SIX MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT

UK, 2020, 109 minutes, Colour.

Eddie Izzard, Judi Dench, Carla Juri, James D'Arcy, Celyn Jones, Finty Williams, Jim Broadbent.

Directed by Andy Goddard.

A British espionage story but not quite the story we might expect.

It is the summer of 1939. In fact, it begins when there are only 19 days before Hitler’s invasion of Poland. We are in Bexhill-on-Sea, an attractive coastal town with impressive cliffs and local Castle ruins. But the action takes place principally in the neighbourly to school for girls. Before the final credits, there are photos of the school in the 1930s, photos of the students. And the star, Eddie Izzard, grew up in Bexhill, knows the stories (as well as being inventive) and has co-written the screenplay and a central role for himself.

The film opens, as many an espionage story does, with a mysterious character, searching for something in the dark library, failing to find it, night, bicycling away from the school to the local pier, sitting in a deck chair, waiting. No surprise when his body turns up later on the beach where the girls are doing gymnastic exercises.

Which means that the school has a vacancy so Eddie Izzard as Tom Miller turns up for an interview with the principal, played with her usual effective presence by Judi Dench. There is only one other member of the staff, an energetic young woman who supervises the girls, Ilse (Carla Juri), coaches them in their sport and athletic activities, prepares them for a choral reception for local and visiting dignitaries.

To some extent, familiar and ordinary.

But, of course, the question is who are the girls? They are German, daughters of significant people in the Nazi regime, part of an Anglo- German alliance of sympathisers to German culture and to Hitler’s politics.

Actually, Tom fits into the school rather well, girls responding to his English literature classes, his playing the piano for their rehearsals, and for their exercises, their poise as they walk with dignity books balanced on their heads. But, of course, it cannot last.

All kinds of German connections and, with the women imminent outbreak of war, the plan is to send a plane from Germany to pick up the girls on top of the cliffs near the castle where they had visited on an excursion. Whitehall has been trying to find out information as to the plan and the location for the landing and evacuation. Tom becomes more involved in it than we had initially imagined. So does the tutor at the school. But it all happens behind the back of the headmistress who becomes bewildered at what is going on.

Also in the scenario is the local bus driver, Charlie, an ever-genial Jim Broadbent. There are military officials down in Bexhill trying to make contact. A captain and a corporal are sent down to make investigations, especially when the Whitehall authority is shot dead. Tom, of course, is suspected and spends a lot of time evading pursuit (helped by Charlie and his bus as well).

This is the kind of film that gets moderate reviews from reviewers who suggest that they have seen this kind of thing before and seen better. However, it is an old-fashioned spy thriller which offers   significant appeal to audiences who do like old-fashioned spy thrillers.

1. Espionage in England? The weeks before the invasion of Poland? British patriotism? Anglo- German connections? Old style espionage thriller?
2. The title, the code, Whitehall, British agents, investigating Germans?
3. The opening, the teacher at the school, his search for the microfilm, leaving, making contacts, on the pier, his disappearance, later washed up on the beach? Audience suspicions?
4. The story of the school, based on actual school, Bexhill-on-Sea? The German girls, in England, their fathers in the Nazi government? The style of education? Anglo- German links? The number of girls, their age? The principal and her devotion, the teacher and her efficiency, training the girls and exercises, the influence on the girls?
5. Thomas Miller, coming for the interview, the discussions with the principal, his references, German and English heritage, knowing the language? With the girls in the class, singing Tipperary, playing the piano during their posture walk? Being accepted into the school?
6. The picture of the girls, Teutonic in their manner, the bullying of Gretel? Her wandering by herself on the beach? Finding the body? The girls, the emphasis on physical training? The girls amongst themselves, the dormitory, chatter…?
7. The celebration, the girls and the performance, the German Minister? The discussions with Ilse? The revelation about the evacuation of the girls, her killing the teacher? Thomas hiding, photographing the documents?
8. Thomas, making contact with Whitehall, on the pier, in the car, Ilse shooting the contact? The police, Thomas and the gun, being pursued, hiding under the pier, pursued over the rocks, the day at the beach, the band, his getting the uniform, trying to get to the phone, being pushed away, marching with the band, the pursuit, his being arrested, in jail?
9. Capt ain Drey, his manner, the interrogation? With the corporal? Thomas and his explanations, the phone call to Whitehall, Thomas overcoming the Captain, the escape, the encounter with Charlie, the early sequences and his driving the bus, his taking him to his house, the clothes, the escape, the telephone call, the Captain apprehending him? His shooting the corporal? Thomas running, the Captain about to shoot him, the corporal killing him?
10. The return to the school, the plan for the evacuation, Ilse and her taking all the girls, packed, the return to the castle they visited the excursion? The flares for the planning? Reaction of the girls, Ilse and the gun?
11. The contact with Whitehall, the German plane coming, the flares and the landing, the RAF intersecting, chasing off the plane?
12. Thomas, the gun, the confrontation with Ilse, her having the gun, Gretel the shield? Ilse bewildered, laying down the gun? The girls reunited with the principal?
13. A happy ending, the girl singing Tipperary – and the final credits, the information about the school, the photos of the school and the students in the 1930s?