Six Minutes to Midnight (2020)

  

            “Six Minutes to Midnight” was directed by Andy Goddard. He directed some episodes of “Downton Abbey”. The story was written by Eddie Izzard and Celyn Jones. It made only $2.4 million. The title refers to a code used by the British agent played by Izzard.

            It’s August, 1939 in Great Britain. War is on the horizon. There is a finishing school for girls from Nazi families. A British agent is working undercover as a teacher. When his cover is blown, he tries to alert his handlers, but is killed first. British intelligence replaces him with Capt. Thomas Miller (Izzard). He finds out the German government is planning to bring the girls home. When he tries to pass the news on, a female teacher who is actually a German agent kills his handler and frames him for the murder. Miller goes on the lam. And it’s a race against time before the girls will be flown out secretly, along with the woman agent.

            “Six Minutes to Midnight” has too many contrivancies. More than your typical espionage thriller where the hero is accused of a crime he didn’t commit. It breaks the envelope of realism that these kind of movies have.There are plot developments that make no sense. Why don’t the British want the girls to go back to Germany? Holding them hostage surely would cause the German government to retaliate by holding British citizens caught in Germany when the war begins. Besides, if the Germans send a plane to pick up the girls, isn’t that a warning that war is imminent? Seems like that would come in handy for the British government to know.  There are some interesting plot twists that make it fairly entertaining. Izzard is solid as the protagonist. It was a pet project of his so he gives his all. He wouldn’t be my first choice for a secret agent, but he doesn’t distract. Having Judi Dench as the head of the school adds some gravitas to a film that would be even more of a trifle if not for her.

GRADE  =  C-