This
dinner party will be like Mr. And Mrs. Smith, hosting John le Carre’s Tinker, Tailor,
Soldier, and Spy. Unfortunately for George Woodhouse (the Mr. Smith), his wife
Kathryn St. Jean is also under suspicion. Yes, he knows she has been keeping
secrets, but so has he. That comes with the territory for two married spies. Regardless,
Woodhouse must find the security leak in Stephen Soderbergh’s Black Bag,
which is now available on VOD (and still in theaters).
Woodhouse’s
dinner parties can be awkward, but when you are invited, you must attend.
Tonight’s guest list was made up by Meacham, his superior, who has deduced the
code for an extremely destructive weaponized virus has been compromised. There
are only five suspects, including his wife.
Freddie
Smalls, is a senior MI6 agent, who was considered Woodhouse’s protégé, until he
passed him over for a promotion. Col. James Stokes, is the fast-tracked hotshot
agent, whom Smalls lost out to. Clarissa Dubose, the satellite imagery
technician, has been conducting a not-so-secret relationship with Smalls. Dr.
Zoe Vaughan serves as MI6’s staff psychiatrist, who counsels all five suspects,
including St. Jean, rather they like it or not (and she clearly does not). She also
recently terminated her romantic relationship with Stokes.
It will
be a super fun dinner party, because several guests reveal very embarrassing secrets.
However, it is not immediately evident who transfered the so-called Severus
Virus to a dangerous foreign element. It is not an ideal time for St. Jean to
leave. She cannot explain either, simply invoking the term “black bag,” which
agents use as shorthand for “I can’t tell you, because its top secret business.”
David
Koepp’s original screenplay rather cleverly devises ways to bring the loyalties
of the various couples into conflict with their professional and national allegiances.
Eventually, the big picture also involves Russia, but not in the way Putin-hawks
might expect or hope. However, one character’s Roman Catholic faith will play
an edifying role, in the complicated intrigue.
In
fact, Koepp’s machinations are just complicated enough to maintain suspense and
uncertainty, but everything is sufficiently illuminated so that the ending
makes sense and provides closure. Black Bag is intelligent, but not too
smart for its own good. It also wraps everything up, more or less, in about
ninety minutes, which represents remarkably skillful and economically
story-telling in this age of narrative bloat.
Arguably,
Black Bag earns the further distinction as Soderbergh’s most stylish
film since Out of Sight. The vibe is slick, but sophisticated. David
Holmes’ score (featuring Brian Irvine on keyboards) appropriately noirish, but
also jazzy and snappy, in a complimentary way. It really adds a lot to the film’s
identity.
Plus, Michael
Fassbender’s wardrobe was clearly inspired by 1960s Michael Caine films, which
is cool. You can tell Fassbender totally fed off that vibe. His performance is
quietly reserved and cerebral, but absolutely magnetic.
The
four suspect-guests are also terrific, in very different ways. Tom Burke (who
more viewers ought to know from The Lazarus Project) puts on a show on
his own as the shlubby, self-destructive Smalls. Naomie Harris does some great
verbal sparring as Dr. Vaughan, the shrink nobody wants to confide in. Marisa
Abela is a destabilizing force as Dubose, while Rege-Jean Page matches
Fassbender’s ability to project calculating intelligence.
Nobody is ever going to forget David Bowie starred in Nicolas Roeg’s The Man
Who Fell to Earth, so, wisely, the creators of this series avoided any need
to accuse the “Wild Eyed Boys” of “toxic fandom.” Their series adaptation of
Walter Tevis’s novel builds on the 1976 film, instead of trying to tear it down
(in a way that is somewhat akin to the 2022 Quantum Leap series). Let’s
give thanks to Bowie, for being such an icon. Decades after Thomas Jerome
Newton arrived on Earth, another alien from Anthea comes looking for him in
Alex Kurtzman & Jenny Lumet’s 10-episode The Man Who Fell to Earth, which
releases this Tuesday on DVD.
It
turns out Newton was an adept, whereas Faraday is just a drone on Anthea. Yes, this
series’ intergalactic sociology is as didactically class-conscious as afternoon
tea at the Glasgow Labour Party HQ. Environmental catastrophe is also on the
horizon for us, but it is already choking Anthea to death. Newton was supposed to
be the planet’s best hope, but he has gone dark, thanks to human fears and his
own adoption of earthly vices. Faraday is supposed to get him back on track. Of
course, his name really isn’t Faraday. He just picks it up from the intake
officer, who processes him after he is arrested for being naked and weird.
Aside
from Newton, the only name Faraday has in his mental rolodex is that of Justin
Falls (presumably short for “Justina”), who should have invented cold fusion,
but came up tragically short. According to his instructions, Faraday is
supposed to help her finish the job, but he needs the double-secret patents
locked in the vault of Newton’s old tech company. Falls was already taking care
of her daughter and her ailing father, but she reluctantly agrees to guide
Faraday on his quest.
After
Newton went-off the grid (and we mean way, way off), the Flood family took over
the company with the CIA’s backing. Yes, the CIA are the bad guys, yet again.
Spencer Clay is the worst of them—and also the most neurotic. Newton has been one
of his two driving obsessions, so when he discovers the arrival of a new
Anthean, he hopes Faraday can lead him to Newton.
The
reclusive weirdo really is out there somewhere. Occasionally, he will even communicate
with Faraday, his former drone back in the day, through the Force, or whatever.
Who could credibly step into David Bowie’s platform shoes? Actually, the
casting of Bill Nighy is pretty shrewd. He has a similar physicality and he projects
the right degree of oddity. Each episode is titled after a Bowie song too, so
Kurtzman and Lumet definitely show the proper respect.
The
first six episodes or so are surprisingly engaging, thanks in large measure to
Chiwetel Ejiofor’s distinctive performance as Faraday. Instead of cutely quirky,
like Starman or Brother from Another Planet, he is so alien (literally)
he is almost non-functional. Naomie Harris portrays Falls with toughness and sensitivity
that successfully counterbalances him. She is definitely one of the best things
going for the series. Plus, Martha Plimpton has a terrific guest shot in the
first episode as Officer Faraday and Zoe Wanamaker is a showstopper as Watt,
Faraday’s unlikely advisor.
