The Courier: the backdrop of Dominic Cooke’s film is fertile territory for such kinds of stories; this one is inspired by true events, and while it’s a solid and mildly thrilling account, it is far from walking into any new territories. It is efficient, but it’s hard to shake the feeling this film has been made before. The main characters are well-delineated, but not particularly dynamic. The performances are fine but not groundbreaking in any sense: Benedict Cumberbatch, as the protagonist, creates a man who is over his head at first. Merab Ninidze, as the man who betrays his country, is better. Jessie Buckley, as the English wife, is somewhat wasted in a toothless role. The film looks pretty good, in particular, Sean Bobbitt’s cinematography: the camera is elegant and simple in its movements and the very stylized lightning fits the material quite well. Suzie Davies’s production design efficiently recreates the time and place. Nice original music by composer Abel Korzeniowski.