I’ve been having a rough couple of days, and the last thing I wanted to do was sit down to watch a frock flick that was going to depress me (because face it, so many frock flicks are depressing). I needed something light and fun, filled with attractive humans in good costumes. Enter The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015), Guy Ritchie’s gorgeous homage to the 1960s Cold War era TV spy show. Starring Henry Cavill, Armie Hammer, Alicia Vikander, Elizabeth Debicki, and Hugh Grant, it was exactly what the doctor ordered as far as eye candy goes.
Joanna Johnston (whose credits include some real bangers, such as Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Back to the Future III, Who Framed Roger Rabbit?, and Lincoln) was credited as costume designer, and let me just say, this film was like watching a 1960s Vogue magazine come to life. If you’re any kind of afficionado of mid-1960s haute couture, this film delivers in spades.
“I looked at a little bit of [contemporary fashion], but I didn’t want to be driven by runway. I wanted to go the other way around, so I started in the loose sixties, and then used my interpretation to see what would fall in well today, in contemporary fashion . . . I have a sort of consciousness, but I didn’t study it too heavily.”
— Joana Johnston, Inside Costume Designer Joanna Johnston’s Mod World for The Man from U.N.C.L.E.
Have you seen The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015)?
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I have not, but I need to see this movie! One of my very first memories as a child was watching this show and The Avengers! I’ve always been interested in stylish spy shows it seems!
Love this movie! I’m already having a challenging week, so I think I might have to put it on tonight (accompanied by a pink drink, of course). Cheers! :)
I was an uber-fan back in the day. Those guys are definitely eye candy, but — too tall!
I saw this movie in theaters. I prefer the original show, but the clothes, hair and makeup were nice.
THE SHOPPING SCENE. Two super spies arguing about whether the belt ought to match is the antidote to toxic masculinity we all need
“What’s wrong with the Patou?”
” Nothing, if you are fat.”
Hilarious.
It is deeply, deeply entertaining to imagine the late, great Mr David McCallum watching the opening part of the film, wondering who the heck this huge ‘Cossack’ fellah is, only to finally go “AH, there I am!” at the boutique bicker.
On one level, I loved the costumes in this movie. However, the latter is supposed to be set in 1963. There is no way the costumes were a reflection of that particular year.
I quite enjoyed this when I saw it during Covid (I watched lots of episodes of the original series as a young ‘un), though I found it a little tonally inconsistent – most of it was very much 1960s Bond/original series – colourful, witty, a bit frothy – but parts of it seemed to have dropped in from a Bourne or modern Bond movie, by my recollection.
The costumes were definitely ace, though, and I appreciated that the Soviet and American agents had to have their bacon saved by the Brits at the end!
I enjoyed this film and hoped that it would become a series of films but alas we can’t have nice things. I have vague memories of watching the original show in syndication along with Mission Impossible and The Avengers. I was a big spy nerd as a kid.
Questionable Early ’60s fashion, as someone who adores the Kennedy Era of ’60s Fashion. More mid-’60s Twiggy than Early ’60s Jackie O. I’m just nitpicking, I also love the clothes!
Undoubtedly one of Mr Guy Ritchie’s gifts to cinema and those who love a good Spy-Fi flick (Even in Mr Henry Cavill is even more annoyingly handsome than usual throughout).
Also, I’m fairly confident that if you’re looking for a new Galadriel then Ms Debicki is absolutely your first port of call.