Product: The Man Who Never Was (2005)
Rating: 4.0
Operation Mincemeat: A Retelling Of A True WWII Gambit
In 1942 Allied powers greatly desired to invade Sicily--a fact of which Axis powers were well aware and against which the island was greatly fortified. In an effort to trick the Nazi military, British intelligence agents Flight Lt. Charles Cholmondeley and Lt. Commander Ewen Montagu came up with a clever plan: a body, bearing papers indicating that the major Allied attack would come elsewhere, was floated in to Spanish waters. Although technically neutral, Spain was sympathetic to the Nazis, and with any luck the papers would be thought genuine and reach German hands.Although top secret even after the war, a good story is hard to keep down, and after numerous leaks Montagu himself was allowed to write an account of the deception. Titled THE MAN WHO NEVER WAS, the book was an overnight bestseller and the 1956 film version proved very popular as well. In retelling the story on the screen, writer Nigel Balchin took a number of liberties with the story, most particularly in the creation of "Lucy Sherwood" (Gloria Graham), a character who exists largely in order to provide a touch of love and pathos; even so, the film is very accurate in terms of the operation itself and how it was carried out.Clifton Webb is perhaps best recalled for his waspish roles in such celebrated films as LAURA, but he sets aside his mannerisms for the role of Montagu and drives the action of the film in a remarkably capable manner, well supported by Robert Flemyng as assistant Lt. George Acres (based on Charles Cholmondeley) and Josephine Griffin as Pam, his secretary. Stephen Boyd does well in the Irish-accented role of Nazi agent Patrick O'Reilly, a semi-fictional character, and Gloria Graham, always a memorable performer, scores heavily in the role of Lucy Sherwood.he film is essentially about process--finding the right body, planting the papers, arranging for the body to be transported, and so on--and as such it moves a fast clip, with director Ronald Neame (an Oscar-winning screenwriter perhaps best now known as director of such films as I COULD GO ON SINGING, THE PRIME OF MISS JEAN BRODIE, and THE POSEIDON AVENTURE) keeping everything moving at a good clip. The DVD offers excellent picture and sound, as well as the choice between wide screen and full screen. If you know nothing about Operation Mincemeat, you'll find it fascinating stuff--and if you do know about Operation Mincemeat you'll still find the film entertaining on its own. Recommended.GFT, Amazon Reviewer