“Black Bag” begins in media res and ends much the same way. Like any good spy thriller, it’s a film without any flashbacks, without any prolonged scenes of exposition that would slow down the action and feel even slightly out of place. In other words, Steven Soderbergh’s project here is efficient: it’s only 94 minutes long and it makes sure every second counts.
I was, admittedly, pessimistic in my anticipation of this film, which premiered March 14. It’s the third collaboration between Soderbergh and writer David Koepp, and while I never did see “Kimi” I wasn’t a fan of this year’s “Presence.” Most of my gripes with that movie centered on its script, which, to be totally honest, I thought was terrible. Nevertheless, “Black Bag” managed to surprise me. While I have several fantastic things to say about it, the thing that stood out to me the most, perhaps because of my hesitation, is how genuinely intriguing and enthralling Koepp’s script is.
Koepp reveals only so much as he needs to at any given moment, leaving a constant sense of mystery all the way through, even as the credits begin to roll. For a film so interested in the nature of secrets — including those with the potential to catastrophize the entire world — this sort of reservedness works tremendously. It’s just the cherry on top, then, that he also writes such believable, convincing dialogue and that each of the actors — not least of all Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender — are able to deliver it so well.
“Black Bag” follows British Intelligence officer George Woodhouse (Fassbender) as he’s tasked with investigating the leak of a top-secret software program called Severus. He’s given a list of names and a week, and if he fails then it’s possible that tens of thousands of people might die. Simple enough. What makes matters so difficult is that one of the names on the list is Kathryn St. Jean (Blanchett), another intelligence officer who just so happens to be his wife. The film then becomes an exploration of these two’s relationship, their dynamics with each other as spies and how, or if, they might deal with each other should their jobs require them to.
If there’s one word to describe the chemistry between Fassbender and Blanchett in this film, it would be “cold.” And I don’t mean this in a negative way, in fact I mean quite the opposite. Their conversations are dry and perplexing, always with a hint that something remains unsaid. You want to believe from the very beginning that Kathryn is the traitor, and her behavior would certainly lead one to that conclusion. But at the same time, there remains a sense of doubt as the other characters, each one just as mysterious as the last, are introduced.
Really, as great as Fassbender and Blanchett are in their respective roles, it’s these side characters that really make the world of “Black Bag” a convincing and captivating one. Clarissa (Marisa Abela), a satellite imagery specialist, is in a volatile relationship with the much-older Freddie (Tom Burke). Freddie might be having an affair; in fact, Clarissa might be too. Now that I mention it, everyone else, including Zoe (Naomie Harris) and James (Regé-Jean Page) and even George and Kathryn, might be having their own affairs too.
Infidelity is a recurring theme throughout the film, but it never feels like a soap opera. Here, it’s treated the same as any other secret. In a line of work like this, the film argues, it’s only natural to hide things from your partner. At the same time, it almost taunts you, the viewer, the third-party voyeur to the drama happening on-screen. You want to know everything, but what if you never do? But, then again, isn’t it always possible that you do? Despite its short length, “Black Bag” is a film that demands this sort of patience. Thankfully, it all pays off in the end.
Despite its rave reviews, “Black Bag” has remained a box office bomb, making back only about half of its reported $50 million budget. While I could go on ad nauseam about the politics of the contemporary theatrical release model, I’ll just say that Soderbergh’s picture is a riveting and delightful experience, and I urge you to see it, even if your only chance comes after Universal Studios decides to release it on video-on-demand. In spite of its performance, what we have here is the first great film of the year.
