Operation Mincemeat

3.5 out 5 stars

One of the unfortunate aspects of studying history is that certain events that had a significant impact on our past does not mean that their name will be marketable to a modern audience. Despite being one of history's most significant wartime endeavours, Operation Mincemeat has little appeal as a bankable title. It will remain to be seen if this intriguing film will overcome the less-than-appealing name.

The details of this deception operation carried out by British Intelligence during the final stages of World War II have only become publicly recognised recently. Within the halls of military intelligence, Allied forces needed to be able to invade Italy through Sicily. Yet, the German troops would be difficult to overcome unless there was a means of getting them mobilised elsewhere. Conventional methods had no impact on the Nazis movements, which led to the committee being put together. This operation was placed in the hands of Lieutenant Commander Ewen Montagu (Colin Firth) and British intelligence officer Charles Cholmondeley (Matthew Macfadyen). They directed a team to develop an unlikely scenario that could initiate a series of events to convince Hitler to move his troops to Greece.

Academy Award-winning director John Madden (Shakespeare in Love) has taken the accounts of historian Ben Macintyre and has managed to bring this implausible story to life. By showing how much of this effort was based on sheer chance and speculation of the inner workings of Hitler’s intelligence community. Yet, this film demonstrates how detailed every aspect of this plan was and the value of every person on the team. Everything from finding the corpse to represent the fallen British officer to the letter written to his girlfriend was handled with utmost care. Elements that do not seem to be necessary, except they manage to add to the layers of this dramatic tale of deception.

Even though this is yet another World War II drama, this true-to-life tale comes alive because of its compelling storytelling and an outstanding cast. This cerebral excursion relies on the clever work and situational elements of this unlikely operation to capture the audience's attention. The writers bring these characters into our conscience and are supported by wonderfully subtle performances from Colin Firth, Kelly Macdonald, Penelope Wilton, and Australian Jason Isaacs. While the stand-out role was given to and delivered by Matthew Macfadyen, who immerses himself in the personage of Charles Cholmondeley. Then add in the inspirational element of Ian Fleming (author of James Bond) played by Johnny Flynn, it adds a bit of fun to this fascinating crew. Each component makes for a surprisingly entertaining espionage film that gives us a different look into the history and the war.

REEL DIALOGUE: Sacrifice: career before everything else?

An underlying element of the script is the sacrifice that Lieutenant Commander Ewen Montagu and his team have to make in doing all they do to get this operation to work. Due to the era and the wartime efforts, they show how their work became the primary focus of their lives. Their sacrifice offers a human side and sorrowfulness to the work these people experience in this true-to-life historical depiction of espionage.

Within the realities of life, jobs, and personal relationships, it is worth considering what sacrifices we all are willing to make for our careers or country. Audience members may not have to make decisions that impact the lives of thousands of soldiers. Still, every day does present different choices that may affect your family, friends and coworkers. How do you determine the line of how much you are willing to forgo for the sake of moving ahead at work or getting a project online?

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship” - Romans 12:1

This is a more significant query than can be extrapolated in a film review. Yet, an excellent place to begin this journey is to consider a biblical perspective on sacrifice. The God of the Bible gives us the example of Jesus to show us how to live a daily existence, regardless of the challenges, temptations, and difficulties. Also, these words help us to deal with extreme and mundane situations.