Behind the Scenes of OPERATION FORTUNE: Star Cary Elwes Enjoys Doing His First International Spy Movie
By Dr. Tom Snyder Editor
Cary Elwes, iconic star of PRINCESS BRIDE, Mel Brooks’ ROBIN HOOD: MEN IN TIGHTS and the inspiring MOVIEGUIDE® Award-winning drama RESISTANCE: 1942, is one of the busiest actors in Hollywood. And, he just might be busier than ever.
Elwes stars in British Director Guy Ritchie’s original spy movie and action comedy, OPERATION FORTUNE: RUSE DE GUERRE. In the movie, he plays the handler for a team of spies hired by the British government to stop a stolen device from getting into the wrong hands and causing a deadly global crisis.
The movie is a spirited, funny action comedy with exciting set pieces and engaging comical performances. Elwes delivers a superb comical performance as the handler.
Though it’s marred by about 18 “f” words, two strong profanities and light crude comedy, OPERATION FORTUNE has a solid, positive moral worldview where the good guys are trying to save the world from some really bad people.
In an exclusive interview, Elwes told MOVIEGUIDE® he’s long wanted to work with Writer/Director Guy Ritchie, who makes stylish mystery thrillers, gangster movies, spy movies, and even fantasies like SHERLOCK HOLMES, THE GENTLEMEN, THE MAN FROM UNCLE, 2019’s ALADDIN, and LOCK, STOCK AND TWO SMOKING BARRELS. Ritchie is also known for discovering Jason Statham, action star par excellance.
“I asked my team to help me [get a role] with Ritchie and finally it happened.” Elwes said.
He said it was an absolute joy working with Ritchie. Every day on set was “great fun,” with lots of laughs.
“He [Ritchie] brings a certain strong work ethic [to the set],” Elwes added, in addition to his joyful attitude and sense of style.
Because of Ritchie’s strong guidance and positive attitude, Elwes found no big challenges on set other than just completing the work. Originally, he thought the COVID virus would be a big problem, but that turned out not to be the case at all. He also said he enjoyed working with all of his co-stars, which included Aubrey Plaza, Bugzy Malone and Hugh Grant as well as Jason Statham.
The movie was shot on location in Turkey and in England. Elwes said the people in Turkey were friendly, welcoming people.
“They could not have been more fabulous,” he said.
OPERATION FORTUNE is Elwes’ first international spy movie. Though he loves doing period dramas and has done many such movies because of his fascination for history, he tries to vary his roles from drama to comedy to animated voiceovers. He’s also written a bestselling memoir about working on the now classic fantasy comedy, THE PRINCESS BRIDE.
Two interesting side notes are that, as a teenager, Elwes worked as a production assistant on the movie SUPERMAN and was assigned to Marlon Brando, who insisted on calling him “Rocky,” and one of his ancestors, John Elwes, was a renowned English miser who allegedly was Charles Dickens’ inspiration for Ebeneezer Scrooge in A CHRISTMAS CAROL.
MOVIEGUIDE® advises strong caution to OPERATION FORTUNE: RUSE DE GUERRE, mostly because of the movie’s strong, gratuitous foul language.