“Black Bag” Review

When I saw that Steven Soderbergh had directed a spy thriller, that was all I had to hear. Sure enough, he doesn’t let down with a film that is slick, sexy, and so effortlessly funny. The eyes remained firmly glued to every mysterious character, biting bit of dialogue, and smooth editing. For a film that feels like the tired territory of trying to stop a MacGuffin of a virus from causing international chaos, Soderbergh makes it feel remarkably fresh.

This movie doesn’t stop to explain itself, choosing to invite the audience to tag along as it descends a rabbit hole of secrets and twists. From the first scene, the camera follows George Woodhouse (Michael Fassbender) from behind as he ventures into a club and then out into an alley to discuss matters of security and betrayal. Before we fully grasp his week-long mission to sniff out a betrayer within his spy organization, he jumps straight into a dinner party he hosts with his wife, Kathryn St. Jean (Cate Blanchett). Other agents attend this dinner with them all being suspects, including the spirited Clarissa Dubose (Marisa Abela), the vice-bound mess Freddie Smalls (Tom Burke), the scrutinizing Dr. Zoe Vaughan (Naomie Harris), and the stern/cocky Col. James Stokes (Regé-Jean Page). While they all have their faults, ranging from being drunk to stabbing hands, they’re all still bright enough to pull off a betrayal mission. Even Kathryn is capable of such crimes. There’s no easy way to sniff out the rat when everybody takes their job seriously enough to cover or leave incriminating tracks for others.

Nearly everything in this film is as trim and alluring as Fassbender, fitted into a turtleneck with thick-framed glasses. The dialogue between the characters is so fast and fascinating that there’s never a tedious back-and-forth exchange. One of the more clever scenes features George spying on his wife, keeping a close eye on his window while explaining to Clarissa how such a tricky marriage can work with so many secrets and lies between them. The answer he gives is so clever and sexy that even Clarissa has to admit it’s pretty fucking hot. There are several punchlines of characters so deep within their stew of dangerous intelligence and volatile relationships that they must smirk at the dynamics at play, from breakups to therapy sessions that are anything but orthodox. The swirling of sordid affairs and sensitive information keeps the audience as much on their toes as George, trying to figure out who to trust and move carefully through a world where every movement and motivation comes into question.

The power of this titillating mystery is strong enough to transcend the routine plot of a computer virus called Severus. This MacGuffin doesn’t become dull thanks to David Koepp’s intelligent script, in which he must’ve asked the question while writing, “Shouldn’t these people be wise enough to know already what Severus is or at least figure it out on their own?” There’s never a moment when the film entirely slows down so that the characters can dramatically learn how Severus is designed to cause a meltdown at a Russian power plant. Even in scenes where the agents check in with their superior, an aged blusterer played by Pierce Brosnan, there’s plenty of cunning in how Brosnan doesn’t play a character meant to be an exposition vehicle. He knows about Severus and doesn’t want to waste much time explaining it to his team, who would have figured it out sooner or later. More importantly, he doesn’t waste our time either.

Steven Soderbergh never wastes a moment with Black Bag, a slick, smart, stylish, and sexy spy thriller. He keeps the intrigue and twists high with surprising dashes of wry humor amid some vibrant shots. The entire cast is stellar, but Fassbender and Blanchett blend well in a film that knows how to frame them as cunning at their jobs, emotional with their deceptions, and fascinating in the bedroom. Stir all that with sublime camera work, and this type of film goes down as smooth and sophisticated as a glass of fine wine. In the years to come, this is sure to be vintage Soderbergh.