Directed by:
Guy RitchieCinematography:
John MathiesonComposer:
Daniel PembertonCast:
Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer, Alicia Vikander, Elizabeth Debicki, Hugh Grant, Jared Harris, Luca Calvani, Sylvester Groth, Christian Berkel, David Beckham (more)VOD (4)
Plots(1)
With Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch, director Guy Ritchie established himself as a master of bravura set pieces and buddy movie banter, before proving he could successfully meld the irreverent spirit with classic properties in his Sherlock Holmes adaptations. Now, Ritchie brings his signature touch to his big-screen translation of the beloved 1960s television spy show, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. 1963: in the thick of the Cold War, roguish CIA agent Napoleon Solo (Henry Cavill) forms an uneasy alliance with brooding KGB officer Illya Kuryakin (Armie Hammer) to thwart a criminal organisation with apocalyptic intentions. The rebellious daughter of a missing nuclear scientist (Alicia Vikander) is their only ticket inside the sinister ring - but to whom is she truly loyal? A desperate race against time will determine whether the scientist’s atomic research will shatter the delicate balance of power in the world. A thrilling spy romp with rich period detail and an infectious soundtrack of cool pop classics, The Man from U.N.C.L.E. puts a colourful, contemporary twist on 1960s espionage and delivers pure entertainment with swaggering ease. (Arrow Films)
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Reviews (14)
As if made for a trip to the forgotten local cinema, where Italian architecture, old-fashioned form, and a nostalgic soundtrack quickly immerse the viewer. It was Daniel Pemberton's music that transported me to the sixties right from the first notes because this love letter to the divine Ennio Morricone is no rip-off but, fortunately, an honest and completely accurate tribute. Surprisingly, Guy Ritchie remains on the same wave as Sherlock Holmes, but because in practice this mainly translates to deadly exchanges of dialogue between the main duo, I have no problem with that. It just could have used a few more viewers. With its unexpectedly poor turnout, the combination of Henry Cavill's elegance, Armie Hammer's stubbornness, and Alicia Vikander's charm does not bode well for a series.
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The cool soundtrack saves an otherwise average spy story set in the days of The Berlin Wall. Pemberton is Morricone’s reincarnation. Ritchie has an incredible feel for music, but the catchy sixties hits were completely overshadowed by excellent instrumental music oscillating between western, spy genre and some weird ethno mix. The acting duo (Cavill, Hammer), trio (Alicia), quartet (Grant) is welcome, I wouldn’t turn down another adventure with them, with a bit more complex story of course. Some isolated scenes are actually genius (the snack in the car), but in general I expected just a little bit more. A fine chill. Noting more, nothing less. Damn. I left my jacket in the other room.
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So in this year of spies (Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation, Kingsman, Spy and I have no doubt about the quality of Spectre), The Man from U.N.C.L.E. is unfortunately the weakest link. The film has a solid retro look, with beautiful fashion (hats, big glasses, admirable dresses and suits), gallantry and elegance at every turn, not to mention the cars. Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer are OK, but not dazzling, but Alicia Vikander has a decent shot at being the new Hollywood power star, last year that name meant nothing to me, and this year she has dazzled in Ex Machina, Seventh Son and The Man from U.N.C.L.E., a positive calling card for this up-and-coming lady who strongly resembles Audrey Hepburn. What’s disappoints, however, is the action, which is underwhelming and not very satisfying. There is little action and it mostly consists only of car chases (there is one fight and two shootouts) – at least the finale is beautifully set in the mountains with a cross country and an off-road Jeep. However, it lacks a moment that made me want to watch the film again, which is a bummer when I've seen other spy films at least twice. Entertaining yes, but not riveting or spectacular. 75%
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(over) An over-the-top stylized, undemanding spy retro one-time movie, which is not purely comedic, but it make you smile throughout the footage. Unsurprisingly, it is entirely dependent (even thanks to the unnecessary bad guys) on the squabble of the central trio, which usually works. Most of the time. And if not, "sixties" Ritchie, "Morricone-like" Pemberton or Uncle Rudi with his fairy tale carry it.
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I rooted for this film long before the private screening, cheered it for the stylish retro opening and was sympathising with Ritchie's visual imagery and breezy detachment even half an hour or so before the final credits rolled. But what up until then was a harmless play with various genre elements, where the diverse nature of the plot was still held together by the stylish form, the measured performances and the crushing pace, unfortunately transformed into a stale pictorial feast, which didn’t lack humour and plot drive, but all those disparate ingredients were now creaking and forming a standard hyper-stylish spy mess that doesn't offend and entertains at first, but in retrospect is dominated by a chaos with only a dim glimmer of genuinely funny lines or novel story motifs. 70%
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