Operation Mincemeat

During the Second World War British intelligence wants Germany to believe the landings will come in Greece rather than Sicily. The method is this: attach false documents to a corpse and release it off the Spanish coast. John Madden directed, from Ben Macintyre's book. Colin Firth plays Lieutenant Commander Ewen Montagu, the Jewish barrister who ran the operation, and Matthew Macfadyen plays Charles Cholmondeley. The most uncomfortable part of the operation is in the film too: the body used was that of Glyndwr Michael, an unclaimed vagrant, given the identity of Major William Martin. German intelligence recovered it and believed the plan. The film invents things as well. A love triangle between Montagu, Cholmondeley and Leslie appears nowhere in Macintyre's book. Who actually wrote the fake love letters is still disputed among historians. Rotten Tomatoes has 83 percent of 115 reviews positive, with Metacritic at 65 from 27 reviews. On a 6.3 million dollar budget it grossed 15.7 million worldwide. Who it is for: viewers interested in espionage and wartime deception. Who it is not for: anyone expecting action. Almost all of it takes place in offices, preparing paperwork.