In 1998 Guy Ritchie debuted with his feature film, Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels. It was a fun, funny violent romp in the criminal underworld that launched the careers of Jason Statham and Jason Flemyng and set the tone for the Guy Ritchie™ films to follow. With the exception of his next film, Snatch, which for the most part maintained the sassy underground comedy and narrative conniptions of its predecessor, Ritchie’s subsequent films (Swept Away, Revolver, RocknRolla, Sherlock Holmes) have failed to make the impact of his debut. So when Ritchie turns his attention to an archaic 60’s TV programme, there’s cause for some scepticism.
Thankfully such scepticism is unfounded as Ritchie’s rebirth of The Man From U.N.C.L.E. is a solid cracker! It shows Ritchie back on key and looking like the kind of director who would be capable of pulling off something as cool and snappy as Lock Stock.
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. was conceived in the mid sixties as a kind of 007 for TV, indeed Ian Fleming himself was involved in the programme’s conception. Its likeness to Connery-era Bond is clear and Ritchie does a superlative job in recreating that. He packs his film with sass and suits and fashion and fantastic locations that typify the era; by turns beautifully photographed in noirish light and shadow and garish blinding polyester colours. The plot twists and turns through its interwoven appropriate jazz score, tinged with just a hint of suave sex and sleaze.
Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer and Alicia Vikander make a fantastic 3, unlikely allies sparring with each other through the twisty plot to out a villain threatening the welfare of the world with (of course) a nuclear bomb.
Cavill is suave as hell as American agent, Napoleon Solo, finding a more comfortable niche outside the Man of Steel. Hammer has not been this good since he came to prominence in Fincher’s The Social Network. His Illya Kuryakin’s barely restrained, iron clad pent up Soviet rage could explode at any moment and periodically does. But the most fun is Vikander’s play against type. Having made a name for herself as an uppity type in A Royal Affair, here she’s the mechanic’s daughter pretending to be posh and she’s a delight. The performances from all three stars are great; their dialogue delivery is funny, deadpan, and the comic timing is spot on.
Ritchie’s The Man From U.N.C.L.E. is the best Bond film we’ve seen in many a year.
Stuart Jamieson
www.manfromuncle.com
