The Courier

This is a version of a review airing on ABC Central Victoria on April 26, 2021.

(M) ★★★½

Director: Dominic Cooke.

Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Rachel Brosnahan, Jessie Buckley, Merab Ninidze, Angus Wright, Kirill Pirogov, Olga Koch.

"What do you mean you don't own a hat?"

The Cold War officially ended in 1989, but it keeps on giving - the pace may have slowed, but we still get a good Cold War film every few years. The best of recent times are undoubtedly The Death Of Stalin, Bridge Of Spies, and The Man From U.N.C.L.E..

And this one is reasonably good too, though not quite to the same level. Workmanlike in its delivery, it tells its exceptional true story in a suitably unexceptional manner, with a side of good old stiff-upper-lip Britishness to boot. It's a story that's been told before, but here it gets a half-decent budget and an excellent cast led by an unforgettable Benedict Cumberbatch.

The Courier is the fascinating real-life adventure of Greville Wynne (Cumberbatch), a British salesman recruited by MI6 to travel behind the Iron Curtain in the early '60s and bring back Soviet secrets from Russian war hero-turned-double agent Oleg Penkovsky (Ninidze). Wynne and Penkovsky's crucial role in changing the course of history contrasts with Wynne's problems at home, and an inevitable fate that lurks ominously on the horizon.

Cumberbatch was probably hoping for some awards and nominations to stem from his performance, and he would have been deserving. While those nods and noms haven't been forthcoming (oddly), this role finds Cumberbatch pushing himself to new extremes. There's a physical transformation to go with the seesawing emotions, confirming Cumberbatch's credentials as one of the best actors going around.

He's not alone in his endeavours. Buckley, so astounding in Wild Rose, confirms the suspicions of greatness as Wynne's put-upon and suspicious wife Sheila, bringing depths to the role that other actresses might not have found. Similarly Brosnahan sells her CIA spook Donovan as a real person and not a cliché. Both roles are solidly written, but both are taken to the next level by Buckely and Brosnahan. Along with veteran Georgian actor Ninidze, who is low-key yet mesmerising as Penkovsky, they ensure there are no weak points in the performances.

Indeed the performances are the most memorable part. There are no big scenes or killer dialogue (in fact there are a few dud lines in the mix), and the whole thing is weirdly subdued. This restrained Britishness does take some of the sting out of the tale - the peril and danger is evident, but the tension is lacking. 

And as the film progresses and things do turn grim, there's a shift in tone. The move is inevitable but the movie starts to drag, despite the stakes having finally risen to an acceptable point. It's weird, but in trying to be a quiet and un-showy story, some of the oxygen gets been sucked out of the film.

Yet, at its core there is a fascinating story of an everyman thrust into a world-changing situation, and the impact that has on his life. This, along with performances, is the thing that will stick with you the most film - not the film itself, but the story it tells. Much like Greville Wynne himself, The Courier is solid and does its job with a minimum of fireworks.