REVIEW #173 Operation Mincemeat (2022)

Operation Mincemeat follows a top secret team during World War 2 as they try to execute a plan to deceive Nazi forces, luring them away from Sicily to Greece, leaving Italy open to attack. A war drama that is based on true events and real war heroes.

Operation Mincemeat really took me by surprise, I wasn’t expecting it to be as good as it was, it’s a war drama that competes with the likes of The Imitation Game in terms of quality. Despite being based on the true story about a top secret plan to deceive the Nazi forces, it’s actually very character driven. Colin Firth and Matthew Macfadyen delivered fantastic performances as Ewan Montagu and Charles Cholmondeley respectively and the performances from the supporting actresses Penelope Wilton and Kelly Macdonald helped inject heart warming charisma into the film. I am always so intrigued by storylines that can teach the audience about historical events, rightly shining a light on the unsung heroes that so many people of my generation are simply unaware of. This plot is no different, operation mincemeat is daring and decisive thinking at its best and a project that helped serve a big blow in the fight against the Nazis’s. That in itself is something that gets me hooked, never mind the great cast, performances and cinematography. Set in 1943, the costume and set design brings the time period to life and helps establish a strong sense of realism that sets the scene for the entire story. My biggest concern going in was that it would be a slow drama that would likely suffer from pacing issues but the 2hr 8 minute run time flew by and I never found myself bored or disinterested. They utilised subtle humour well, little and often, so that it never seemed forced and come across naturally on screen. Unfortunately I fear that perhaps some audiences would find the film quite forgettable, especially if they aren’t interested in history. Does Operation Mincemeat have enough to make it stand out from films of a similar nature? Probably not but as a big history fan myself, I thoroughly enjoyed it and it’s one I would recommend to any fans of the genre!

Thanks for reading.

Callan