Operation Mincemeat (2021)

Summary: In 1943 the Allies are lining up to invade Sicily, but are aware that the Germans are expecting them. The British secret service are therefore initiating a misdirection involving fictitious military units, being directed at Greece and hope that the Germans will be misled. Ewen Montagu is an RNVR officer, who has sent his Jewish family off the America, and who is seconded to the 20 committee, who are in charge of the misdirection. He and Charles Cholmondeley revive a plan to land a corpse in Spain which will be carrying secret, but incorrect papers. The admiral in charge is sceptical but allows them to go ahead, and they recruit a secretary who has allowed them to use her photo, as the corpse’s girlfriend. Both Ewen and Charles develop feelings for the secretary. The operation takes place, but will it be successful, and is there a chance that Ewen’s brother, suspected of being a Russian spy, will spill the beans.

Content: No sex or nudity. A lot of smoking and drinking. Back in those days no-one knew that smoking was harmful! The team spend time discussing things in the office, and sometimes in one of the London clubs. The admiral and Cholmondeley (pronounced Chumley) monitor Ewen’s activities. Ewen and Jean, the secretary, get chastely closer while acting out their parts. The body is identified, equipped with papers, transported to Scotland and taken offshore Spain in a submarine. The spies out in Spain, on both the British and the German sides are seen at work.

A View: The film was quite well thought of, although the whole romance thing and much of the spying stuff has admittedly been added to give a bit of spice. There seemed to be an effort to give the outing a bit of 1950s atmosphere, as if it had been made then, not all that successfully I think. For many years there was a genuine dispute about who the man who never was, actually was, but it seems that this film got it right. Also both this film and the 1955 original had German spies in them who had been a surprise to the authorities. Unlikely since MI5 knew who they all were.

Other films reviewed on this site by John Madden include: The Widowmaker, The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Miss Sloan.