From Sam Mendes to David Lynch, Pulp Fiction director Quentin Tarantino hardly has any reservations in calling out the fractured flaws in the characters, plots, and overall narrative direction of directors and their most famous films. But it is Guy Ritchie’s adorably goofy and incredibly stylish spy thriller masterpiece, The Man From U.N.C.L.E. that managed to catch QT’s highly critical eye for executing a perfectly fine plot before blowing it into the high heavens.
Quentin Tarantino Calls Out Guy Ritchie’s Spy Reboot
When faced with the inescapable questions about the greatest of works from filmmakers obsessed with their specific genre of film, Quentin Tarantino comes across a dilemma – finding a film so fun and entertaining that he forgot the central plot at its core. Speaking of The Man From U.N.C.L.E., QT claimed:
“The first half was really funny and terrific but in the whole second half I’m like, ‘Oh, wait a minute, we were supposed to care about the bomb? What the f–k is going on here? I was supposed to pay attention to the stupid story?’ Henry Cavill was fantastic but I didn’t like the girl at all.”
The Guy Ritchie spy thriller that was deliciously fast-paced and wrapped around a Cold War plot with elements from the early 1960s, was crafted with humor, wit, and nicely choreographed action filled with frames that are littered with snarky dialogue, more chemistry between Henry Cavill and Armie Hammer than the actual couple in the film, and a hypnotic Elizabeth Debicki flaunting the 60s fashion at its best.
Henry Cavill Flawlessly Carries The Man From U.N.C.L.E.
Guy Ritchie’s films are known for the intensity of their narration, be it the 2015 spy thriller or the 2017 epic fantasy action adventure drama, King Arthur: Legend of the Sword. With Daniel Pemberton’s maniacally addictive soundtracks to match, the plots never slow down for a breath and the cinematography haunts the audience until they find themselves lost in the fantastical world created by the filmmaker’s unique style of direction.
It is this world set within the picture frame of the divided Berlin of the 1960s that brings in Henry Cavill’s daunting, charming, imposing art thief with the abilities of a precision killer and the loyalties of an agent of the government. But it is when he swaggers in wearing an apron over his three-piece and offering his CIA handler truffles while JFK delivers one of history’s most famous speeches in the background that he snags the audience’s attention and does not let go.
With looks and moves befitting 007, Henry Cavill excels in the Guy Ritchie narrative, often carrying the film with his subtle charm and well-delivered dialogue, enough to make the audience want to come back a second time.
The Man From U.N.C.L.E. is now available for streaming on Prime Video.
Source: Bret Easton Ellis
