DVD Review: A Call to Spy

A Call to Spy

(DVD Call)

 

I first saw this on the new DVD releases display at WalMart, and realized I’d never seen any promos for it at the time of its 2019 theatrical release. Seeing that one of its stars was Stana Katic, who starred as Kate Beckett for seven seasons on the ABC detective series Castle, of which I was a huge fan, I immediately placed a hold on it through the LibraryLNK app — and then it turned out my wife got a library copy before my hold came in.

 

A Call to Spy is a gritty and emotional World War II story, based on real life events. Katic plays Vera Atkins, a Romanian-born female British intelligence officer, whose work for the Special Operations Executive in the early years of the war included the recruitment of 37 female operatives, who were sent undercover into hot spots occupied by Axis powers, particularly throughout France, to create resistance cells and report back via wireless on enemy movements. These women were in deadly danger at all times, especially those responsible for using the wireless — an activity constantly watched for and targeted for reprisals by the Nazis.

 

This film focuses on her efforts along those lines with two specific women — Noor Inayat Khan (played by Radhika Apte), and Virginia Hall (played by Sarah Megan Thomas — who also wrote the screenplay). Hall was an American who had been injured and supplied with an artificial leg, and Khan was a British Muslim. Both were sent into France, with differing levels of success. Meanwhile, on the home front, Atkins fights against prejudice and distrust amongst the all-male intelligence command structure.

 

This was a compelling film, and made me curious about the real-life story of Atkins and the other women. Research indicates that this film simplifies some of the complex situations they all found themselves in, and Atkins had a very up-and-down relationship with British intelligence. But for a 2-hour movie that needed to streamline the story somewhat, I found this to be excellent — both entertaining and educational. And the performances were top notch, particularly Thomas and Apte, who do a good job of showing how dire their characters’ situations can become. Strongly recommended, especially for fans of war films, espionage films, or films focusing on strong female characters — in this case real historical figures.

 

[ Internet Movie Database entry for this film ] | [ official A Call to Spy web site ]

 

Recommended by Scott C.
Bennett Martin Public Library — Public Services

 

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