Red Joan

Name: Red Joan
Genre: Biography, Drama, Thriller, Romance
Released: April 19, 2019
Duration: 101 min
Rating: 45
Cast: Alfie Allen, Ben Miles, Freddie Gaminara, Hasan Dixon, Judi Dench

2019

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Mixed or average reviews based on 22 Critic Reviews

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Movie Details & Credits

Lionsgate | Release Date: April 19, 2019 | NR

Starring: Alfie Allen, Ben Miles, Freddie Gaminara, Hasan Dixon, Judi Dench, Kevin Fuller, Kim Allen, Laurence Spellman, Olivia Buckland, Robin Soans, Sophie Cookson, Stephen Boxer, Stephen Campbell Moore, Steve Hillman, Tereza Srbova, Tom Hughes

Summary: Joan Stanley (Judi Dench) is a widow living out a quiet retirement in the suburbs when, shockingly, the British Secret Service places her under arrest. The charge: providing classified scientific information—including details on the building of the atomic bomb—to the Soviet government for decades. As she is interrogated, Joan relives theJoan Stanley (Judi Dench) is a widow living out a quiet retirement in the suburbs when, shockingly, the British Secret Service places her under arrest. The charge: providing classified scientific information—including details on the building of the atomic bomb—to the Soviet government for decades. As she is interrogated, Joan relives the dramatic events that shaped her life and beliefs: her student days at Cambridge, where she excelled at physics while challenging deep-seated sexism; her tumultuous love affair with a dashing political radical (Tom Hughes); and the devastation of World War II, which inspired her to risk everything in pursuit of peace. [IFC Films]… Expand

Director: Trevor Nunn

Genre(s): Biography, Drama, Thriller, Romance

Rating: NR

Runtime: 101 min

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Critic Reviews

Tiffany Tchobanian

Apr 15, 2019

Lindsey Shapiro has captured an intriguing piece of hidden history, showcasing women’s strengths and the overlooked roles they played during the world’s most turbulent times of war. Read full review

Deborah Young

Mar 21, 2019

A good old-fashioned British spy thriller. Read full review

Moira Macdonald

May 1, 2019

You sense that this woman has spent a lifetime not saying things, and that all she wants is to quietly be allowed to fade away. Read full review

Wendy Ide

Mar 21, 2019

Solidly competent and, for the most part, well acted the, film employs a safe, familiar approach and lacks the distinctive element which could boost its box office potential. Read full review

Elizabeth Weitzman

Apr 18, 2019

By the time the film was finished, I felt ready to move on from these characters. But I was definitely ready to learn more about Norwood. Read full review

The Observer (UK) Wendy Ide

Apr 22, 2019

This is film-making that feels rather dated and, unlike its resourceful protagonist, curiously risk averse. Read full review

Dennis Harvey

Mar 21, 2019

Tweedy, dreary, and unconvincing. ... It’s dismaying that so little drama is wrung out of the tale, and that what we get too often feels like a cliché-riddled romantic pulp. Read full review

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User Reviews

DawdlingPoet

Nov 23, 2021

As a character driven drama - a historical one at that and one based on a true story, I thought this was relatively fascinating. The story is undoubtedly a curious one and the cast give decent performances. Its not exactly constantly action packed or anything but its got some interestingAs a character driven drama - a historical one at that and one based on a true story, I thought this was relatively fascinating. The story is undoubtedly a curious one and the cast give decent performances. Its not exactly constantly action packed or anything but its got some interesting twists and turns and its, of course, quite thought provoking. I would definitely recommend this film, yes.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

Mauro_Lanari

Jun 20, 2019

(Mauro Lanari)
Trevor Nunn does not direct a biopic on Melita Norwood, barely mentioned in the closing credits as a source of inspiration, since she was a communist KGB agent. If anything, he is interested in a speech on geopolitical farsightedness by an exponent of the social minorities of(Mauro Lanari)
Trevor Nunn does not direct a biopic on Melita Norwood, barely mentioned in the closing credits as a source of inspiration, since she was a communist KGB agent. If anything, he is interested in a speech on geopolitical farsightedness by an exponent of the social minorities of the time, in this case women. Nothing bad if it weren't for the clumsy marriage between spy story and romance. Slow but not dull pace. And anyway, much better than "Allied" (Zemeckis, 2016).… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

GreatMartin

May 3, 2019

In 1999 Judi Dench won an Oscar for her 6 minutes on screen in "Shakespeare In Love" and here she spends a little more time on screen in "Red Joan". She has a fiery speech near the end that expresses the movie's moral stance. Dame Dench is no longer a newcomer to the big screen and is moreIn 1999 Judi Dench won an Oscar for her 6 minutes on screen in "Shakespeare In Love" and here she spends a little more time on screen in "Red Joan". She has a fiery speech near the end that expresses the movie's moral stance. Dame Dench is no longer a newcomer to the big screen and is more or less wasted in a role that seems to say 'many people in the audience came to see her so let's have her face on the screen for a minute or two every now and then'.

As many movies do these days it goes back and forth between Joan Stanley in her 80s and Joan in her 20s, played by Sophie Cookson, which would have been more effective after the opening seeing Joan being arrested for being a spy during WW 2. Cookson could have easily aged as the story is told and brought off a coup that has been done by others.

It supposedly 'inspired by the true story' of a KGB spy Melita Norwood though her name is never mentioned. She a graduate student at Cambridge in physics and gets involved with 3 men--I think--and soon rationalizes passing off papers about the atomic bomb that she feels would put Rusian on equal footing with the USA.

With all respect, if Judi had made fewer appearances it might have made more clear who became her husband and who was the father of her son played by Ben Miles. The other men in her life are played by Tom Hughes and Stephen Campbell while Tereza Srbova becomes her friend and introduces her to her cousin Leo with whom Joan has an affair with and begins getting involved with the politics of the time.

I had many questions regarding who she had affairs with, who the father of her son was, whom she married, how did she get back from Australia and why was she forgotten so many years.

"Red Joan" is a typical Britsh quiet spy movie without the noise and fast pace of the Bond movies. It also is bringing out of the closet many stories about women who did a lot during the war but were not giving respect as the men were during that era. She was just a woman who got the tea instead of supplying the important answers that the world was asking for.

For me it just makes me want to find out who the true Melita Norwood was an what happened to her.

Synopsis:

Joan Stanley (Judi Dench) is a widow living out a quiet retirement in the suburbs when, shockingly, the British Secret Service places her under arrest. The charge: providing classified scientific information—including details on the building of the atomic bomb—to the Soviet government for decades. As she is interrogated, Joan relives the dramatic events that shaped her life and beliefs: her student days at Cambridge, where she excelled at physics while challenging deep-seated sexism; her tumultuous love affair with a dashing political radical (Tom Hughes); and the devastation of World War II, which inspired her to risk everything in pursuit of peace. [IFC Films]… Expand

1 of 1 users found this helpful10

GinaK

Apr 29, 2019

It is hard to believe that a film about such an interesting subject (spies stealing nuclear secrets) starring Judi Dench and directed by Trevor Nunn could be so bland and dull. Although everyone shared in the dullness, the worst problem was Sophie Cookson, who played young Red Joan/JudiIt is hard to believe that a film about such an interesting subject (spies stealing nuclear secrets) starring Judi Dench and directed by Trevor Nunn could be so bland and dull. Although everyone shared in the dullness, the worst problem was Sophie Cookson, who played young Red Joan/Judi Dench throughout most of the film. Cookson had no charisma at all, and watching her was like drinking lukewarm water for 101 minutes.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

JLuis_001

May 16, 2019

For such an interesting story this was tragically dull.

And, jesus what a way to waste Judi Dench's talent.

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

TVJerry

May 14, 2019

Most people will probably see the film because it stars Judi Dench. Even though she plays the title role, most of the story is taken up with the younger version of her character (Sophie Cookson). It's based on the true story of a woman who shared England's nuclear secrets with Russia viaMost people will probably see the film because it stars Judi Dench. Even though she plays the title role, most of the story is taken up with the younger version of her character (Sophie Cookson). It's based on the true story of a woman who shared England's nuclear secrets with Russia via her lover and his sister. Even though there are 2 romantic entanglements, the constant flashback narrative unfolds with cold objectivity and not much passion. None of the performances are especially potent and the direction by Trevor Nunn, who's mostly known for this innovative theatrical productions, lacks much real drama. History buffs might enjoy seeing this tale unfold, but others are likely to be disappointed by the competent, but rather flat recounting.… Expand

0 of 0 users found this helpful00

hnestlyonthesly

Oct 7, 2019

This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Red Joan is the film we chose instead of Little based on its critical score (as of this writing, a 30% on Tomatometer, which I think gives you a little bit of an idea of the general landscape of our film fare this weekend. Before we left, we read some reviews that included such gems as the film is “a good old-fashioned British spy thriller” (which seemed promising), and “By the time the film was finished, I felt ready to move on from these characters” (which was less so). One commenter describes the film as “a cookie cutter British spy story,” and yet another wrote, “For such an interesting story this was tragically dull. And, jesus what a way to waste Judi Dench’s talent,” which spelled for us a slightly better than mediocre time, I think.

The film itself follows the story of The Cambridge Five, a group of British intellectuals who conspired to pass on plans for the atomic bomb to the Soviet Union during the Cold War through the eyes of shockingly hip choice of Sophie Cookson from the Kingsman and Huntsman franchises. It’s a mashup of college romance and a spy thriller kept on a very, very low boil, but her choices are pretty stale: either the mopey, emotionally manipulative Tom Hughes or the impossibly old husband of Claire Foy, Stephen Campbell Moore. The way that the story keeps hidden the parentage of Joan’s son, Nick, is pretty clever, makes for a lot of will-they, won’t-they tension, but ultimately it just feels like such a slog of a film and a political puzzler that finds equivalents between the two sides of the Cold War. Judi Dench sounds so defiant and resolved in her understanding of the impact she made on world history, but there’s so little introspection about why she does what she does.

Wife felt really differently about this film, but I think for all the wrong reasons. She says, “Every hat Young Joan wore in that movie was AMAZING,” and I think she has a lot to say about the complexity and fullness of the relationship between Joan and her frenemy Sonya Galich. Development of characters . She likes how the film teased out whether or not Joan is actually going to participate in espionage, because she so often in the film refuses to yield to Leo, to the point that you question if she actually is guilty of the crimes accused. And then once we actually get the moment of clarity, the reason is clear and her motives were clear. The son was a good audience surrogate who goes from sympathy to horror. Judi Dench could have been better utilized, she says, but it might have taken away from the drama of the story being told in her youth. There are certainly some logistical difficulties with what we’re told about the way that the identity of the husband and father of Joan’s children, but it also added an element of drama to the storytelling. There are certain moments when the difficulties of being a woman in a man’s world are emphasized very artfully (even though, I noted, I think that women who were science students in the 40s at Cambridge were prohibited from working alongside men, to the point that they worked in segregated labs, which you can still visit if you go to the History and Philosophy of Science building–so the images of her working with test tubes and Bunsen burners with her male counterparts are, in my mind, purely fictional. This info, I think, is from Nicholas Chrimes’s excellent book, Cambridge, A Treasure Island in the Fens).… Expand

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