Probably deserves its own thread, but this looks crazy. June 17th.
I’ve read some George Saunders stories, but not that one. His stuff is often super depressing.
It’s weird that there’s a bit in the trailer of someone reading the book that the story the movie is based on is in. Not sure how I feel about that.
Interesting choice of music in the trailer. I can’t figure out if this is a comedy or a horror or what?
I just watched Operation Mincemeat and now I want to read the book it’s based on. Were all the principals based on real people? Including the guy played by Matthew MacFadyen (haven’t seen him in Succession, but he was in Spooks about 15 to 20 years ago, and was Mr. Darcy opposite Kiera Knightley’s Elizabeth Bennett in YA film of Pride and Prejudice), with the hard to spell last name more or less pronounced “Chumbley”?
I wonder if the sister of the poor guy whose corpse they used was a real person who showed up like that. The film also leaves in question whether this supposedly anti-Hitler Von Roenne guy in the Abwehr passed on to Hitler information that he knew was false. It was cool that they got an actor (Will Keen) who spoke both native Spanish and English to play the British liaison dude. I just saw him in the Masterpiece series Ridley Road.
According to this LA Times story, the answers would appear to be ‘yes.’ Although the love triangle seems to have been introduced.
Fun fact, and one I don’t think the movie touches on, is that the idea was based on the Trout Memo which Ian Fleming played a role. Que the Bond music.
I would never have gotten to Chumbley from Cholmondeley
According to the LA Times, Ashford (the screenwriter) dramatized a few other small elements of “Operation Mincemeat,” including a scene where Glyndwr Michael’s sister is told about his death. The sister character is an invention to help convey that Michael wasn’t simply a prop in a spy mission; he was a real man.
We watched it over the weekend and loved it. A really well done story.
I’m also of the opinion that Colin Firth is amazing in everything I see him in.
This is the main reason to watch The Staircase on HBOMax. Firth is amazing.
Great tip, thank you for that. I’ll see if we can line it up over this extended weekend.
I noticed that RRR seems to be available on Netflix in a few territories now. If you don’t know what that is, then, uh, brace yourself.
Patrick Willems was gushing about it.
It does, just a bit. When the plan is first introduced Godfrey says, sort of out of the side of his mouth, something like “with help from my assistant, Ian”. Much later someone makes a point to ask “what’s the book about, Fleming?”.
Nice. I completely missed that.
Looks to be available here in Maine and how can I not watch this?!
Yeah, that character is meant to be Ian Fleming, and I think the voice-over narration is the same Fleming character telling the tale.
If you told me that was a film Mel Gibson was directing under a pseudonym, I’d believe you.
Interceptor just popped up and, while very skipable, is one of those terrible in a sometimes funny way but probably still earnest movies. Chris Hemsworth (Elsa Pataky’s husband) co-stars executive produces and has a bizarre bit part.
This guy summed it up really well, I thought:
The movie is written and directed by Matthew Reilly - an Australian author of several atrocious (but best-selling) action novels. It was also filmed in Sydney so maybe Chris figured it was a pay check during Covid ;)
I’m watching the silly but heartfelt Rebel Wilson vehicle Senior Year and really enjoying it. Probably because I find the lead funny and brilliant in everything she’s in, but also for some great casting of other parts (Chris Parnell as Stephanie’s dad for starters). Bit of a guilty pleasure.
Watched Archive the other day. It’s ultimately a bit silly, and the twist is spottable almost from the beginning - it’s the exact same twist as Ubik - but not a terrible way to spend a couple hours.
FYI when I went to look for Archive last night I found it on Prime Video, not Netflix. Nevertheless, thanks for the rec.
Definitely Netflix in the UK.