Human Lens #150: 'The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare' Review
Guy Ritchie's best film since The Gentlemen is a late Spring delight.
Guy Ritchie is delivering an unprecedented workload over the last couple of years. Since 2019’s live-action adaptation of Aladdin, the quirky film director has delivered four films and a television series that he created and directed episodes for. This upcoming weekend, Ritchie releases his fifth movie, since that aforementioned Disney paycheck, with The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare — an action adventure based on a true story of the first black ops mission in history.
There’s something about Ritchie’s sarcastic and creative visions intermixed with period pieces that coalesces into a perfectly entertaining action movie. While not all of his films are critically well received, the ones that receive more acclaim and staying power than others are coincidentally his period pieces. There’s also a sense in his best works that everyone involved is having the time of their lives, giving the vibe of a friendly hangout with your best friends rather than a serious drama with something to say. Does this take away from the truth of this true story? Sure. But adaptations should never be taken as face value anyway.
The pure sarcasm of The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is an immediate giveaway that this is a fictionalized version of these events, no matter how big the beginning text is preaching real historic events. Henry Cavill and his crew are Hollywood hunks inflated by insane diets and lots of creatine, messing with their prey like seasoned veterans of a craft they’re creating on the spot. They feel like modern quipsters transported to the past, but that’s just the charm of Guy Ritchie.
Henry Cavill is no stranger to that Ritchie charm. The actor has worked with the director previously on 2015’s The Man From U.N.C.L.E. and is already slated to work with him again in the future. Ritchie loves working with people he’s previously worked with; the aforementioned Cavill, Henry Golding, Cary Elwes, and Babs Olusanmokun returning, with Eiza González slated to work with him again in the future. These frequent returners speak to the comradery built on Ritchie’s sets due to the playground fun and improv heavy atmosphere he pushes for. But it also is telling that people not only want to work for him, but he wants to keep working with them again and again. These movies are more friends hanging out than business partnerships.
Cavill plays Major Gus March-Phillips, a disgraced officer in the British military serving time for his inability to follow orders. This characteristic however made him perfect to lead a team for Operation Postmaster — an off the books mission sanctioned by Winston Churchill himself that would cripple the Nazi presence in the Atlantic Ocean, clearing the way for the United States to join the war in Europe. Ian Fleming’s James Bond is rumored to have been inspired by March-Phillips’ suave demeanor, making the almost-Bond Henry Cavill a great casting for the role.
The film is a well-presented mix of land and sea production, featuring real locations and real sets throughout — a type of filmmaking that has unfortunately become a refreshing surprise instead of an industry norm over the last decade. Ritchie opts to avoid his typically disjointed visual style (seen robustly throughout his Sherlock Holmes films and King Arthur adaptation) for a simpler approach that emphasizes the realism and the actors’ performances during this fun adventure. The production value isn’t going to drop jaws like other popular blockbusters of the last couple of years, but the creativity and respectability the film has for its budget quickly makes you ignore its somewhat bland visual appeal.
The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare is a raucous time that flourishes when it subverts history in favor of Ritchie’s twisted sense of humor. While the characters don’t have enough room to breathe and the script isn’t presented with a singular focus on any of them, all the actors dish out likeable performances that are obviously fueled by a fun filled set, spearheaded by another great Eiza González turn for her rising stardom. It’s not going to be the best movie you’ve ever seen, but if you like history and great popcorn action movies, you won’t want to miss this one.