Black Bag
When I was eight I got a PSP that came with two movies. Casino Royale and Talladega nights. While I was probably too young for either, I fell in love with both and the former was my introduction to the spy genre. Since then I have enjoyed spy movies as much as the next guy. I’ve always loved the pomp and circumstance of a Bond movie and its newest Grammy winning theme song. But today I saw a spy film that sits right at the top of my list with casino royale. That movie was black bag.
A spy thriller about a married couple entrenched in a life threatening scandal, the movie was a really fun spy story with delicious dialogue, an ever twisting plot, and superb performances. Dang the Britts know how to make a spy movie.
The film rests on the shoulders of Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender who both give stellar performances as a deeply in love, tenured, spy couple. The thing that stood out to me is the way they made you root for them. The film is full of the intrigue and suspense you would expect in a spy film, and both leads are exacting and fierce, but cutting through it all is a deep affection that bonds the viewer to the couple. Blanchett is particularly riveting as you spend much of the film questioning her innocence and devotion to her husband. Fassbender equally delights and is fascinating to watch on screen as a deeply moral man pitted between his wife and his country’s security.
As is usually the case with British actors, the supporting cast is so much better than they have any business being. All four supporting actors bring riveting and fully alive characters that push the plot forward and entertain. They each represent a general spy novel character you’d expect to find, but each has a personality that only grows in importance as the “who done it” aspects of the film begin to take flight.
The main star though has to be the writing. The writing was delectable. The fast paced dialogue is full of life and every character is given such a clear point of view. The plot is twisting and exciting. The jargon is so tasty and deeply embedded in the spy genre. And the story has a unique message that I enjoyed. The film effectively uses the spy genre and it’s tropes as a launching pad to explore the question of marital loyalty and love as well extrapolate on the themes of national security and war mongering.
This was the exact movie I wanted to see on my day off. Straight to the point, masterfully executed, and exhilarating. I love the open ended heavy films of award season but today I was happy just to play spy.