I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again; I love late career Soderbergh. He crafts interesting, smart little movies that aren’t trying to be auteur cinema, Oscar bait, or anything other that just a good time at the movies. From his quirky Let Them All Talk, to the fascinating and emotional Presence, to the wonderful No Sudden Move, Soderbergh has pretty regularly churned out satisfying and very enjoyable films recently that follow no pattern or specific style but just are good movies. Black Bag is another.
Black Bag is a classic spy puzzle movie. Fassbender is a sort of internal affairs for MI6 and he’s been tipped off that there is a leak or a traitor so the movie follows his attempts to weed them out amongst his colleagues including his wife, Blanchett, who is also a spy. It is delicious and very smart and the sort of “who can you trust” mid game that makes for great cinema. Yeah it’s a little pulpy with a classic approach to style (despite being very modern) but with this cast, the film feels elevated.
Fassbender and Blanchett are just incredible, clearly having a great time and committing completely to the film. This is the sort of film that feels like a bunch of really talented artist come together to make just for the fun of it. And we as the audience get in on the fun too.
David Holmes’ score is a standout too. It captures a British Spy aesthetic that adds to the fun. All of this with Soderbergh’s deft and truly beautiful direction keep Black Bag from feeling like a throwaway and something just really enjoyable.
Black Bag
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Michael Fassbender, Marisa Abela, Tom Burke, Naomie Harris, Regé-Jean Page, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Steven Soderbergh
Writer: David Koepp
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