Plot: What’s it about?
I’m of the mindset that anyone who’s been actively working in Hollywood (on either side of the camera) for decades has got to be doing something right. Case in point we’ve got Steven Soderbergh who burst onto the scene with his (at the time) “controversial” film Sex, Lies and Videotape. Since then he’s given us everything from Ocean’s Eleven to Magic Mike to Traffic (for which he won the Academy Award for Best Director). To say that this man visited every corner of the video store when he was growing up is nothing short of the understatement of the decade. But that’s also a good thing as diversity is the spice of life. After all Hitchcock gave us Psycho, but also Vertigo. Spielberg gave us Jaws, but also E.T. I think two examples should suffice. With that said, we dive head first into the world of espionage with Pierce Brosnan in the cast and not playing a character with a “double O” in front of his name, it’s sure to be a fun ride. Let’s find out.
George Woodhouse (Michael Fassbender) and his wife Kathryn St. Jean (Cate Blanchett) are a seemingly happily-married couple. Both are as devoted to one another as they are to their respective careers and, wouldn’t you know – they’re both spies. George is recruited to help locate a mole that’s stolen a piece of top secret spyware, Severus, that could literally ruin the world. Granted, that story takes a backseat to the characters involved in the chase and it only deepens the plot that Kathryn is one of the few suspects that George needs to investigate. Not to be outdone (or lost), there are also two other spy couples that are worthy of his attention. Freddy Smalls (Tom Burke) as a messy agent and Clarissa DuBose (Marisa Abela), a SIGINT tech. George needs to use his skills as a “human lie detector” to find and, ultimately, expose the truth.
Sometimes truth is stranger than fiction and it’s hard to swallow that such a plot might actually exist. But in a world where information is king, it’s a bit unnerving that this might actually be plausible. Still to Soderberg and writer David Koepp (their third teaming after Kimi and Presence, a film shot from the POV of a ghost) they’re both talented and seasoned enough to give the audience what it wants. The cast is top notch as well with Fassbender and Blanchett leading the way in a “Mr. and Mrs. Smith” motif, but there’s more to it than their on-screen chemistry. Spy movies are hit and miss, sometimes literally, but this one managed to grab me and keep me entertained even with the scant running time of 94 minutes. Enjoy.
Video: How’s it look?
Let’s not forget that Steven Soderbergh has given us a feature-length film shot entirely on iPhone. I have to say that still makes my jaw drop. Thankfully his phone is in his pocket with this one and we get a very stylized look and feel to Black Bag. London looks great, but it’s the rather dreamy bokeh (out of focus shots) that give the film it’s rather unique look. Couple that with the backdrop of one of the world’s great cities, throw in the “spy” genre and there’s certainly a lot of visual elements at play. I, for one, really liked how the film looked though I can see where it might be a turnoff for others. The 2.39:1 HEVC 4K image leaves little to the imagination as we might expect with a strong color palette and stable black levels. It’s a good-looking and interesting-looking film.
Audio: How’s it sound?
Despite Pierce Brosnan being in the cast, this isn’t a James Bond film – not by any stretch. That’s OK, though there are plenty of those out there if you need that “da da duh dum…” motif that we’ve heard countless times before. Rather, the film’s Dolby Digital TrueHD might come up a bit short of an Atmos track, but don’t let that fool you – it’s understated, yet very powerful as well. As with a lot of films written by David Koepp, the dialogue takes front and center (literally, in this case) though we’re treated to a bevy of surround ambiance that’s sure to please. All the elements are present here, giving us a very good-sounding mix that’s sure to please.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- The Company of Talent – The film’s major stars share their excitement about the film, the director and how they went about preparing for their respective roles. It’s nothing we haven’t heard five thousand times before on these featurettes.
- Designing Black Bag – This production design feature gives us the same stars as they dish on the clothing, some of the design elements used in the apartment and “Making London cool again.” Was it ever not?
- Deleted Scenes – A trio are included, running nearly six minutes. I’d have personally put them in as the film’s rather slim running time of 90’ish minutes seemed like it wasn’t enough. Regardless, they’re here if you want/need them.
The Bottom Line
I’m of the mindset that Steven Soderbergh has had far more hits than misses and I’m not quite so sure that I’d classify Black Bag as a “miss.” I don’t think it’ll be thought of when going down his list of best films, but it managed to keep me entertained thanks to the story, production design and the talented (and seasoned) cast. Universal’s disc delivers a stellar picture and audio and a bit short on the supplements, those that are included serve their purpose.
