‘Black Bag’: A Tightly Constructed, Surprisingly Romantic Spy Thriller
Image: Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender in 'Black Bag'. Source: Universal via TMDB
The devil works hard, but Steven Soderbergh works harder – barely a month after releasing his experimental ghost story Presence worldwide, Soderbergh is back with the twisty spy thriller Black Bag.
Where Presence was an interesting attempt to redefine a genre, Black Bag is Soderbergh operating well within his wheelhouse. Featuring Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett as a couple working in modern British intelligence, it’s a twisty and surprisingly romantic film about the psychology of people whose office jobs require them to live in utter secrecy.
George Woodhouse (Fassbender) is one of the best trackers in the world; if he wants to find you, he will. Naturally, when an experimental weapon is stolen from the British government, he’s put onto the case. But when his wife Kathryn St. Jean (Blanchett) becomes a prime suspect in this conspiracy, George’s loyalty to his country is tested by the love for his wife.
The ever-changing, romantically-inclined cat and mouse game is a staple of the spy genre; indeed, much of Soderbergh’s career has been built on such dynamics. Where Black Bag differs from other entries in the genre is in its core belief of George and Kathryn’s relationship. The source of tension never comes from a will-they-won’t-they, but rather from how their love for one another could potentially affect the world.
Black Bag investigates the messy lives of intelligence agents
Fassbender and Blanchett sell this understated romanticism perfectly. George and Kathryn have been married a long time, but even if they’re well past the honeymoon stage it’s clear they remain infatuated with one another. Both actors perfectly portray the subtle differences in their characters when with one another and others, making their relationship feel genuinely loving rather than just driven by lust.
The main mystery instead comes from the surrounding cast of characters, each of whom have deeply messy interior lives. This wider cast are key to uncovering the truth behind this conspiracy, which has become oddly tied up in their personal desires and grievances. The narrative moves along at a breakneck pace too, thanks to Soderbergh’s reliably zippy direction, David Koepp’s tight script and an incredible score by Ocean’s trilogy alum David Holmes.
It’s simply loads of fun to get taken on the ride Black Bag is offering, as we watch George interrogate and collaborate with his colleagues to figure out if his wife has truly become a traitor. The wider cast are all stellar; though it would take too long to name them all, special props goes to Marisa Abela as the rather amorous Clarissa and Regé-Jean Page for a realistically ice-cold turn as Col. James Stokes.
I’m not sure exactly what the film says about the role of intelligence in the modern world – you could argue there’s commentary in here about how easily incredible power can be misused by the individual people in government. But as a thriller about the internal and external lives of secret agents intersecting, Black Bag is a highly satisfying spy romp with excellent characters and craft in spades.
★★★★
Black Bag is in cinemas now.
