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 (12)
A stylish retro spy spectacle that thankfully doesn't parody the genre. But it takes it in stride and it's good at it. The central trio is very likable (Armie Hammer fits the role of the Soviet fighter perfectly and the cute Alicia Vikander is not just cute and certainly not just some cheap ornament) and her constant jibing is pleasant... And Hugh Grant proves once again that aging doesn't rob a person of a shred of charm, id you don’t let it. Guy Ritchie's direction has swing and lots of ideas, offers a number of rewarding scenes full of humor (including the black one, see the chair) and suspense, and I must especially highlight the amazing soundtrack. The instrumental one by Daniel Pemberton, which therefore pays tribute to John Barry rather than Ennio Morriccone, and the well chosen songs. I'm very satisfied.
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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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Technically, of course, appropriately polished with an entertaining central duo, but otherwise this popcorn flick, like most Ritchie's films, has nothing extra. Surprisingly, the female cast is rubbish both in looks (!) and acting. The retro style may have worked brilliantly in X Men First Class, but here it doesn’t fall on fertile ground with the same elegance and wit.
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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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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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