5 For: Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre (2023)

In this first-ever installment of our weekly Movie Memory Machine mini-series, we spin off from Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre to bring you five stylish spy flicks that deliver the charm, tension, and flair Guy Ritchie's film tried to summon. From De Palma's Mission: Impossible to Hitchcock's North by Northwest, we spotlight the genre’s high points—and a few chaotic curiosities (looking at you, Casino Royale 1967). We also ponder Jason Statham’s self-parody arc, pay tribute to Cary Grant’s suits, and try to remember Kingsman without comparing it to Spy. This one’s for the trumpet players.

Films Discussed:

1. Mission: Impossible (1996)

2. Spy (2015)

3. Casino Royale (1967)

4. Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)

5. North by Northwest (1959)

Topics Covered:

• The evolution of the spy movie post–James Bond

• How Mission: Impossible reinvented the genre’s stakes

• Why Spy gets Jason Statham better than Jason Statham does

• Revisiting the offbeat parody that was Casino Royale (no, the other one)

• Matthew Vaughn’s candy-colored chaos in Kingsman

• Hitchcock’s influence on style, storytelling, and the spy archetype

Key Takeaways:

• Some spy movies age like wine; others age like minestrone.

• Operation Fortune wants to be cool—but these five films actually are.

• Cary Grant’s gray suit may be the single most influential piece of clothing in film history.

• Fashion, tone, and self-awareness are essential to pulling off spy pastiche.

Listener Prompt: What’s your favorite stylish spy movie? Did we leave off a gem? Let us know on social using #MovieMemoryMachine.

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