Guy Ritchie's war drama wins critics but flops at the box office
One of the most original contemporary directors, Guy Ritchie, has not run well in theaters lately, especially in the United States. His latest movie, "The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare," also suffered a financial failure. However, the war drama has received very good reviews and opinions.
"The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare" tells a story inspired by true events about a secret unit established in 1939 at the behest of the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Winston Churchill. Comprising criminals and renegades, the squad was tasked with fighting Nazis across the fronts of Europe and Africa.
The script for Guy Ritchie's movie was based on Damien Lewis's book SAS. Ghost Patrol, which utilized declassified information from the British War Department about the combat unit, was co-created by, among others, the author of the James Bond novels, Ian Fleming. The story focuses on events from 1941 when British soldiers wore German uniforms to carry out one of the most audacious missions during World War II.
The declassified documents show that the renegade unit played a significant role in the Battle of Tobruk and contributed to the Allies' victory. "Their completely unconventional and utterly ‘ungentlemanly’ combat techniques, courage bordering on recklessness, changed the course of the war and laid the groundwork for the British SAS, the elite special forces unit of the British Army," Guy Ritchie explained in an interview with Empire.
Of course, "The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare" is not a classic war drama. It is a story told in Guy Ritchie's authorial style, drawing comparisons to Quentin Tarantino's movie "Inglourious Basterds", especially the story of Lieutenant Aldo Raine. However, viewers can admire Henry Cavill’s feats instead of Brad Pitt. The movie also stars Eiza Gonzalez ("Baby Driver", "Ambulance", "The Three-Body Problem"), Alan Ritchson ("Reacher"), and Cary Elwes ("Robin Hood: Men in Tights", "Saw").
"The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare" has received very good reviews in the States. On the Rotten Tomatoes website, the film has gathered 73 percent positive reviews from critics and an impressive 94 percent from audiences. Yet, there are very few of those viewers in theaters. During its opening weekend, the film earned only £7 million in the States (with a budget reaching £45 million).
Unfortunately, Guy Ritchie's latest productions ("Wrath of Man," "The Gentlemen," and "King Arthur: Legend of the Sword") have been selling very poorly in America. With its theme, "The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare" should enjoy greater popularity in Europe. The date of the Polish premiere is not yet known.
