Black Bag
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"It's a very dangerous line of work"
Overview
Soderbergh (very busy man) has delivered another svelte delight with Black Bag, a Cold War-esque thriller updated for the surveillance age with an added frisson of romantic screwball comedy. George (Michael Fassbender) is a happily married man with a few work problems that threaten to spill into the home life he shares with glamorous wife Kathryn (Cate Blanchett): the intelligence organisation they both work for has a critical leak, and unless he can uncover the traitor then thousands of innocent people will die. With far too long a shortlist of suspects (including his beloved wife) and limited time, George must use his wits and a particularly intense dinner party/interrogation to find the rat in their ranks.
“Absolutely delicious, a svelte piece of entertainment that feels like a vintage yarn yet very much represents our own current anxieties”
“Pure fun, but also deeply layered with larger existential themes, making for a delightful romantic spy drama that cannot be missed”
“Taut yet thoroughly laced with levity, Black Bag plays like the filmic equivalent of a skilfully executed espionage mission in how tight and exact it feels”
Why You Should See This Film
Tight as a well-fitted turtleneck, Black Bag is a slick and satisfyingly old school Spy vs Spy vs Spy romp that eschews on-the-nose political commentary in favour of a good time at the movies. Where Soderbergh does engage with deeper themes are in playful parallels between the artifice of espionage and filmmaking, with a highly strung workaholic perfectionist struggling to achieve his goals against all odds while maintaining personal relationships and professional credibility. Black Bag is anchored by the powerful magnetism of its leads, propelled along by a wonderful ensemble cast (including a stellar turn from Pierce Brosnan) who revel in the pettiness of agents out for themselves in an anti-James Bond world of backstabbing and deceit.
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