplies to the Germans’ fleet of U-boats. If they are able to cause such a disruption, the more likely it is that ships will be able to pass through the currently impenetrable line of Nazi submarines.
Lest you think Ritchie has made some kind of dramatic history film, fear not; the movie is more Inglorious Basterds than Saving Private Ryan. The jokes and one-liners fly fast and furious from the get-go in the script by Ritchie, Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson, and Arash Amel, making it clear that nothing in the film should be taken seriously. This, despite the fact that the film is based on the book Churchill’s Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, a nonfiction account of acts of bravery by real British soldiers.
It’s safe to say, though, that almost nothing depicted in the film happened exactly as shown, as the group in the film racks up a body count that’s up there with the most violent action films. Ritchie also has his characters use a variety of retro-looking but likely not period-appropriate silenced guns to mow down hundreds of enemies. The light tone of the film overall makes the sequences fun to watch, and proves yet again that killing Nazis in a World War II film is one of the few things that can be done with impunity with little blowback.
The one thing Ritchie doesn’t quite achieve in his attempt at a Tarantino-type film is the same level of characterization. Gus, Marjorie, Anders, and certainly Churchill each have distinctive personalities that allow them to be interesting throughout, but those further down the list don’t stand out as much, feeling more like bodies to fill out the group than full-fledged members. Nazi Commander Heinrich Luhr (Til Schweiger) fulfills the main villain role without actually getting much to do.
Cavill, after getting lost in the weeds trying to make Superman work, has seemed to settle into himself as an actor. He’s got the looks, the charm, and the talent to be a leading man for a long time, and roles like this go a long way toward proving that. Ritchson is most notable for his physique, but he does relatively well acting-wise too. González and Olusanmokun make for a good team separated from the rest of the group, and it’s always nice to see Elwes hamming it up.
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is Ritchie doing what he does best, although it’s a style that’s still an acquired taste. History buffs will do well to leave their thinking hats at home and just enjoy this shoot-‘em-up that’s slightly awkwardly attached to the story of some real heroes.
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The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare opens in theaters on April 18.
