Black Bag

Kathryn (Cate Blanchett) and George (Michael Fassbender) balance being spies with being in love in Black Bag (Distributed by Focus Features)

Black Bag is a slick, fast-paced, clever, adult spy thriller. It hits the ground running, focusing its energy on its central mystery, and allows its talented cast of professionals to have as much fun as they can with its twisty wit. The plot isn’t anything particularly original, but writer David Koepp, director Steven Soderbergh and their stars know how to milk it for every ounce of entertainment. There is something comfortingly old-fashioned about a movie that knows precisely what it wants to do and how to do it. This is very skillful genre filmmaking, with an understated, no-nonsense, flair. It’s a pleasure to watch.

There aren’t any big set pieces. Most of the “action” consists of conversations where the characters try to outthink and outmaneuver each other for information. This is about intelligent liars trying to figure out who they can actually trust. It is surprisingly enjoyable to see them fumble their way through.

In the opening scene, George, a spy, is informed that something super-secret and potentially extremely deadly has been stolen from his agency. It has to be an inside job. The prime suspect is Kathryn, George’s wife. Now George must investigate the woman he loves more than anything else in order to learn the truth.

Those plot details are revealed in the first few minutes. Black Bag (a brisk 89 minutes, without the end credits) wastes no time getting to its story, so that it can establish it efficiently before delving into its characters. There is a lot going on, yet it is centered tightly on the personalities, especially the deceits, of the six most important characters. This is set up at an early dinner party, where George invites four work colleagues to join he and his wife. The purpose is for him to watch them and find clues as to who the traitor might be, even if it is Kathryn. It is an ingenious scene in the way it introduces relationships, histories and motives, all while being deliciously amusing. It is an excellent tone-setter for what is to come.

The casting is amazingly spot-on. Michael Fassbender is cool and outwardly detached as George. He is great at his job and will do absolutely anything for his wife. Cate Blanchett is equal parts elegance and cutting remarks as Kathryn. She has a lot of power and will use it against anyone, besides George. The other major roles belong to Tom Burke as Freddie, the type of womanizing jerk who is at least “our womanizing jerk,” Marisa Abela as tech savvy Clarissa, who is dating Freddie and just wants to be part of the action, Regé-Jean Page as James, George’s right hand and Naomie Harris as Dr. Zoe, the agency therapist who knows everyone’s secrets. There is also a small role for Pierce Brosnan as their boss. Soderbergh gets as much as he needs from every one of them.

In the end, all that needs to be said about a movie like this is that it works and it is fun. Everything clicks. Everything fits. The cast, the pacing, the dialogue; who cares about action when what is there flows so well? Steven Soderbergh is brilliant at projects like this, knowing exactly what is needed to deliver a satisfying show. Black Bag is a fantastic example of getting the most out of what really matters.

4 out of 5

Cast:

Michael Fassbender as George Woodhouse

Cate Blanchett as Kathryn St. Jean

Tom Burke as Freddie Smalls

Marisa Abela as Clarissa Dubose

Regé-Jean Page as Col. James Stokes

Naomie Harris as Dr. Zoe Vaughan

Pierce Brosnan as Arthur Stieglitz

Directed by Steven Soderbergh

Written by David Koepp