REVIEWS

A solid, somewhat old-fashioned spy thriller that will delight espionage fans

Certificate: 12A Director: Dominic Cooke Cast: Benedict Cumberbatch, Rachel Brosnahan, Merab Ninidze Released: Out now

For our money the golden age of the British spy thriller was the 1960s, the era of authors such as John Le Carré, Len Deighton and Adam Hall. Not the fantastical James Bond epics featuring Sean Connery behind the wheel of a gadgetladen Aston Martin (though they have their own charm), but movies like The Spy Who Came in From the Cold and The Ipcress File. Down-to-earth, full of cigarette smoke and battered rain macs. Dominic Cooke, the director of The Courier, is clearly something of a fan too. Based on the true story of Greville Wynn, the film stars Benedict Cumberbatch as the middleaged businessman who between 1960 and 1962 worked with Oleg Penkovsky, a high-ranking Soviet official, to pass top-secret documents and information to the West.

As suggested, owes as isn’t really interested in the mechanics of being a spy – more what it means to be one. Much of the film is spent on the impact that being a spy can have on one’s personal life, versus the impact on the world. The film makes clear the risks to both Penkovsky and Wynn and spends time exploring their motivations, resulting in an increasing build up of tension, leading to a devastating climax.