Operation Mincemeat
In 1943, two British intelligence officers concoct Operation Mincemeat, wherein their plan to drop a corpse with false papers off the coast of Spain would fool Nazi spies into believing the Allied forces were planning to attack by way of Greece rather than Sicily.
- Released: 2021-11-06
- Runtime: 128 minutes
- Genre: Drama, History, War
- Stars: Colin Firth, Matthew Macfadyen, Johnny Flynn, Kelly Macdonald, Penelope Wilton, Jason Isaacs, Mark Gatiss, Hattie Morahan, Paul Ritter, Tom Wilkinson, Simon Russell Beale, Lorne MacFadyen, Markus von Lingen, Ruby Bentall, Alex Jennings, Ellie Haddington, Nicholas Rowe, Will Keen, Mark Bonnar, James Fleet, Alexander Beyer, Nico Birnbaum, Pep Tosar, Alba Brunet, Pedro Casablanc, Óscar Zafra, Javier Godino, Jonjo O'Neill, Amy Marston, Gabrielle Creevy, Simon Rouse, Paul Lancaster, Michael Bott, Charlotte Hamblin, Rufus Wright
- Director: John Madden
Comments
- peterquennell - 8 April 2024
Another Netflix turkey; why stock got hammered around then?
In 2022-23 Netflix stock price dropped by 3/4 after rocketing up eight times in the previous five years. The drop happened after this muddled, historically incorrect movie and similar were put online.
It added to a growing perception among stock analysts and the sharper IMDB reviewers here that Netflix efforts were becoming Hallmark-Lite or Lifetime-lite just when real competition between streaming services was setting in.
Since then Netflix seems to be trying for better writing and better direction and its stock is creeping back up. So the 1-2-3 star reviews here (which I rarely add to, but often read) sometimes do producers a good turn!
By the way, Kelly McDonald, put in a ridiculous position here, is a fine actress with some great parts in her past. She was very moving in "The Decoy Bride". - ivantheeditor - 19 August 2023
Quite good but also quite forgettable
I actually forgot I had seen this movie... just a month ago.
As everyone already said in the comments - the love story was totally unnecessary.
Everything else was really good though. I loved the story which was just absolutely crazy. To think that this really happened seriously blows my mind.
The acting was quite good.
The cinematography is top notch. So is the directing and editing.
I think if they had cut out the love story and made the film just about the crazy plot it would have been perfect.
Definitely worth the watch. You actually learn something from this movie.
I'm actually quite surprised that this didn't get more recognition or marketing. I guess we could blame it on the pandemic? I'm sure if it came out now it would do better. But who knows... - studychan - 25 April 2023
Surprise
I always enjoy a good WWII yarn and this is a solid plot around which to assemble an ensemble cast. I felt that every important character was developed to a surprising degree to reveal their virtues, their vices, their talents, and most importantly their capacity to engage in deceptions of each other and themselves. It set the stage for deep and meaningful interactions between them and lent a depth and realism to the story that irresistibly drew you into into it, such that you felt transported to that time and place to experience these events through their eyes.
I always enjoy a good WWII yarn and this is a solid plot around which to assemble an ensemble cast. I felt that every important character was developed to a surprising degree to reveal their virtues, their vices, their talents, and most importantly their capacity to engage in deceptions of each other and themselves. It set the stage for deep and meaningful interactions between them and lent a depth and realism to the story that irresistibly drew you into into it, such that you felt transported to that time and place to experience these events through their eyes. - andrew-805 - 6 January 2023
A disappointment
I loved The Man who never was (1956). This rendition was 25 mins longer adding nothing much, except to shoehorn modern fripperies into the story. Yes, it gets boring, and yes we fooled the Germans by talking them to death - sorry, deceiving them.
O what a cast but let down by little genius in the screenplay. All the actors did their best to add gravitas and drama into the mix - the use of the scenery was excellent although the cramped war offices were not emphasised enough.
The main fault was the attempted love triangles and rivalry that never seemed to click. The German response was less than the 1956 film, which was a good twist. Overall though I endowed cleaning an old hoover out whilst watching it on Sky preferable.
Never mind - it won't win any awards unlike the 1956 dark compelling tale.... - handmethatspanner - 24 November 2022
As good as a fictitious retelling can be
This will be best appreciated by those conversant with the war and its minutia as well as those with a passion for WW2 & Cold War espionage tales.
The writers treat the viewer with the grace of assuming that the viewer brings their own familiarity to the telling of the tale. Picking up on the ramified implications flatters these viewers.
A terrific cast well tuned by an insightful Director. Some of the scenes set at sea are noticeably CG, but that is the era we live in. It does rather gloss over the privations demanded of the British by the war. My only criticism is for the staging, for cinematic purposes, in rooms that are too often much too large. - comps-784-38265 - 17 September 2022
Operation mediocrity
Another film that looks good superficially, it certainly has the cast to deliver a good film. But very quickly reveals it's a facade for a mediocre offering.
The problem is, it doesn't know which story it is telling, the story jumps about as a hotch potch of sub stories and you don't really get which is the main plot line - as there isn't one.
I found the actor portraying Churchill made no attempt to immitate a well known personaility. Gary Oldman set the bar very high in 'Darkest Hour' and this chap doesn't even come close to his portrayal.
Because the film lacks a real plot you cannot invest in any of the characters which are more caricatures.
There are silly historical inaccuracies. I.e. They think the audience are stupid (or perhaps the writers were too lazy to research the subject/era)
All in all dissappointing and frankly boring.
Ironically you are left with a nagging feeling this should have been a good film, perhaps because of Colin Firth in the lead role and visually the film is similar to 'The Kings Speech' (which was a good film and did have a good story)
I have to say the 1956 film "The man who never was" told the story far better and was a lot more historically accurate and authentic. - richard-maddock - 13 August 2022
A Filmmakers guide
Just watched Operation Mincemeat. Having recently read Ben McIntyre's book of Operation Mincemeat.
I hope the filmmakers read all the reviews, which basically say the same thing about ridiculous subplots If I want to watch a romantic movie, I will follow Bridget Jones. I prefer war movies.
Will filmmakers STOP mixing the two together, it does NOT appeal to a larger audience Equally, STOP trying to re invent the wheel, first we had the Jerky camera period, which no one liked, now we have the fad for showing the almost ending, then going back to...6 months earlier..etc The man who never was is a better film because of not including romantic fictional subplots I suggest filmmakers watch movies from the 1950s to see well crafted film making, Eg The Cockleshell Heroes or One of our planes is missing, both told in chronological time order.
On another note, if you want a massive box office hit, read The Black Ship, by Dudley Pope. A meticulously researched book about the "Bloodiest" Mutiny in the history of the Royal Navy But please make sure you observe correct military protocols, you do not salute improperly dressed officers, ie when not wearing their hat !
