War. Intrigue. Spies. Double agents. Deception. Love. Valor. Victory. Throw in two of the most popular Mr. Darcys and this is a recipe to a first class war thriller. This is Operation Mincemeat.

Colin Firth stars in this war-time spy thriller as Ewen Montagu, a Jewish lawyer turned operative for a counter-espionage committee in the UK. Together with his faithful secretary, Hester (Penelope Wilton), he engages in an outrageous plan to deceive the German forces regarding an attack by the allied forces on Italy.

The mastermind of this plan, Charles Cholmondeley (Matthew Macfadyen), is an RAF pilot turned British Intelligence Officer who is as serious as they come. Despite his straight laced appearance, it is soon revealed that Cholmondeley has a secret soft spot for, Jean Leslie (Kelly Macdonald) a secretary with the team. As the work towards the deception continues the personal lives of the key team members become complicated as the line between the deception and reality becomes blurry.

This cast is stacked with star power and with genuine talent. Firth and Macfadyen have such delicious chemistry that the connection between Firth and Macdonald could almost go unnoticed, despite its intensity. Not to be overshadowed, Wilton’s moxie lights up the screen every time the camera catches her. She is, as always, an utter delight.

An interesting twist to this story is that it is narrated by a fellow intelligence officer and budding novelist, Ian Flemming (Johnny Flynn). While it seems like a stretch, Ian Flemming, of the future James Bond novel success, was an intellegence officer and did write the Trout Memo that held Operation Mincemeat as one of many proposed deceptions against the Axis forces.

This film is based on a book by Ben Mcintyre by the same name and was developed for the screen by Michelle Ashford. Since its release, Operation Mincemeat enjoyed a positive reception from critics and viewers alike.

Be sure to catch this war-time spy thriller, streaming now on Netflix.