BLACK BAG

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This spy thriller directed by Steven Soderbergh has a simple and effective setup: George (Michael Fassbender) is given the job of uncovering a traitor among his colleagues, the sting in the tail being that one of the five suspects is his wife Kathryn (Cate Blanchett).

In the first half of the film we see George spying on Kathryn, culminating in one of the best scenes, in an intelligence briefing, when George for the first time is visibly shaken - could indeed his wife be guilty of betrayal?

Actually it quickly turns out that his concern is not that she is a traitor but rather that they are both being set up, so the tension that had been building around Kathryn's loyalty is dissipated, and then everything gets resolved a little too easily for my taste.  

I ended up not sure what was going on in George's head.  Did he really suspect Kathryn, in which case I wasn't sure what convinced him she wasn't?  Or was his trust in her rock solid throughout, in which case why did he go to such lengths to check up on her? 

The film is full of sparky and clever dialogue, and is expertly crafted in every way: direction, editing, cinematography, music, acting, screenplay.  In short, it is an enjoyable entertainment which at 93 minutes certainly doesn't outstay its welcome.  And yet somehow I left the cinema feeling a little dissatisfied - maybe I'm guilty of taking Soderbergh's craftmanship for granted in wanting a bit more.

Fassbender and Blanchett dominate the film, both well cast as supremely self controlled people. Of the other main performances the only one that stood out was by Marisa Abela, she’s definitely one to watch in the future.

RATING: ✓ Cheers

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