Our society thrives on stories which demonstrate the underdog spirit - unlikely heroes that rise from the ashes. In terms of biblical stories we have the story of David and Goliath, in which a young shepherd who was no more than a boy took down a giant with a single rock from a slingshot. The story of Noah, who by some accounts was a drunk, called to make an ark that would survive the great flood. King Josiah, who was no more than a boy when he was a king. The stories of the Bible are full of countless underdogs rising to the occasion to be heroic figures. But perhaps the Bible isn’t exactly for you.
We have figures like Hal Jordan or Jaime Reyes, just to name a few from the pages of DC Comics. The former is an air pilot who came into his own. Perhaps I’m remembering the Ryan Reynolds led film over the comics, but the film recognizes that Jordan has the ability to overcome great fear. The unlikely hero who would find his place among the greatest defenders of the DC Universe, all while wielding the most powerful weapon in the galaxy. The latter is merely a teenager who came into the mantle of Blue Beetle. An unwilling participant who eventually rose to the same greatness as his predecessors. Jane Smith, in recent years, for Marvel has undergone the same treatment taking up the mantle of Thor as the Goddess of Thunder.
We cling to underdog stories because they inspire us to grow. They make us hopeful. Stories like the men's USA hockey team that won the Olympic gold in 1980. Many of us may remember that story from the 2004 biopic, Miracle. Icons like Tonya Harding who had everything to prove and below away everyone’s expectations, even if it bordered on scandalous. Now we come to the story of a British businessman named Greville Wynne. Wynne was hired by the Secret Intelligence Service to deliver secret messages to agents. His story is now the subject of the film The Courier, starring Benedict Cumberbatch in the shoes of Wynne.
Perhaps the thing which is most notable about The Courier is the break out relationship between Cumberbatch and Merab Ninidze. The latter plays the Soviet Agent Cumberbatch works with in order to stop nuclear war. The two have a genuine chemistry that the film so badly needed. The majority of the movie lives and dies with these two actors. Individually we get to see their families and respective businesses. This part of the movie feels more like dead air than anything else. It should be character development but it comes across as nothing more than content filler.
A good deal of that filler content leaves audiences wanting more. Not that there is anything necessarily bad about the other performers in the movie; they just fail to stand out to the same degree as Cumberbatch and Ninidze. Both actors display their mastery of the craft in every scene that they are in. The film’s third act really allows each actor to shine in their own right. Good performances can only take a film so far however. The Courier is a paint-by-numbers spy thriller that only stands out due to its performances. It hinges on predictable actions and character decisions especially within the last act.
While The Courier is a spy thriller, it is also a true story. Another strong weapon within its arsenal is Tom O’Connor’s script. O’Connor manages to showcase multiple different sides of the missile crisis and ultimately demonstrates how each party fit into the larger equation, while illustrating how they also were able to stop the threat before nuclear annihilation was on the line. These parts are engaging and help establish some of the film’s more thriller-based moments. The score by Abel Korzeniowski helps to balance the film’s more somber moments with its exciting ones. His chance to shine really comes at the film’s climax with Cumberbatch’s character. It is a magnificent showcase of Korzeniowski’s capability to capture emotion.
Overall, The Courier is your run-of-the-mill spy thriller that has a few elements that help it stand on its own legs. The breakout performances from Benedict Cumberbatch and Merab Ninidze are the film’s emotional core, while the score from Abel Korzeniowski strengthens that core. The two meet beautifully in the film’s third act. It is extremely satisfying. The film can be predictable at times. Not to mention it’s pacing can be a bit of an issue at times. A good deal of the film’s second act is more dead air than actual film. Still, The Courier is inspiring, though forgettable.
RORSCHACH RATING:
Mental Health Moment: Early on in the film, Cumberbatch and Ninidze meet. They are explaining how the two of them can make a difference and truly change the situation at hand. While I won’t tell you the fate of both men I will say they were right. They did end up making a difference by stopping the Cuban Missile Crisis. Their work established a direct line between the United States and the Kremlin in hopes of avoiding this sort of conflict again.
Stories like The Courier prove that anything is possible if you believe in it and you’re winning to fight. We live in a time now where suicide has been the tenth leading cause of death in the United States for more than five years running. We live in country where 130 friends, families and loved ones lose someone to suicide every day. Yet organizations like The American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, The Trevor Project, Cope Notes, RAINN, and even those of us here at Victims and Villains, among so many others, are fighting day and night for your mental health and your healing. It starts with just one. Life is terrifying but you’re not alone. We are fighting for your healing and your future. We are fighting so that you know and properly understand your value and worth. Please consider our resources.
If you or someone you know is reading this right now and struggling with suicide, depression, addiction, or self-harm - please reach out. Comment, message, or tweet at us. Go to victimsandvillains.net/hope for more resources. Call the suicide lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Text "HELP" to 741-741. There is hope & you DO have so much value and worth!
Victims and Villains is written (and produced) by Josh "Captain Nostalgia" Burkey and others, and edited by Cam Smith. Music by Mallory Johnson and others. The Courier is property of Lionsgate and Roadside Attractions. We do not own nor claim any rights.
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