![]() Penkovsky explains to young Andrew over dinner that it’s not the people of these countries who hate each other but the politicians, and “The Courier” prioritizes the very specific human connection between Penkovsky and Wynne, almost to the detriment of capturing the full tension of the Cuban Missile Crisis that comes to a boil. Ninidze slowly emerges as the heart and soul of “The Courier.” He plays Penkovsky as a warm, charming, cultured man who cares deeply for those he keeps close, including Wynne. They bond over love for their families and are pressed into this strange situation by their all-consuming desire to keep them safe. But Wynne and Penkovsky seem to actually enjoy one another’s company, whether weeping at “Swan Lake” or doing the twist to the Chubby Checker hit in a London nightclub. Cumberbatch plays Wynne as both a quick study and a bit of a pushover a few well-placed words about nuclear bombs are enough to get him on the plane to Moscow. Much of the action and exposition unfolds in montage, relying on genre-familiar story beats. It’s hard to tell if it’s the script by Tom O’Connor, or the edit, but the story feels overly condensed, yet baggy. The first two-thirds of the film is your standard-issue spy thriller. He’s willing to betray his country to save his family, and the world, risking a surely brutal death if he’s caught. Oleg Penkovsky (Merab Ninidze), a high-ranking Soviet officer who has grown wary of Nikita Khrushchev’s (Vladimir Chuprikov) threats of nuclear war. His mission, should he choose to accept it (not that there’s much of a choice) is to travel to Moscow under the guise of business to collect images from Col. “I can’t believe I’m having lunch with spies,” Wynne sputters. When an acquaintance (Angus Wright) invites him to lunch with an American “consultant” ( Rachel Brosnahan, in a wig and demeanor that can be described only as Tracy Flick-ish), the two gently press him into “service” for Great Britain, and he’s shocked. ![]() He cheerily loses at golf as a part of his dealmaking, and he is cozily married to Sheila (Jessie Buckley) and father to Andrew (Keir Hills). But then, it zigs when it might zag (unless you’re already familiar with Wynne’s life story), and “The Courier” becomes something much more dark, complex and moving.īenedict Cumberbatch stars as Wynne, an almost happy-go-lucky English businessman. Based on the true story of British businessman Greville Wynne and the daring acts of espionage he undertook during the Cold War, the film is a swift, if perfunctory rendition of midcentury spy movie tropes. Because moviegoing carries risks during this time, we remind readers to follow health and safety guidelines as outlined by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local health officials.ĭominic Cooke’s 1960s-set spy thriller “The Courier” unfolds as expected until it doesn’t. The Times is committed to reviewing theatrical film releases during the COVID-19 pandemic.
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