Movie Review – The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare

Going into the theater, I expected a movie that leaned into over-the-top action at the expense of plot and character development. I got the opposite. For the most part, the action was kept to a minimum, except for watching Anders go berserker mode. His action scenes were done as much for humor as action.

True Story

I didn’t know this was based on a true story. Just knowing that can ramp up the tension in a story dramatically. In fiction, the writers decide who lives and dies based on how dramatic and satisfying it is to the story. But true stories care nothing for that. In the real world there are consequences and not all of the good guys survive. I experienced a palpable fear that some of the characters wouldn’t make it as the action and danger climbed during the movie’s climax.

Another WWII Classic?

I don’t know if this movie will become a WWII classic because that list is long and filled with great movies. But there’s no question it’s in the discussion. WWII is a wellspring of great stories because it contains so many stories involving only a few characters embedded in a much larger struggle. When telling a story about WWII it can be assumed that the viewer already has a solid grasp of the general history of the war and so the story can skip all of that and focus on just a small cadre of characters who played pivotal, but largely unrecognized, roles.

The story features some historical trivia that I knew nothing about. It’s always a pleasure to watch a movie like this and discover more about a topic you know well or even relate to something that you previously thought was unrelated.

Disapointments

The only thing I didn’t particularly like was the casting for Churchill. Rory Kinnear wasn’t bad, but he’s no Churchill. Then, besides Gary Oldman, who is? I can’t really hold it against the movie for being unable to find an actor who can duplicate Churchill’s gravitas.

Grade: B+

About The Peetimes: Sorry, but I only have two Peetimes, but they are nicely spaced out. The second Peetime is really the last moment you can miss anything before the action and drama begin.

There are no extra scenes during, or after, the end credits of The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare.

Rated:	(N/A) Some Language | Strong Violence Throughout
Genres:	Drama, War
Starring:	Henry Cavill, Alan Ritchson, Alex Pettyfer
Director:	Guy Ritchie
Writer(s):	Paul Tamasy, Eric Johnson, Arash Amel
Language:	English
Country:	United States, United Kingdom, Turkey

Plot
The British military recruits a small group of highly skilled soldiers to strike against German forces behind enemy lines during World War II.