One of the most compelling elements of any film is the interpersonal relationships and the dynamics that can drive or destroy the narrative. Spy thrillers are typically ᴀssociated with a lot of action — like James Bond — secrets and, less and less recently, allure. Steven Soderbergh’s Black Bag has the latter two in spades. There’s a little bit of action, but it’s nothing worth mentioning. That’s ok with this film because it’s suspenseful without needing high-octane action sequences. There is enough intensity and drama between its core characters to make for a wildly entertaining, tense and – dare I say it — Sєxy thriller.
Spies who work for the same agency, George (Michael Fᴀssbender) and Kathryn (Cate Blanchett) are married and deeply in love with each other. The loyalty they have to each other is either admired or resented by others at the agency, who are not quiet about it. George is especially fearsome because he’s good at spotting liars and his lie detector test is a well-known cause of stress.
When he’s tipped off about a secret project that might have gotten out, and that his wife might be involved, George invites two sets of couples — Freddie (Tom Burke) and Clarissa (Marisa Abela), and James (Regé-Jean Page), who reports directly to George, and Zoe (Naomie Harris), the agency’s psychologist — over for dinner to weed out the rat.
Black Bag Is Its Own Mind Game
That’s just the start in a game of cat and mouse. The dinner is one of the best scenes in the film and sets the precedent for what comes next. These characters clearly know each other well enough, but also not at all. Freddie reveals a dark secret about George’s past, lighting a fire while George plays a game of resolutions that reveals Freddie has been cheating on Clarissa, much to her dismay and irritation. Kathryn looks on with coy amusement and James lets his arrogance shine through. Zoe, on the other hand, is a bit more hesitant, though we learn later on that she’s not completely in the dark thanks to her therapy sessions.
These characters are deeply intertwined and the story along with them. Rather than go the traditional route, Soderbergh and David Koepp, who wrote the script, stage the film as a psychological thriller in place of an action thriller. This makes things much more interesting and ramps up the stakes and tensions as the unraveling dynamics — and threat to George and Kathryn’s marriage — build up toward an explosive finale that leaves no one unscathed in some way.
When lying is their job, and it’s all excused with “black bag this and black bag that”, the tension alone is so thick that it leaves us wondering how it’ll all play out. Black Bag weaves a deliciously mesmerizing story that is excruciatingly taut, unexpected comedy, and an exploration of ego and power. There are secrets but the film ponders how that holds up when it comes to loyalty. Would George out Kathryn if he learned she’s some sort of traitor, or is the job more important than their marriage?
Black Bag Is A Game Of Relationships
The Personal & The Professional
Black Bag is more a study of character than anything. It’s often tantalizing and, thanks to the performances and, specifically, the chemistry between Fᴀssbender and Blanchett, downright Sєxy. It’s an elevated Mr. and Mrs. Smith sans the excessive action. This is a psychological game full of lust and bitterness and status. At several points, I began to question Kathryn’s loyalty to George, and Soderbergh certainly wants us to. Since we’re not meant to trust anyone, it’s George who becomes the film’s grounding point as he slowly unfolds the web of deceit.
The comedy doesn’t detract from the narrative but it does prevent the film from becoming too self-serious…
I believed Kathryn and George cared about and loved each other, even if we don’t get every intricate detail of their history. That’s because Black Bag isn’t so much interested in distracting exposition if it takes away from what’s happening. The suspense builds and builds until it combusts, and the result brings us to an immensely satisfying full-circle moment that complements the beginning.
Black Bag is not only suave, but funny. I didn’t expect to chuckle as much as I did. The comedy doesn’t detract from the narrative but it does prevent the film from becoming too self-serious, and the ensemble cast, which includes Pierce Brosnan as the agency’s director, is pitch-perfect together.
Soderbergh has crafted a film that is fun yet debonair. You can tell the cast is having a great time and their exchanges are memorable and tense. It’s as much of a sophisticated domestic drama as it is a spy film and the fact that these characters interact in the most normal of places — the office, at home, or fishing on a lake — makes it all the more interesting. Black Bag is engaging and refreshing precisely because it is so personal, raising the stakes to the highest level without having to be extravagant in its set pieces.
