British intelligence is under the microscope in Black Bag. George Woodhouse (Michael Fassbender) is an elite operative at Britain’s closely guarded National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC). He can’t stand liars. He seeks them out an exposes them. That has included his own father. Now there appears to be a mole in the ranks of the NCSC. Woodhouse is tasked with uncovering that infiltrator before they can activate a destructive cyber worm called Severus. That malware can destabilise a nuclear facility.
There are five suspects. They include his beloved wife Kathryn St Jean (Cate Blanchett), who is one of the organisation’s most powerful and trusted agents. In fact, Kathryn is George’s one big weakness. Also in the mix is Freddie Smalls (Tom Burke), an inveterate womaniser, who has been with fellow younger operative, tech whiz Clarissa Dubose (Marisa Abela) for 18 months. In turn, she has a penchant for older men. And then there is agency psychologist Dr Zoe Vaughan (Naomie Harris), who enjoys erotic fiction. She has been getting up close and personal with an NCSC rising star, Colonel James Stokes (Rege-Jean Page).
Woodhouse’s first salvo to get to the truth comes via a dinner invitation to the quintet (in which he does the cooking and adds a little something extra). Once lips are loosened, he asks each to participate in a game in which they are charged with making a resolution for the person sitting to their right. That sparks the first in a series of revelations. Much later in the movie, there will also be a lie detector test.
Black Bag is a most sophisticated and tense spy thriller, in which the identity of the rat remains well disguised. In other words, getting to the heart of the truth is no walk in the park. It has been well conceived, written, acted and directed. Steven Soderbergh proves yet again what a master filmmaker he is. For the third time, he has teamed up with writer David Koepp. They also worked together on Presence (2024) and Kimi (2022).
The characters are all smart people trying to outsmart each other. Michael Fassbender is perfectly cast in a straight as a die role, which requires his intellectual prowess to shine. Koepp has exploited the quirks, peccadilloes and vulnerabilities of the players in this one, weaving a twisted tale. The focus moves from one to another. Tom Burke is another standout as a dedicated agent, whose predilections make him susceptible … and on it goes.
There is a wickedly twisted playful streak about Marisa Abela (Back to Black) as Clarissa Dubose, while Cate Blanchett plays Kathryn St Jean with a sense of entitlement. And Pierce Brosnan pops up with a confident air as agency head Arthur Stieglitz. In fact, one of the traits that characterises all is self-belief.
I was also attracted to the musical choices by David Holmes that accompanied this cat and mouse concoction. Incidentally, according to the International Spy Museum in Washington DC, the term Black Bag refers to secret entry to steal or copy materials. Black Bag, the movie, undoubtedly hits the right notes (it’s a beauty) and keeps you guessing.
Score: 8 out of 10.
Here are Greg King’s thoughts about the film:
Black Bag is a stylish, classy and intelligent spy thriller from prolific director Steven Soderbergh. And even though it features two actors from the Bond universe in Pierce Brosnan and Naomie Harris, this drama is more akin to the literary fiction of John le Carre and Len Deighton. Rather than car chases and shootouts that are the staple of the globetrotting adventures of a Bond or Jason Bourne, Black Bag digs deeply into the nitty gritty of the intelligence community, a world of secrets and deception. It also looks at the complex personalities of the spies that inhabit this world.
The film runs for a brisk 93 minutes and there is little flab on the sparse script. Black Bag is largely dialogue driven and the few moments of violence that occur are sudden, unexpected and jarring. The title itself refers to a covert attempt to uncover secrets: to give it some more context, the infamous break-in at the Watergate Hotel that ultimately led to the downfall of President Nixon is referred to as a “black bag” operation.
The performances of the ensemble cast are solid. With his glasses, Fassbender is deliberately meant to mimic George Smiley (the hero of Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy) and even Michael Caine’s Harry Plamer, the spy at the centre of films including The Ipcress File. He brings a cold authority to his role, while Blanchett exudes strength from a chilly surface, along with ambiguity and vulnerability. Brosnan has a small but important role as Arthur Stieglitz, the avuncular but slightly menacing head of the agency.
Soderbergh directs, edits and shoots the movie under his regular pseudonym of Peter Andrews. The picture opens with a long tracking shot that follows George through the backstreets of London and into a darkly lit nightclub where he holds a clandestine meeting with an informant.
The film looks good and is handsomely mounted, with some rich production design from Philip Messina that creates the offices of the NCSC with its open design and lots of glass that gives it a bright look, in contrast to the darker nature of their business. Messina has also created the sprawling and lavish, warmly decorated terrace apartment that George and Katherine share. The characters are all dressed in dapper style thanks to Ellen Mirojnick’s costuming.
While Black Bag may not deliver that fast-paced action that many fans of the spy thriller genre prefer, this is an intelligent, well written and articulate spy movie that will appeal to fans of Le Carre and his ilk.
Score: 7-7.5 out of 10.
Here are Jacqui Hammerton’s thoughts about the film:
Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender not only slip into their intelligence roles in this restrained spy thriller like they were born for it, but make a credibly sexy married couple. The pairing gives us sizzle along with suspicion in their conversations and interactions – personal, domestic, at work and hosting their cruel and bizarre dinner parties.
The intriguing plot of Black Bag seeps out slowly and sinuously as the mind games, secrets and deception keep us guessing. It’s an intense drama that chooses well-written dialogue over Hollywood-style action, with just a couple of squeamish moments. The cast is almost faultless in fascinating roles that bring intelligent cinema into the spotlight.
Score: 7.5 out of 10.
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Alex First is the editor of The Blurb. Alex is a Melbourne based journalist and communications specialist. He also contributes to The Blurb on film and theatre.