In the dangerous and covert game of espionage; knowledge is power. In the new film “The Courier”; the true story of Greville Wynne (Benedict Cumberbatch); and his induction into a covert world is chronicled. Wynne is an English businessman who is inducted to meet with a Soviet official named Oleg (Merab Ninidze) who is passing along secrets to the west.
Despite his reluctance; Wynne agrees to deliver whatever is handed to him and uses the provision that he does not open nor know what is in the items he is handed in order to give him a level of deniability.
Over time Wynne and Oleg develop visit one another in Moscow and London under the guise of business. Wynne brings Oleg limited but not classified details in an effort to support his regular visits and interactions as he is portrayed as a greedy businessman who is doing things to help the Soviet system to Oleg’s superiors.
As his missions mount so do the tensions between Wynne and his wife who thinks he may be being unfaithful after finding out about a past affair. With the ongoing danger of his missions as well as the stress of keeping his secrets from his wife; Wynne becomes increasingly agitated and paranoid as danger surrounds him.
The film is a very captivating drama filled with interesting and compelling characters. Seeing the friendship between the leads is a crucial part of the dynamic as many Cold War films often focus on the danger and the nature of the work vs the relationship between the characters.
The fact that the players are seen as expendable pieces in a larger game by their handlers contrasts with how the principal characters look out for one another.
The film was captivating and the two-hour run time flew by even when the pacing of the film remained slow to convey the plodding methodology involved in their work.
The fact that the film is based on a true story makes it even more compelling and the scenes where Oleg discusses his hopes for a better world for his family in America really hit home.
The cast is very strong and the film delivers without relying on action sequences and car chases and is not to be missed.
4 stars out of 5
