A British diplomat travels to Munich in the run-up to World War II, where a former classmate of his from Oxford is also en route, but is working for the German government. Biography,Drama,History The movie is more of a historical drama than a spy story since the main characters involved are very amateurish at the spying game. They're two 1932 Oxford students, Paul the German and Hugh the British, who six years later find themselves involved with the 1938 signing of the Munich treaty. Jeremy Irons plays flawlessly British PM Chamberlain, the man who sort of gave in to Hitler, thinking he could preserve peace in Europe, when he actually just bought one year before the beginning of WWII. The theory presented by the movie is that Chamberlain did not make a big mistake, as history proved, but he wisely "bought time" to allow Britain to get ready for the war (and then, also Germany...). It might have escape the author's notice that Britain's preparation somehow did not stretch so far as avoiding the massive defeat and retreat at Dunkirk, not to mention the Blitz. Politics and wishful thinking aside, the movie is actually quite well structured, with the two main characters believable as ex-classmates and friends, neither too heroic but both willing to do something to stop the impending catastrophe. The atmosphere is tense and there is a sense of urgency throughout the movie that covers only a couple of days in 1938, with some flashbacks to the happier times of 1932. One can foresee the tragedy that will soon hit the two friends, even if it's only suggested, and because of that, it is more poignant.