Few things bring me the kind of joy that a Cary Elwes movie does. Grew up with a brother who showed me The Princess Bride after I had to get surgery as a teenager and from there, it brought me a love for Elwes and his work that still remains. Which is what made Operation Fortune so exciting!
When it comes to Guy Ritchie movies you know that there are going to be outlandish characters, hi-jinx, and that it will be a fun time no matter what. It’s what makes his catalog so interesting and fascinating to go through. And Operation Fortune is more of that energy.
In preparation for the film’s release, I got to talk with star Cary Elwes about his role as Nathan Jasmine, who is leading the operation for Orson Fortune (Jason Statham) and Sarah Fidel (Aubrey Plaza). And it is clear that Elwes knew exactly what he was getting into. I asked him about the often labeled “kookiness” or “oddball” nature of a Ritchie film and he talked about Guy Ritchie’s brand of humor.
“I don’t really see him as kooky or oddball. I find that Guy brings his sense of humor to all of his projects,” Elwes said. “And I think audiences come to expect that of him. That’s part of the joy of watching a Guy Richie movie, that he’s very adept at creating characters and tension and action and there’s a lot of humor in his movies. And I think that’s one of the big draws.”
The man behind the operation
And one of the more exciting parts about Nathan as a character is that he is the man behind the chair. He’s there, he’s controlling everything, and he’s not afraid to tell Orson and Sarah what they’re doing wrong and Elwes seems to love playing him.
“I enjoyed playing Nathan simply because he was the man who had to essentially get the job done and try and keep these rogue agents under control,” he said. “I think he feels like, at times they can behave like children.”
With a Ritchie movie, it is known that you’re going to get an incredible action movie. So I asked whether the genre changes how Elwes approaches his characters or if it is always about their motivations. “I approach all my characters the same way. I don’t vary the way I study a character for any project, they’re all the same. I ground them in their history and in their past and what their motivations are and what their quirks are. But with Guy, he’s very specific with character, with plot, with action, with humor. So I always feel like I’m in safe hands working with him. He’s a unique filmmaker and such joy to work with him.”
The cast of Operation Fortune is one that is fun, exciting, and a staple of how Guy Ritchie makes his films and, for Elwes, that’s what makes a movie like this so exciting. “Guy loves making movies, obviously,” he said. “I think that shows and he loves actors. He loves his crew and he loves his actors. And so you really feel like an extended family when you get to work with them. And he brings that joy on whether you are on a day off or whether you’re on the set. You’re in Guy Richie’s world and it’s just joyful. It really is. And I think that translates onto the screen. I really do.”
When I asked whether or not he would come back as Nathan if Ritchie wanted to do another Operation Fortune movie, Elwes answered quickly and easily saying “I would be happy doing anything that Guy wants to do.”
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You can catch Cary Elwes in Operation Fortune, in theaters now!
(Featured image: Lionsgate)
