There was a time when we thought Russia was a bad guy. Heck, we didn’t think it, we knew it. “Those damn red bastards.” There’s an entire generation of men and women whose political history is wrapped up in the condemnation of the USSR. It seems sad now that the same generation who just knew the Russkys were the bad guys sat by and nodded amiably while Putin manipulated US politics for the last half-decade. All I can say is: you’re wrong now … and you were probably wrong then, but at least you were consistent during the Cold War.
One of the details lost in the Cuban Missile Crisis is: “How did the United States know the USSR was sending missiles to Cuba?” And the answer is two men: ordinary English salesman Greville Wynne (Benedict Cumberbatch) and Soviet Colonel Oleg Penkovsky (Mereb Ninidze). The Colonel was concerned about how erratic Nikita Khrushchev had become in the Cold War and decided to appeal to a saner group, the United States (HA!) FWIW, Premier Khrushchev is described here in very Trumpian terms which –I imagine- is how the piece is supposed to appeal to movie-going Americans. All I can say is: Nobody is like Trump. Nobody. To get to Trump’s level of narcissism, corruption, and stupidity, Khrushchev would have to be on an all-radium diet for at least a year.
After getting wind that Penkovsky wants to leak bad stuff ‘bout the Reds, MI6 and CIA handlers go through a selection process to figure out who will be The Courier and arrive at a unique solution: let a layman do it. This solution has the benefit of being both genius and completely stupid at the very same time. Yes, the Russians won’t suspect bland awkward salesman Greville Wynne for exactly the reasons you don’t pick a bland awkward salesman to be James Bond. And for 
months on the premise of doing business with the USSR, Greville Wynne smuggled secrets out of Russia – including the fact that Khrushchev wanted to put nuclear missiles in Cuba.
This is where the picture both works and does not. Greville makes a surprisingly believable Courier because he’s bland and awkward. And the film marches along despite its hero being bland and awkward. The screenplay tries to spice things up by adding a domestic issue with Greville’s wife (Jessie Buckley) and beefing the part of his CIA handler (Rachel Brosnahan), but the truth is –despite the HUGENESS of the Cuban Missile Crisis—the film is rather listless until Greville’s road gets rocky, which happens far too late for my tastes.
I am constantly amazed at how exciting history can be turned into the mundane, but it happens too often for it to be a coincidence; almost all history needs to be enhanced for a movie audience. It bites, but –let’s face it- non-fiction, sad to say, is rarely more entertaining than fiction. Overall, I give this film a pass not because of the history you know, but because of the history you don’t know. The Courier is a dullard; the film becomes a much more compelling when The Courier ceases being The Courier. If you’ve come to learn about Cuba and have a little food on your time, you’re probably wasting both.
For decades we waged endless war
Stockpiling bombs and rockets galore
Mixed results from our chase:
Is the world a better place?
What a relief Russia is a foe no more
Rated PG-13, 112 Minutes
Director: Dominic Cooke
Writer: Tom O’Connor
Genre: That time when we all agreed Russia was a bad guy
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: English everymen
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: People who need their thrillers to be more thrilling
