Sometimes, the most extraordinary people are the most ordinary. For example, take real-life English businessman Greville Wynne. British Intelligence approached this civilian with an audacious proposition to act as a courier between MI6 and one of their greatest undercover assets, a high-ranking GRU Colonel in Soviet Intelligence who had access to confidential material. "Hallowed Crown" BBC mini-series director Dominic Cooke and "The Hitman's Bodyguard" scenarist Tom O'Connor have chronicled Wynne's brief career in "The Courier" as a go-between behind the Iron Curtain. Mind you, Greville looked nothing like James Bond. Heavily mustached and hopelessly out of shape, Wynne imbibed more alcohol than necessary. Furthermore, he looked so nondescript you could pass him on the street and never give him a second glance. When MI6 recruits him, they are searching for an inconspicuous salesman who won't attract attention. Initially, such an offer captivates Greville, but he thinks twice before he accepts it. One of the reasons that changed his mind is the prospect that the Soviets might rain down their nuclear arsenal on England, and everybody from Greville's wife to his son Andrew would die without enough body parts to justify a coffin. The threat of a nuclear holocaust dangled like the Sword of Damocles over not only his homeland but also his family. As it turns out, Greville played a key role in the infamous Cuban Missile Crisis that pitted the two superpowers-the United States and the Soviet Union-in what could have been a nuclear Armageddon. If you saw Roger Donaldson's "Thirteen Days" (2000) with Kevin Costner, this superb saga chronicled the political showdown between U. S. President John F. Kennedy and feisty Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev in October of 1962.
Although it eschews martinis shaken but not stirred and gravity-defying martial-arts acrobatics, "The Courier" is still a nerve-racking ordeal from start to finish, and the filmmakers don't tamper with the historical details as they might have. This PG-13 thriller never runs out of suspense during its gripping 112-minute runtime. The performances and attention to atmosphere make it a splendid addition to other realistic British espionage epics in the mold of John Le Carre's bestsellers that became notable movies like "The Spy Who Came in from the Cold" (1965) and "Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy" (2011). Benedict Cumberbatch, star of the BBC-TV's "Sherlock" and "Dr. Strange" in the Marvel/Disney franchise, toplines as the gregarious Greville, and the role allows Cumberbatch to alter his appearance, so he looks like nobody special. Of course, Wynne has considerable trepidation about his new venture. He fears he may be caught, imprisoned, and perhaps even face a firing squad. Repeatedly, spymaster Dickie Franks (Angus Wright of "Cutthroat Island") and CIA liaison Emily Donovan (Rachel Brosnahan of "Beautiful Creatures") assure him he'll never arouse Soviet suspicions.
Eventually, when he meets his Soviet contact, Oleg Penkovsky (Merab Ninidze of "Hostages"), the Russian allays Greville's anxieties about capture. Oleg points out to Greville that he isn't technically a spy since he won't know the secrets he is smuggling from East to West. Nevertheless, Greville doesn't share Oleg's confidence. He is dismayed when he cannot discuss his extracurricular activities with his wife, Sheila (Jessie Buckley of "Beast"), and this exacerbates their domestic discord. Apparently, Greville committed a marital indiscretion in the past and neither Sheila nor he have resolved the problem. Suffice to say, Sheila suspects Greville is cheating on her again, but this time in faraway Moscow.
Oleg coaches Greville about the propriety of their relationship in public. He warns the British salesman that Soviet Intelligence will keep him under constant surveillance. Furthermore, the KGB will search his hotel rooms, while bellhops and custodians will keep track of his activities. Greville is told everybody in the Soviet Union serves as the KGB's eyes and ears. He must never say anything in public because the KGB has lip-readers, and he should always take his cues from Oleg. They attend Soviet cultural events, like the ballet, and Oleg introduces him to his wife and daughter. However, Greville cannot join them at supper because the Soviets prohibit foreigners from dining in the homes of their subjects. However, Greville accommodates Oleg when he appears as a part of the Soviet trade delegation in London. He invites Oleg to dine with his family. Eventually, an inquisitive KGB Inspector, Gribanov (Kirill Pirogov of "Dark Planet"), visits Oleg at his office and questions him at length about Greville. Oleg assures Gribanov that Greville is obsessed primarily with economics rather than political ideology. Gribanov admits that he has perused all of Oleg's reports about the Briton.
The turning point comes when MI6 wants to pull Greville from the field. By this time, Greville has grown accustomed to the KGB's scrutiny. Someday, he knows Oleg plans to defect with his family and relocate to Montana. Suddenly, MI6 and the CIA show a complete lack of remorse about Oleg's fate. Of course, Greville could have walked away from the intrigue and its dangers, but his camaraderie with Oleg prompts him to return to Moscow. Greville tells them Oleg would never abandon him in the field, and he refuses to abandon Oleg. This represents a palatable change in Greville's attitude, compared to when he feared getting arrested. "The Courier" is a personal story based on actual events. Nothing genuinely alarming occurs in the plot until the final half hour. "The Courier" is largely a character driven drama. No innocent bystanders clutter up the predicaments, but the KGB looms as an inexorable adversary. Ultimately, "The Courier" achieves significance because it covers the earliest stages of the impending Cuban Missile Crisis. Signs that Khrushchev sought to place missiles in Cuba to counter U. S. missiles in Turkey came from Oleg's messages Greville sneaked back to MI6. Their combined undercover work gave the CIA enough of a heads up to prepare for this contingency. They changed history, and therein lays their importance. Indeed, you'll get carried away by "The Courier" and its inspirational history.
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