A mere two months after we got Presence, a movie written by David Koepp and directed by Steven Soderbergh, we have another film from this writer-director duo. While that film was a venture into horror, Black Bag is their take on the spy genre. Here we have Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender, two of the most talented actors working today, playing married couple Kathryn and George Woodhouse. When Kathryn is suspected of betraying the nation, George must choose between loyalty to his marriage and loyalty to his country. While it has its moments, this movie never fully lands as the gripping spy drama it wants to be.
Soderbergh’s career has been varied and quite impressive over the years. His style of editing the film as he directs has allowed him to be an exceptional filmmaker who generally doesn’t sacrifice quality. Does anyone remember the 2001 Oscars when he was nominated for Best Director for two separate films (Erin Brockovich and Traffic)? It should come as no surprise that he’s still showing an astounding talent behind the camera, even if Black Bag isn’t his best work. There are many deliberate choices in how he adapts Koepp’s screenplay that shine through.
He starts off the film with an extended long take tracking Fassbender’s character as we quickly learn the threat and the stakes. As the movie progresses, it becomes abundantly clear that this is not your typical spy film. Many spy movies go down the action route, like Mission: Impossible and James Bond. Koepp, the writer of this movie, was even a writer of the first Mission: Impossible movie. But this is a much more restrained approach to espionage, fueled by conversations and character dynamics.
An early scene features six characters talking to each other at dinner. People underestimate just how challenging it is to helm a scene with this many characters. Soderbergh is directing every performance, every camera angle, and every story beat while navigating it all in a way that flows naturally and pulls the right emotional response out of the audience. Something Soderbergh does throughout the film is start conversations in wide shots and then gradually push the camera tighter and tighter on the subjects as they progress.
The issue with these scenes is that not all of them have a gradual increase of tension. The character dynamics are interesting, but not all of them are expanded upon very much. The most interesting dynamic we follow is that of Kathryn and George. They’re a married couple, and while they don’t act ferociously in love, they have this natural magnetic pull that draws them toward each other. It becomes clear that they would do anything for each other, which makes the film’s dramatic question so interesting.
But because a lot of their attraction relies on this unspoken energy in the air, it doesn’t feel like Black Bag explores that question enough of choosing between duty to your country and duty to your loved one. It touches upon it, but it feels like there are missed opportunities for scenes filled with suspense. The idea of a man being ordered by the government to spy on his wife is ripe with drama and excitement, as he must keep a secret from her for the entire runtime. The movie contains pieces of that, but it never expands on any of it long enough for the emotions to fully land.
A game of cat and mouse that never fully gels into anything as spectacular as its potential, Black Bag becomes a movie where we’re mostly told about what’s happening in the story, not shown. Scenes where George is actively watching Kathryn are highlights, as well as most of the scenes surrounding this supporting cast. The second half of the movie is where the stakes are raised just a little because the trust between husband and wife becomes questioned. But for the most part, the film feels low-energy, which contradicts the fact that this is where the walls should be closing in and the movie should be grabbing your attention and not letting go. Instead, this film has a loose grip on your attention; it’s holding you, but not very tight.
The ending is where we get our final reveals about what’s happening, and while some of the twists are effective, the journey to get there is unremarkable. While Fassbender and Blanchett are both two phenomenal actors, their work here is a little more forgettable. They have icy cold exteriors, and neither is pushed far enough dramatically. The supporting cast does the job, but it can feel like some, particularly Pierce Brosnan, are a bit wasted. Overall, Black Bag manages to be just a watchable movie that isn’t strong enough to recommend, despite some subtle chemistry between the two lead actors.
SCORE: 5/10
As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 5 equates to “Mediocre.” The positives and negatives wind up negating each other, making it a wash.
Disclosure: ComingSoon attended a press screening for our Black Bag review.
