Overall Score
Rating Summary
It is only March and director Steven Soderbergh has already seen the release of two of his films, each handled by different distributors and each exploring different genres that could not be more formally opposed. There are not many directors as prolific as Soderbergh, a man with seemingly endless obsessions and opportunities who, even decades into his career, keeps finding new ways to formally experiment or discover different stories to tell. Whenever a new Soderbergh film is released, it is an event, and with that comes a certain level of expectation and to the credit of Black Bag, it delivers.
In his second film this year, Soderbergh comes through with one of his best films to date, a sexy, sleek, clever, and deceptively simple espionage film that explores webs of deceit in personal and professional lives. When intelligence agent George Woodhouse (Fassbender) is tasked with searching for a mole within the agency, a mole that may very well be his wife Kathryn (Blanchett). George, stuck in a battle of wits in a mole chase, must decide what is more important, his nation or his wife. What unfolds is an excellently crafted spy thriller that is equal parts hilarious and enthralling, pulling audiences into a deep sense of intrigue and desire for what is to come.
Black Bag, sneakily, is a film about love and performance, hiding under the guise of a mole hunt. This underlying subtext makes for yet another layer of intrigue to the film. The supporting cast, meanwhile, is excellent, featuring great performances from Tom Burke (Freddie Smalls), Naomie Harris (Dr. Zoe Vaughan), Rege-Jean Page (Col. James Stokes), and Marisa Abela (Clarissa Dubose). The latter nearly steals the film, imbuing Clarissa with a careful naivety and confident emotionality. Pierce Brosnan even stops by with a few great scenes as Arthur Stieglitz, hamming it up like he does best. Leading the way are of course Fassbender and Blanchett, who are incredible whose chemistry together is as incredible and at times understated to pronounced effect. Blanchett’s Femme Fatale persona meshes so brilliantly with Fassbender’s cold and stoic demeanor, which underneath, exists degrees of warmth.
While Soderbergh films traditionally get a lot out of their ensembles, Black Bag truly thrives on it, constantly placing its actors in situations they need to act out of, forming a fascinating metatextual subtext. A large part of the film is centered around this concept, along with the strong undercurrent of love and its complexities that it explores through the relationship between George and Kathryn, a relationship that is contrasted well with characters of younger generations. Ultimately, the collection of performances assembled in the film is stellar and work to strengthen the film’s already strong screenplay.
Soderbergh’s direction strays away from the formal experimentation of Presence and more towards a commercial mode. Now that isn’t to say the film is without authorship or experimentation; there are some cool shots, a unique use of lighting, and a very fun and percussive score that is arguably one of the best in recent memory. However, the emphasis here is not placed on a POV perspective or iPhone photography, but rather on the script and performances which are enhanced further by Soderbergh’s assured and sleek direction. Scenes such as the dinner scenes are shot brilliantly with the camera selling the tension further. His use of soft lighting gives the film such a unique look when contrast against the environment and photography, Soderbergh’s work as a cinematographer cannot be understated here as the film also does an excellent job of choosing when to deliver and when to withhold information, keeping audiences at a perfect distance.
Once the webs of deceit become untangled, Soderbergh’s direction zeroes in on a subtle intensity that makes scenes unique in their hilarity. As mentioned, Black Bag is a funny film, with an unwavering sense of humor that proves to be its greatest strength. A neo-noir/espionage thriller, it is also one ripe with humor, romance, and intrigue, promising to give audiences a taste of everything they would want from a kind of film such as this. Thanks to slick direction, astonishing pacing, and a great ensemble that effectively enhances an already great script, the result is not only one of the best films of the year, but also one of the best of Soderbergh’s illustrious career.
still courtesy of Focus Features
If you liked this, please read our other reviews here and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter or Instagram or like us on Facebook.
