"Operation Fortune: The Art of Winning". How Guy Ritchie turned Jason Statham into a poor man's Bond

On January 12, the premiere of a new film by British director Guy Ritchie "Operation Fortune: The Art of Winning" took place in Russia.

Richie, who started his career with films about petty English criminals, by 2023 managed to try himself in different genres. The historical "Sword of King Arthur", an attempt to make the classic "Sherlock Holmes", the family musical" Aladdin "- the director showed that he was able to make completely different films. Among them were "Agents A. N. TO. L." is a slightly nerdy but visually beautiful spy thriller that flopped at the box office. After 8 years, Richie returns with a new story about agents.

For the new film, Guy Ritchie assembled a well-known film crew. Screenwriters Ivan Atkinson and Marn Davis, composer Christopher Benstead, cinematographer Alan Stewart - they all worked on the films "Gentlemen" and "human anger». Starring Jason Statham, Aubrey Plaza, Josh Hartnett, Hugh Grant.

According to the plot, MI-6 is trying to return the secret weapon "Titan", stolen by criminals. A special mission is entrusted to Orson Fortune, a super agent who loves luxury, and he is appointed as an assistant

hacker Sarah and serious Marine JJ. As soon as it turns out that the alleged customer of the crime is a fan of a famous actor, the heroes recruit him as well. Completely different people start working as a team to find the secret weapon thief.

Simple plot

From the first minutes, the film shows that no complex and detailed descriptions of the warring parties are foreseen. There is British intelligence (very unpleasant people) and some secret world organizations (even more unpleasant people) - the heroes are locked between them, so they just complete the task.

Based on the simple conventions with which the film begins, one can easily guess the subsequent plot. It can be called both careless and insufficiently detailed. Sometimes it seems that there will be an open mockery of clichés, but then a new scene begins.

Stamps and their absence

The protagonist loves luxury, so not only is he well versed in wine, but he also evaluates the attractiveness of missions by a fee, and not by social importance. Fortune practically James Bond. But only practically, because his world lacks glamor and brilliance.

Several different countries appear in the film, a couple of cool cars and a giant yacht - a good set for a standard spy thriller, but there is a shortage of luxury items and locations.

However, the film answers the question "What if Jason Statham becomes the new James Bond?". Given the director-actor's long-standing relationship, as well as Richie's advertising background, one can even assume that the film is an election campaign for Statham - and not the worst. It will turn out a good Bond, but for the poor.

Standard late Ritchie humor

A lot of people still go to Guy Ritchie movies because they think "Cards, Money, Two Smoking Barrels" or "Snatch" are funny. The problem is that the director has been joking differently for a long time, especially in the dialogues. As if afraid of appearing politically incorrect, Richie eschews racist witticisms, practically refusing sexist ones, and the result is only a pun. Not only is this a kind of humor in general, but it is also killed by dubbing, so the jokes in translation are completely dull.

Almost all funny situations are related to the appearance of the characters and their charisma. Hugh Grant is as great as he is in the movieGentlemen”, Statham laughs with a mixture of brutality and absurdity, and Aubrey Plaza again plays a cynical character who teases everyone around. At the same time, the heroine's jokes are based on the fact that there are a lot of men around her, and this is how she teases them - all the witticisms are foreseen.

Good picture

The lack of luxury is compensated by a good and stable visual range. There are also high-quality (and varied) camera work, bright costumes, good acting. In principle, if the script were even worse, it would still hardly be evident - Richie long ago he learned to build a high-quality frame, regardless of what he needs to show.

Despite the fact that the film does not even try to be unique and relies on banal techniques, it is still a pleasure to watch. Good fights, a couple of bright chases, nice actors - you get a high-quality picture with appropriate musical accompaniment. At the same time, the film can be completely forgotten within an hour after leaving the cinema, this is a simple consumer product.