Though it's not quite as advertised, the great cast, direction and script more than make up for it.
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Every now and then a movie gets used as a "state of the industry" indicator. It could be a giant success (i.e. see everyone's surprise that Minecraft is doing as well as it is) or it can be a bomb that no one saw coming. Black Bag is closer to the second category. Because we've got a sleek, 90 minute spy-thriller with two known leads Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett, from a well-respected director Steven Soderbergh, with strong critical reviews and audience scores. And less than a month after it was released it was dropped onto digital because it "bombed" at the box office. But box office disappointment doesn't equal bad movie, especially considering all of the parties involved, so I had to see what it was, or wasn't, about this movie that failed to grab audiences.
The Setup
The story centers around British Intelligence agent George Woodhouse, who is told by his superior to investigate a leak of a top-secret software that could have world-shaking implications. There's just one hiccup. One of the possible suspects is his wife, and fellow operative, Kathryn. Can George find the responsible party and clear his wife's name or will he be forced to do the unthinkable?
This is one of my favorite versions of Soderbergh. While the acclaimed director has jumped between genres for most of his career, a lot of his best work is in the "twisty thriller" genre where there's a new bit of information that shifts the paradigm about every 15-20 minutes. We're talking Side Effects, Kimi and his heist movies like the Ocean's trilogy. It means each scene can build and crest based solely on talking in a single spectacularly shot location with edits that fill in the blanks as needed. So of course this fits for a spy thriller where our lead character is trying to determine if his wife is a traitor.
I also can't think of better casting for two intelligence officers who are married and may or may not be circling each other than Michael Fassbender whose detached affect is perfect here (because when he cracks it means something) and Blanchett (who is equal parts alluring, oft-putting and hard to pin down).
There's also a unique undercurrent in this movie which is...how do you have a life and marriage when you're a spy? This is represented by the other suspects and George and Kathyrn's possible helpers/collaborators a group of four other intelligence ops who all have their own baggage that could make them vulnerable that view George and Kathryn both with admiration and suspicion. They clearly love each other deeply, but how does a guy introduced by saying "I don't like liars" square that with his wife in the intelligence field as well?
It's also interesting how the film's murkiest or biggest reveals tend to come in scenes where the look and setup is intimate like a warmly lit group dinner vs. the actual intelligence agency where everything looks clearer thanks to the industrial lighting, but feels hazier.
And it's an awful lot of fun to bounce around and pin your suspicions on different people based on what new bit of information drops.
So where did this movie slip up marketing wise? Because this sounds like a breezy, enjoyable time for adults.
Well the "for adults" thing is something that studios are struggling to push towards the intended audience, but I actually have another theory. I think the marketing has oversold the "maybe married to the enemy aspect." Now trailers always do this, but I think there's a world of difference between a femme fatale-esque thriller where Blanchett's character may be using her wiles to manipulate everyone versus the twisty game of whack a mole the movie actually is. Because the main question being asked in all of the marketing materials is "can you trust her" vs. "who can you trust?"
And I find that second one a lot more interesting because it means everything feels more open-ended. Because the person telling you your wife is a traitor is just as likely to be a liar as your wife. Might've behooved this movie to portray itself more like a John LeCarre Tinker Tailor, Soldier, Spy than literally Femme Fatale.
I really liked the movie I got. It was just a gear shift I didn't expect.
The Verdict: Twisty Fun
Though it's not quite as advertised, the great cast, direction and script all more than make up for it. 8/10
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