The Partisan – REVIEW

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Our editor constantly raves about his local high street, where he enjoys a coffee, buys bread, or gives candles as gifts – all from a place called The Partisan. To be honest, he’s a bit of a fool. He was therefore very surprised to discover that The Partisan isn’t just a fancy coffee shop, but the real story of Krystyna Skabek, who was supposedly Winston Churchill’s favorite spy. Frankly, he was quite taken aback when he found out that The Partisan rather than being about some overpriced coffee shop is actually the true story of what was alleged to be Winston Churchill’s favourite spy Krystyna Skabek.

It’s not surprising he held her in such high regard, considering her many successful and perilous missions for British intelligence. From the beginning, she was deeply involved, even skiing across mountains to connect with the Polish resistance and sneak out microfilm. She was remarkably versatile, sometimes acting as a sex worker, at other times as a school teacher, and she pursued her assignments with a frequently reckless determination. Her last mission, in 1944, placed her behind enemy lines in France, tasked with securing an arms shipment for the resistance, a task that put her own life at risk.

Morgane Polanski delivers a fantastic performance as a character who is both determined and resourceful, consistently finding clever ways to escape dangerous circumstances – for instance, she once bit her own tongue to feign tuberculosis and distance herself from her Nazi captors. Roger (Frederick Schmidt) provides solid support, often surprised by how far she’s willing to go. The film also features a brief appearance by well-known actor Malcolm McDowell, playing ‘Trench Coat,’ a shadowy figure who acts as her contact and handler for British intelligence – a role that feels like he simply had some free time.

I was really impressed with how James Marquand, as both writer and director, brought this story to life, and he absolutely nailed the feel of the period with some stunning locations. However, I found myself wishing the film had delved deeper into what motivated her to take on such incredibly risky undercover work, especially considering how relentlessly brutal the Nazis were portrayed. Honestly, her series of operations during WWII felt like they’d be better suited for a mini-series, given the scope of what she accomplished. It especially felt that way with that final postscript scene, set in 1952, showing her safe and living a quiet life – such a contrast to the dangerous life she’d clearly led.

We chat to director James Marquand and actor Frederick Schmidt about The Partisan…

Here’s The Partisan trailer…..

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2025-10-03 02:23