While most people were seeing Finding Dory or Legend of Tarzan, I decided to venture out of the realm of expected and saw Our Kind of Traitor. Based on a John le Carre novel, the movie is a modern spy drama starring Ewan McGregor and Stellan Skarsgard. Armed with an interesting premise and an unusual combination of actors, can this movie be the spy movie we were all waiting for? I’m guessing not but who knows!?!?!
Story: The story revolves around a British professor and lawyer who are pulled in to helping a former member of the Russian Mafia, who is trying to get his family safely into London. The story is pretty clichéd, not going to lie. From the Russian Mafia influencing British politicians and an ‘off-the-books’ mission by MI6 to the innocent and stupid civilian trying to be a hero and the power of love putting everyone in danger (yeah I love that one). However once again the clichés are not a bad thing. The story is more or less engaging for the duration and keeps the audience guessing until the end.
Acting: Ewan McGregor and Stellan Skarsgard make for a strange duo. There are some scenes where they really hit it off and others where you’re just kind of confused. That being said, Skarsgard is pretty good as a whole, leaving McGregor in the acting dust, so to speak. Naomie Harris plays second fiddle as McGregor’s lawyer/wife, yet she proved to be more engaging than McGregor most of the time. The rest of the cast is pretty bland and while not a bad thing, it is not good for remembering the movie.
Presentation: The movie is quite diverse, starting in Marrakesh and shifting to places like the busy streets of London and the mountains of the Swiss Alps, and everything looks rather decent. While there are your stereotypical ‘action’ shots of places such as London and Paris, nothing seems copied. Everything feels fresh. This is supported with the soundtrack.
Effect: Again, while clichéd, it overall provided more of a spy story than the last 007 film (which was Spectre in case you forgot too). This is not the next great spy thriller out there but it is definitely worth the watch for spy fans.
Other: As a whole, I was engaged for the duration. There are a few ‘low’ scenes where I was left thinking about some of loop holes in the plot, but there weren’t many. This is a solid movie for those looking for a break from the animated films of July.
Like I just said, this is not the next great spy movie. Nor is it a fantastic thriller. What this movie is, is a solid film to hold action and drama buffs over until we get the next big summer blockbuster (that’s right I’m looking at you Suicide Squad).
Story: 6
Acting: 6
Presentation: 7
Effect: 7
Other: 7
Score: 6.6
No Duty to Watch 