In Black Bag, Michael Fassbender puts to use an incredibly sexy nerd-spy accent that must drive Alicia Vikander absolutely mad while Cate Blanchett layers on the sultry sex appeal in the sophisticated mind-game thriller from director Steven Soderbergh. Your buy-in will depend how much you vibe with the sharp and distinctly British script and subtle humor that lurks in the shadows like a spy waiting to strike at unsuspecting moments.
Fassbender, Blanchett, Tom Burke, Marisa Abela, Regé-Jean Page, Naomie Harris, and Pierce Brosnan round out the good-looking cast that can undress you from across the room, physically and psychologically. All spies, and at least one of them is a traitor. George (Fassbender) is on the hunt, even though he knows his wife (Blanchett) may be the turncoat. They’re all friends, most of them f**k like it’s an old folks’ home in Florida, and yet they all despite each other, constantly scheming and digging up dirt and looking for a leg (or two) up.
If you ever think you’ve been to an awkward dinner, you haven’t seen Black Bag, a twisty, calculating, and refreshingly mature thriller that is as precisely directed as Soderbergh, ever unpredictable amidst his willingness to experiment with film technique and story, has done in quite some time.
Clocking in at a mere 93 minutes, Black Bag is lean, mean, and surprisingly funny, possessing a dark, sometimes sinister humor that adds levity to what otherwise could be a droll experience. It has British dryness to it, but still packs a juicy bite, though if you’re not paying attention you may not realize it’s ripping away chunks of your flesh at any given moment.
The characters and cast play off each other incredibly well, their chemistry and complex love-hate relationships bursting in surprising, appetizing, and sometimes silverware-stabbing sparks. Kudos to repeat Soderbergh collaborator David Koepp (Mission: Impossible, Panic Room) for the relentless screenplay, even if he doesn’t give Pierce Brosnan enough to do.
Still, Black Bag is often a quiet movie, one where its machinations require constant close attention and appreciation of the nuances of British wit. It’s not for everyone, and there are small stretches where my attention faded for one reason or another (then again, I was sleepy all day, so spending the evening in a dark theater maybe wasn’t the best idea).
Black Bag is a needle sharp and satisfying complex thriller of character egos and hypocritical motives. Superbly written, directed, and acted and boasting a grin-inducing ending, Black Bag is one movie best not kept a secret.
Review by Erik Samdahl unless otherwise indicated.