The Courier (2020) Movie Review

“The Courier” is a spy thriller movie that portrays the real-life story of Greville Wynne, a British businessman who helped smuggle thousands of pieces of intelligence out of Russia during the Cold War. The movie is directed by Dominic Cooke, and the screenplay is written by Tom O’Connor. It stars Benedict Cumberbatch as Greville Wynne, Merab Ninidze as Oleg Penkovsky, Rachel Brosnahan as CIA agent Emily Donovan, and Jessie Buckley as Sheila Wynne, Greville's wife.

The film is reminiscent of the Cold War-era spy-swapping 2015 film “Bridge of Spies,” with both films based on true events and featuring Russian spies, imprisoned agents, and a swap between Russia and the West. However, the swap is not the central plot in “The Courier,” and the Russian spy is working for MI6 and the CIA. The movie is a meditation on the individual cost of doing something not for personal gain but for the common good. Although there are a few cinematic clichés associated with this type of story, the film manages to keep the audience engaged with characters to root for and a fair amount of high stakes to overcome.

The movie revolves around Greville Wynne, a British businessman who smuggled thousands of pieces of intel out of Russia between 1960 and 1962. He is aided by Oleg Penkovsky, a far more experienced Russian agent. Wynne's role as a salesman who works his magic on Eastern European clients makes him a good smuggler, and as a Brit, he is assumed to be a purely capitalist creature whose only concern is money. However, he is recruited by MI6's Dickie Franks and CIA agent Emily Donovan to meet with Penkovsky, as any intel will help President Kennedy during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Initially, Wynne turns them down because the entire idea seems incredulous, but he is later convinced to help.

Wynne’s job of “making the clients happy” has the same thespian qualities of being a spy. He is playing a role, one that requires him to hide his true feelings and present a specific, carefully calibrated, unflappable front. Penkovsky reassures him that he’s handling the job well. As the two family men spend more time together, their guards lower, and the two become close friends. Cumberbatch and Ninidze do an excellent job conveying their newfound bond, which helps the viewer swallow the unbelievable decision that sets the second half of the film in motion.

The first hour of the movie, which focuses on the existing and budding human relationships in England and Russia, plays better than the prison-bound second hour. There’s a sweet, realistic dynamic between Sheila and Greville. Buckley gives an excellent performance that carries her over to the predictable moment when she has to pivot to the strong spouse cautiously awaiting the return of her husband. Her best scene is when she realizes the true nature of her husband’s secrecy, and how she may never have the chance to tell him she’s sorry for not trusting him.

We also spend time with Penkovsky and his wife and daughter. Their scenes are just as loving as the Wynnes', but they are tinged with more danger. Penkovsky is a decorated former soldier with many security clearances, and everyone in Russia has eyeballs that surveil for the state. One can easily predict that Penkovsky's espionage work will catch up with him, but it’s a bumpier road to believing that Wynne would risk life and limb to go back in to try and help him defect. Once he’s captured, “The Courier” loses steam as it isolates its main character for violent prison scenes that we’ve seen endless times before.

In conclusion, "The Courier" is a solid, if not groundbreaking, spy thriller that draws inspiration from real-life events. Director Dominic Cooke and screenwriter Tom O'Connor take the audience on a journey through the Cold War-era, showcasing the espionage and politics of the time. The film's strengths lie in the acting performances of the lead cast, particularly Benedict Cumberbatch and Merab Ninidze, who create a believable bond as two men from opposite sides of the Iron Curtain who become unlikely friends.

Overall, "The Courier" is a well-crafted and entertaining spy thriller that offers a glimpse into a tumultuous time in world history. While it may not reinvent the genre, it does provide a solid story and strong performances that make it worth watching for fans of espionage films.