On Thursday, January 12, the comedy action movie Operation Fortune: The Art of Winning by Guy Ritchie (Snatch, The Gentlemen) is released in Russian cinemas.
The script for the tape was written by Ritchie himself in collaboration with Ivan Atkins and Marn Davis.
Filmmakers previously collaborated on the projects "Gentlemen" and "The Wrath of Man".
The starting point of the plot of the new picture is the theft from the laboratory of a classified item called "Titan".
The British government enlists a special squad of agents led by elite spy Orson Fortune (Jason Statham) to the case.
He is joined by young operative JJ (Bugzy Malone) and hacker Sarah Fidel (Aubrey Plaza).
The task of the team is to prevent the sale of a stolen and extremely dangerous thing that can destroy world peace and an established economic order.
Members of the squad know that the famous billionaire Greg Simmonds (Hugh Grant) is involved in everything.
For the mission to be successful, Fortune needs an ace up his sleeve.
It turns out to be Hollywood star Danny Francesco (Josh Hartnett), the billionaire's favorite actor.
However, it is impossible to carry out a mission without obstacles - competitors appear on the way of Fortune's special squad - mercenaries who also intend to take possession of the Titan.
Orson and other members of the team will have to show all their skills and resourcefulness in order to achieve the goal.
Richie's all-star cast and direction leave no doubt from the outset that each character will be performed superbly.
In this, the tape does not disappoint as expected.
Starring Jason Statham.
He appeared on the screen in the usual role of a tough, self-confident man, able to easily "lay down" all the bad guys.
The actor demonstrates restrained charm, strength and creates a powerful characteristic portrait of the protagonist, who, for all his seriousness, is not devoid of a sense of humor and taste: he loves collectible wine and after each mission is rehabilitated at the best resorts.
Statham is an action movie star, he knows what he is especially good at, and, without experimenting with something new, once again pleases the audience in the usual way.
© Shot from the film "Operation Fortune: The Art of Winning"
Another expected feature of the film was the appearance of Hugh Grant in the role of the cunning and dangerous, but extremely charismatic billionaire Greg Simmonds.
The actor often appears on the screen in the form of some kind of romantic bastards, and in this tape he is also charming and at the same time comical.
Initially, the character of Grant seems to be the main antagonist of the film, but gradually his position in the plot changes.
The versatility of the heroes of Guy Ritchie's painting makes it possible not to divide them into "bad" and "good", but to evaluate each by his actions.
Aubrey Plaza, meanwhile, imbues the film with his sexiness and vibrancy.
Her heroine is a smart, fatal and technically savvy woman who knows her own worth and knows how to use not only her intellect, but also her appearance when necessary.
Sarah Fidel, played by Plaza, adds spice to the male team, occasionally making Statham's character shy (if at all possible) with her spicy jokes.
When the squad is assembled and the plan is thought out, the thing that the viewer loves most in the films of Guy Ritchie begins - fun, action and mysteries.
The director easily holds the audience's attention with carefully crafted scenes of fights and chases, diluting the dynamism with humor, which is more here than, for example, in "The Wrath of Man".
All the action takes place against the backdrop of beautiful landscapes, mansions and hotels.
Ritchie takes viewers to France, Qatar, Turkey and Spain.
It is interesting that the picture seems to be divided into chapters by country: a new clue reveals another person in the case and leads the heroes to another country.
The overall picture of the film looks aesthetically pleasing and extremely expensive thanks to elegant outfits, an abundance of sparkling jewelry, beautiful cars and yachts.
The film crew did not stint on special effects either.
However, it is strange to expect otherwise from a quality action movie.
In addition, Guy Ritchie uses non-standard sound and visual solutions in his new tape.
Among them, for example, shooting a shootout in the style of a computer game.
Adding to the atmosphere is a 007-style soundtrack by Christopher Benstede, who previously worked on music for Richie's The Gentlemen and The Wrath of Man.
The plot of the picture does not differ in originality - and this is its only and insignificant minus, since, first of all, an action film should give emotions and sensations, and Operation Fortune: The Art of Winning copes with this.
A confusing story is secondary here.