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<p><b>New page</b></p><div>{{Short description|2021 British war drama film}}<br />
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}<br />
{{Infobox film<br />
| name = Operation Mincemeat<br />
| image = Operation Mincemeat.jpg<br />
| caption = UK theatrical release poster<br />
| director = [[John Madden (director)|John Madden]]<br />
| producer = {{Plainlist|<br />
* [[Charles S. Cohen]]<br />
* [[Iain Canning]]<br />
* [[Emile Sherman]]<br />
* Kris Thykier<br />
}}<br />
| screenplay = [[Michelle Ashford]]<br />
| based_on = ''Operation Mincemeat'' by [[Ben Macintyre]]<br />
| starring = {{Plainlist|<br />
* [[Colin Firth]]<br />
* [[Matthew Macfadyen]]<br />
* [[Kelly Macdonald]]<br />
* [[Penelope Wilton]]<br />
* [[Johnny Flynn (musician)|Johnny Flynn]]<br />
* [[Jason Isaacs]]<br />
}}<br />
| music = [[Thomas Newman]]<br />
| cinematography = Sebastian Blenkov<br />
| editing = Victoria Boydell<br />
| studio = {{Plainlist|<br />
* [[FilmNation Entertainment]]<br />
* Cross City Films<br />
* [[See-Saw Films]]<br />
* [[Cohen Media Group]]<br />
* Archery Films<br />
}}<br />
| distributor = {{plainlist|<br />
* [[Warner Bros. Pictures]] (United Kingdom)<br />
* [[Netflix]] (North America and South America)<br />
}}<br />
| runtime = 128 minutes<br />
| released = {{Film date|2021|11||British Film Festival|2022|4|15|df=y|United Kingdom|2022|5|11|United States}}<br />
| country = {{plainlist|<br />
* United Kingdom<br />
* United States<br />
}}<br />
| language = English<br />
| budget = $6.3 million<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Operation-Mincemeat-(2022)#tab=summary|title=Operation Mincemat (2022) - Financial Information|website=The Numbers|access-date=2022-11-03}}</ref><br />
| gross = $15.7 million<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/title/tt1879016/|title=Operation Mincemeat|website=Box Office Mojo|access-date=2022-08-27}}</ref><br />
}}<br />
<br />
'''''Operation Mincemeat''''' is a 2021 British [[war drama]] film directed by [[John Madden (director)|John Madden]]. It is based upon [[Ben Macintyre]]'s book on the British [[Operation Mincemeat]] during the [[Second World War]]. The film stars [[Colin Firth]], [[Kelly Macdonald]], [[Matthew Macfadyen]], [[Penelope Wilton]], [[Johnny Flynn (musician)|Johnny Flynn]] and [[Jason Isaacs]]. This was [[Paul Ritter]]'s final film appearance, and was dedicated to his memory.<br />
<br />
The film had its world premiere at the 2021 British Film Festival in Australia, and was released in the United Kingdom on 15 April 2022 by [[Warner Bros. Pictures]]. It was released on [[Netflix]] in North American and South American countries on 11 May 2022.<br />
<br />
==Plot==<br />
In 1943, the [[United Kingdom]] is deeply entrenched in World War II. Lieutenant Commander [[Ewen Montagu]], a [[Jewish]] lawyer, remains in England while his wife, Iris, and children travel to safety in the [[United States]]. Montagu takes a hiatus from practising law when he is appointed to the [[Double-Cross System|Twenty Committee]]. His loyal [[secretary]], Hester Leggett, comes with him.<br />
<br />
[[Winston Churchill]] has promised the United States that the [[Allies of World War II|Allies]] will invade [[Sicily]] by July of that year in order to push northward into Europe. However, Sicily is considered an obvious target and may be defended by the [[Wehrmacht]]. Admiral Godfrey informs the Twenty Committee that Britain must trick [[Nazi Germany]] into believing the Allies will invade [[Greece]]. [[Charles Cholmondeley (British intelligence officer)|Charles Cholmondeley]] proposes an operation from the [[Trout Memo]], which would entail a corpse carrying false secrets and washing ashore. Despite Godfrey's doubts, he gives Montagu and Cholmondeley permission to plan the operation with Lieutenant Commander [[Ian Fleming]].<br />
<br />
Operation Mincemeat sets up an office. As planning gets underway, Montagu and Cholmondeley obtain the body of a [[Vagrancy|vagrant]] named [[William Martin (Royal Marine officer)|Glyndwr Michael]], who died by possible [[Suicide methods#Poisoning|suicidal poisoning]]. The team gives him the false identity of Major William Martin, [[Royal Marines]], complete with a detailed backstory, ID photos, and an engagement. A [[widow]]ed secretary in the office, Jean Leslie, offers a photo of herself to serve as the fake fiancée. Cholmondeley has a crush on Jean, but soon realises that Montagu and Jean have romantic feelings for one another. This causes Cholmondeley to grow jealous and occasionally lash out at Montagu.<br />
<br />
Godfrey suspects Montagu's brother, [[Ivor Montagu|Ivor]], is a spy for [[Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic|Russia]]. He bribes Cholmondeley to spy on Montagu and, in return, Godfrey will locate and return the remains of Cholmondeley's brother, who was killed in action in [[Chittagong]], [[Bengal]]. Cholmondeley reluctantly agrees.<br />
<br />
Specialist [[MI5]] driver [[St John Horsfall|St John "Jock" Horsfall]] transports Montagu, Cholmondeley, and the corpse to the R.N. Submarine Base in [[Holy Loch]]. The corpse is then loaded onto the submarine [[HMS Seraph (P219)|HMS ''Seraph'']], under the command of Lt. Bill Jewell. On the morning of 30 April, the ''Seraph'' arrives in the [[Gulf of Cádiz]] and drops the corpse into the ocean. It is found by fishermen in [[Huelva]], [[Spain during World War II|Spain]]. Operation Mincemeat attempts to get the fake documents to [[Madrid]]. However, the mission is hampered by bad luck, as the Spanish have resisted Nazi corruption better than expected. Captain David Ainsworth, the British [[Military attaché|naval attaché]] in Madrid, meets with Colonel Cerruti of the Spanish secret police in one last attempt to get the papers to the Nazis. When Martin's personal things are returned to London, a specialist at Q Branch figures out that the documents were tampered with. This gives Operation Mincemeat hope that Germany retrieved the false information.<br />
<br />
Jean is ambushed and threatened by Teddy, a man claiming to be a spy for an [[20 July plot|anti-Hitler plot]] within Germany. She tells him that Major Martin was travelling under an alias but the classified information was genuine. After Teddy leaves, Jean informs Montagu and Cholmondeley. They come to believe that Colonel [[Alexis von Roenne]], who controls intelligence in the [[Oberkommando der Wehrmacht|Nazi High Command]], sent Teddy to verify information so Von Roenne could undermine Hitler. However, they have no way of being completely sure. Montagu takes Jean to his home for protection, but she accepts a job in Special Operations and soon leaves London.<br />
<br />
On 10 July, [[Allied invasion of Sicily|the invasion of Sicily]] commences. The news arrives that the Allied Forces suffered limited casualties, the enemy is retreating, and the beaches have been held. Afterwards, Cholmondeley admits he received his brother's remains in return for spying on Montagu. Feeling sympathetic and relieved that Operation Mincemeat was a success, Montagu offers to buy Cholmondeley a drink even though it's eight in the morning.<br />
<br />
The epilogue explains that Montagu reunited with Iris after the war, Jean married a soldier, Hester continued as Director of the Admiralty Secretarial Unit, and Cholmondeley remained with MI5 until 1952, later married, and travelled widely. Major William Martin's identity was revealed to be Glyndwr Michael in 1997 when an epitaph, with his real name, was added to Martin's headstone in Spain.<br />
<br />
==Cast==<br />
<!--- [[WP:CASTLIST]] - cast and order per closing tombstone stand-alone credits, roles per closing credits scroll ---><br />
{{cast listing|<br />
* [[Colin Firth]] as [[Ewen Montagu]]<br />
* [[Matthew Macfadyen]] as [[Charles Cholmondeley (British intelligence officer)|Charles Cholmondeley]]<br />
* [[Kelly Macdonald]] as Jean Leslie<br />
* [[Penelope Wilton]] as Hester Leggett<br />
* [[Johnny Flynn]] as [[Ian Fleming]]<br />
* [[Jason Isaacs]] as Admiral [[John Henry Godfrey|John Godfrey]]<br />
* [[Mark Gatiss]] as [[Ivor Montagu]]<br />
* [[Hattie Morahan]] as Iris Montagu<br />
* [[Mark Bonnar]] as [[St John Horsfall|Jock Horsfall]]<br />
* [[Paul Ritter]] as [[Bentley Purchase]]<br />
* [[Alex Jennings]] as [[John Cecil Masterman|John Masterman]]<br />
* [[Simon Russell Beale]] as [[Winston Churchill]]<br />
* [[James Fleet]] as [[Charles Fraser-Smith]]<br />
* [[Nicholas Rowe (actor)|Nicholas Rowe]] as Capt David Ainsworth<br />
* [[Will Keen]] as Salvador Gomez-Beare<br />
* Charlotte Hamblin as Patricia Trehearne<br />
* Lorne MacFadyen as Sgt Roger Dearborn (and) [[William Martin (Royal Marine officer)|Glyndwr Michael]]<br />
* [[Rufus Wright]] as Lt [[Norman Jewell|Bill Jewell]]<br />
* [[Jonjo O'Neill (actor)|Jonjo O'Neill]] as Teddy<br />
* [[Ruby Bentall]] as Connie Bukes<br />
* [[Ellie Haddington]] as Hilda Georgina Cholmondeley<br />
}}<br />
<br />
In addition, other notable historical figures are briefly included in the film, with [[Alexander Beyer]] as [[Karl-Erich Kühlenthal|Karl Kuhlenthal]], Nico Birnbaum as Colonel [[Alexis von Roenne]] and Pep Tosar as [[Salvador Moreno|Admiral Moreno]].<br />
<br />
==Production==<br />
It was announced in May 2019 that the film would be directed by [[John Madden (director)|John Madden]], and [[Colin Firth]] would star.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2019/05/colin-firth-john-madden-war-operation-mincemeat-filmnation-cannes-1202608707/ |title=Colin Firth To Star In John Madden WWII Story 'Operation Mincemeat'; FilmNation, Cross City & CAA Launch Sales — Cannes |last=Wiseman |first=Andreas |date=7 May 2019 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |access-date=10 January 2022}}</ref> [[Kelly Macdonald]] joined the film in October.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2019/10/kelly-macdonald-colin-firth-operation-mincemeat-1202766087/ |title='Boardwalk Empire's Kelly Macdonald Joins Colin Firth In WWII Drama 'Operation Mincemeat' |last=N'Duka |first=Amanda |date=22 October 2019 |website=Deadline |access-date=10 January 2022}}</ref> In December, [[Matthew Macfadyen]], [[Penelope Wilton]], [[Johnny Flynn (musician)|Johnny Flynn]], [[Tom Wilkinson]], [[Hattie Morahan]], [[Simon Russell Beale]], [[Paul Ritter (actor)|Paul Ritter]] and [[Mark Gatiss]] were added to the cast.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2019/12/operation-mincemeat-matthew-macfadyen-penelope-wilton-johnny-flynn-tom-wilkinson-join-wwii-drama-1202802275/ |title='Operation Mincemeat': Matthew Macfadyen, Penelope Wilton, Johnny Flynn & Tom Wilkinson Join WWII Drama |last=Wiseman |first=Andreas |date=6 December 2019 |website=Deadline |access-date=10 January 2022}}</ref> [[Jason Isaacs]] was announced as part of the cast in March 2020.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2020/03/jason-isaacs-star-icbs-drama-pilot-good-sam-1202872378/|publisher=Deadline.com|title=Jason Isaacs To Star In CBS Drama Pilot 'Good Sam'|first=Nellie|last=Andreeva|date=2 March 2020|access-date=8 April 2022}}</ref><br />
<br />
[[Principal photography]] began in December 2019 between [[London]] and [[Spain]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/382630/|title=John Madden ready to shoot Operation Mincemeat|website=Cineuropa|first=Davide|last=Abbatescianni|date=10 December 2019|access-date=19 December 2022}}</ref><br />
Filming locations include a battle scene at Saunton Beach in [[North Devon]] in February 2020 and a scene in [[Málaga]] in March 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|date=4 March 2021|title=Netflix y Warner se reparten el estreno del último gran rodaje internacional de Málaga|url=https://www.diariosur.es/culturas/cine/netflix-warner-reparten-20210304151531-nt.html|access-date=5 March 2021|website=Diario Sur|language=es}}</ref><br />
<br />
The film was [[Paul Ritter]]'s final appearance prior to his death, and it is dedicated to his memory.<br />
<br />
== Historicity ==<br />
<br />
Although the main thrust of the film is historically accurate, the filmmakers made some omissions and additions that were not in MacIntyre's book, including:<br />
<br />
*The creation of a fictional sub-plot involving a love triangle between Montagu, Cholmondeley and Leslie.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Della Cava |first=Marco |date=11 May 2022 |title=Fact-checking Netflix's 'Operation Mincemeat': Was James Bond's creator really involved? |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/entertainment/movies/2022/05/11/operation-mincemeat-netflix-movie-fact-check/9721384002/ |access-date=2022-05-19 |website=[[USA TODAY]] |language=en-US}}</ref><br />
*The exclusion of the significance of the role of [[Alexis von Roenne]]{{sfn|Boyd|2007|p=53}}{{refn|group=nb|Note: von Roenne was a senior Abwehr officer in Spain and a favourite of Hitler's (despite von Roenne having some Jewish ancestry). von Roenne ensured that the fake documents were sent drectly to Hitler; MacIntyre wrote that von Roenne must have known them to be dubious. Later, after the failed [[Claus von Stauffenberg|von Stauffenberg]] [[20 July plot|plot]] to assassinate Hitler, von Roenne, who was by then suspected of being sympathetic to the plot, was arrested and tried before [[Roland Freisler]]'s [[People's Court (Germany)|People's Court]], where he was found guilty by the show trial and hanged on a meat hook at [[Plötzensee Prison]].}} in ensuring that the fake documents came to Hitler's attention.<ref>{{cite news |first=William |last=Boyd |title=Operation Mincemeat by Ben Macintyre |date=16 January 2010 |url= https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/operation-mincemeat-by-ben-macintyre-pzkmtn028v6 |work=The Times |location= London |access-date=10 May 2019|quote=Baron von Roenne, head of the FHW, a man trusted by Hitler, declared them authentic}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Release==<br />
In February 2021, [[Warner Bros.|Warner Bros. International]] acquired the ''Operation Mincemeat'' distribution rights in the UK.<ref name=":0">{{cite web|url= https://deadline.com/2021/03/netflix-colin-firth-operation-mincemeat-deal-matthew-macfadyen-kelly-macdonald-efm-1234704769/|title= Netflix Strikes $15M North America & Lat Am Deal For Colin Firth WWII Movie 'Operation Mincemeat' — EFM|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Andreas|last=Wiseman|date=2 March 2021|access-date=2 February 2021}}</ref> The film had its world premiere at the 2021 British Film Festival in Australia,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://britishfilmfestival.com.au/films/operation-mincemeat|title=Operation Mincemeat|work=British Film Festival|access-date=6 February 2022|archive-date=31 March 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220331024606/https://britishfilmfestival.com.au/films/operation-mincemeat|url-status=dead}}</ref> and was released in cinemas on 15 April 2022.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/warner-bros-postpones-colin-firth-operation-mincemeat-britain-omicron-1235062171/|title=Warner Bros. Postpones U.K. Release of Colin Firth WWII Drama ''Operation Mincemeat'' as Omicron Soars (Exclusive)|date=14 December 2021|first=Alex|last=Ritman|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]]|access-date=14 December 2021}}</ref> [[Netflix]] purchased the rights to the film in North America and South America, and it was released on the streaming service in those territories on 11 May 2022.<ref name="netflix-deadline">{{Cite web |last=Wiseman |first=Andreas |date=2021-03-02 |title=Netflix Strikes $15M North America & Latin America Deal For Colin Firth WWII Movie ''Operation Mincemeat'' – EFM |url=https://deadline.com/2021/03/netflix-colin-firth-operation-mincemeat-deal-matthew-macfadyen-kelly-macdonald-efm-1234704769/ |access-date=2022-04-12 |website=[[Deadline Hollywood|Deadline]]}}</ref><br />
<br />
==Reception==<br />
On the review aggregator website [[Rotten Tomatoes]], 84% of 112 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 6.6/10. The website's critical consensus reads, "If its fact-based story proves more fascinatingly outlandish than it's presented here, ''Operation Mincemeat'' remains an engaging and well-acted wartime drama."<ref>{{cite Rotten Tomatoes|type=m|id=operation_mincemeat|title={{PAGENAMEBASE}}|access-date=May 10, 2022}}</ref> [[Metacritic]], which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 65 out of 100 based on 27 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".<ref>{{cite Metacritic|type=movie|id=operation-mincemeat|title={{PAGENAMEBASE}}|access-date=May 10, 2022}}</ref><br />
<br />
==See also==<br />
*''[[The Man Who Never Was]]'', 1956 film based on [[The Man Who Never Was (book)|Ewen Montagu's book]] of the same name about Operation Mincemeat<br />
<br />
==Notes==<br />
{{Reflist|30em|group=nb}}<br />
<br />
==References==<br />
{{Reflist}}<br />
<br />
==External links==<br />
* {{IMDb title|1879016}}<br />
<br />
{{John Madden}}<br />
<br />
[[Category:2021 films]]<br />
[[Category:2021 drama films]]<br />
[[Category:British historical drama films]]<br />
[[Category:British war drama films]]<br />
[[Category:Films directed by John Madden]]<br />
[[Category:Films scored by Thomas Newman]]<br />
[[Category:Films set in 1943]]<br />
[[Category:Films set in Andalusia]]<br />
[[Category:Films set in London]]<br />
[[Category:Films set in Madrid]]<br />
[[Category:Films set in Scotland]]<br />
[[Category:Films set in Sicily]]<br />
[[Category:Films shot in London]]<br />
[[Category:Films shot in Spain]]<br />
[[Category:World War II films based on actual events]]<br />
[[Category:Operation Mincemeat]]<br />
[[Category:2020s English-language films]]<br />
[[Category:2020s British films]]</div>Bot