A date and some men from UNCLE
This past weekend, Anthony and I went on a date together to see The Man from UNCLE at the cinema. As ice hockey season will soon be upon us, this is one of the last opportunities for a while we had for a Saturday date. I’ve got a thing for Sixties TV shows, I freely admit that - I’ve got most of The Avengers and some of Mission: Impossible on DVD and love them more than most modern shows. In fact, I own more TV shows from that bygone era on DVD than anything modern.
Anyway, Man from UNCLE. Not a show that’s huge over here, not now anyway, I know it was back in the day. But unlike many shows from that era, it hasn’t been repeated over the years on any of the main TV channels. Therefore the title is more famous than the contents of the show itself. I love it though and hate that the series still isn’t available on DVD over here, only the films are, or several episodes sewn together to make films which is not the same thing.
So here are my spoilery thoughts:
Firstly, Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer really impressed me. From what I’ve seen of them in their previous ‘big break’ films - Man of Steel and The Lone Ranger respectively - they both seemed bland and beautiful, nothing that really sparked or was of interest. Of course I realised this could be down to the scripts and/or direction. It clearly must have been because in UNCLE, they both shine; Cavill as the smooth American thief firing off one-liners and chaffing at the authority he’s forced to obey and Hammer is brilliant as a determined straight-laced Russian, utterly disgusted with the antics of the American he now has to work with. Both actors have created layers to their performances which I definitely appreciated yet there’s an ease as well, it’s not laboured. They are funny in double-act, earning a nickname each that sticks and really sparkling together, while also being restrained in their performances. There’s no mugging, they’re believable and you can believe they’ll go on to become an unstoppable team. Are they different to their TV counterparts? Yes, but I could also believe these were versions of the same characters. These weren’t just Napoleon and Illya in name only, thank goodness. I was really afraid that would happen.
Gaby! The girl from UNCLE was great, blunt and clearly hurt, resentful and worn down by life in East Germany. I like that Napoleon didn’t hit on her or even check her out; she was just an asset to be used for him. It’s nice that a cliché wasn’t bullseyed. I liked her connection with Illya, it felt tentative and real. I especially liked the dance scene where Illya’s awkwardness with that kind of playful physical intimacy was so well played by Hammer. Gaby was a great twist on the usual UNCLE thread of an innocent caught up in a mission. I can absolutely see why a female agent was needed; otherwise the heroes are all male. I would be happy if she ended up with Illya or if it was more of a wistful always-maybe dance between them. She was a really fun sharp addition, not taking any of the boys’ nonsense. She had her own story to tell.
Hugh Grant was a very good Waverly, different to the TV version of course again, but funny and in control when Napoleon and Illya weren’t and knowing how to use the assets he had. I can see him being the boss they need and come to respect. I’ve never been much of a fan of Grant’s work but as he’s gotten older I have begun to enjoy the roles he’s chosen and how he plays them. The same is very true here.
The style didn’t feel like Austin Powers ie throwing brightly-coloured Sixties at us with all the visual clichés so that we know it’s the Sixties. It felt like the same era seen in the TV show and seen in Mission: Impossible; lots of men in suits, Americans and Russians trying to out-manoeuvre each other, dour talk of the end of the world, yet with a splash of colour here and there, like at the racetrack. The whole look of it was very well-balanced just like the tone; seriousness and humour, just enough of both. Again it felt connected to the TV show.
The Empire review of it criticised the villains which I don’t agree with because I liked Victoria, the glamorous determined villainess and her verbal sparring with Napoleon. I thought she was strong and a good viable threat, as was Gaby’s creepy torturer uncle, urgh. The humour of his demise was very well-played I thought and the first indication of the growing bond between Illiya and Napoleon - the fact that Illya says Napoleon should choose if the doctor dies since Napoleon was the one being tortured and how Illya turned up to save Napoleon at all.
It was very much an ‘establishing the characters and world’ kind of film and I thought that director Guy Ritchie did a really good job. After his string of London crime films, he has discovered a talent for reinventing classic characters - firstly Sherlock Holmes, now The Man from UNCLE and he’s currently working on a film version of the King Arthur legend. This felt like a faithful adaptation, evolving the characters from who we saw on the screen so that they work in today’s climate yet still setting them in the Sixties, the Cold War always an icy breath on the neck. Maybe some won’t like it, some always don’t, but I really enjoyed the ride, the action sequences were great by the way, especially the opener which established both Napoleon and Illya brilliantly and Napoleon later having dinner in a truck while Illya fought for his life and Napoleon nonchalantly, if you believed the music used in that scene lol, saved him. I was left wanting to see a sequel. I fear it won’t do huge numbers - it’s not a show that familiar to people of the younger generation, it doesn’t promise blockbuster thrills and craziness, maybe only those who loved the TV show will show up. I hope more do because it deserves to be seen and deserves to get a sequel.
Also such a fanficcy film. There’s already fic out there and I am loving that it’s striking that up. I know it’s caught me :)