He might appear as the key employee in “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare,” only speaking when spoken to during these covert discussions, but it’s quite the contrast to Freddie Fox’s other appearance in the spy business on Apple TV+’s “Slow Horses.” For three seasons, Fox played slimy desk weasel James “Spider” Webb in the gripping adaptation of the Mike Herron book series. Constantly getting up the backs of our heroes and causing trouble whenever he could, Fox mastered the art of bringing an annoying character to life, one that fans would want to punch square in the face after climbing through the screen.
Thankfully, those kinds of characteristics are absent in Guy Ritchie’s latest film. Instead, Fox’s take on Fleming is a far more reserved performance. He hangs in the background and reports to M, who would go on to become the inspiration for Bond’s equally iconic boss. You can see how he and the rest of the Ministry handle their own top-secret missions when “The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare” arrives in theatres on April 19.
