MOVIE REVIEW: BLACK BAG

 

When his beloved wife, Kathryn, is suspected of betraying the nation, intelligence agent George Woodhouse faces the ultimate test -- loyalty to his marriage or his country.

Director: Steven Soderbergh

Cast: Cate Blanchett, Michael Fassbender, Marisa Abela, Tom Burke, Naomie Harris, Regé-Jean Page, Pierce Brosnan

Release Date: March 14, 2025

Genre: Drama, Thriller

Rated R for language including some sexual references, and some violence.

Runtime: 1h 33m

Review:

Steven Soderbergh's sleek spy thriller crackles off the screen thanks to a pitch perfect script and stellar turns from its cast.  Soderbergh's film instantly pops off the screen with its stylized aesthetic that gives every shot and the film overall a certain verve that's infectious.  This film has no interest in being gritty in any shape or form as every person and locale looks like it was lifted from a fashion catalogue.  As a spy thriller, it’s more of a throwback to old school films that focus more on the machinations at play than large scale carnage.  David Koepp's script provides the cast with plenty of meaty dialogue that moves from biting and wry to sexy with incredible ease.  Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender are perfectly in their element as the central spy spouses who may or may not be hiding something from each other.  Blanchett's statuesque frame and refined voice make her an imposing figure that can inspire a bevy of emotions with a simple look.  Fassbender, on the other end, plays his character much more analytically and cerebrally as you watch him dissect every person and moment throughout.  They share a wonderful, believable chemistry onscreen that makes their deep emotional connection ring true even through all the deceptions that are part of their lives.  Marisa Abela leaves a strong impression as a firecracker of a data analyst who's ensnared in a larger plot but proves to be more than capable of standing on her own volition.  Regé-Jean Page, Tom Burke and Naomie Harris all have smaller supporting roles with each leaving their mark in their limited screentime.  Pierce Brosnan has what amounts to an extended cameo as the section chief and serves a bit of a garnish to the decadent dish that Soderbergh delivers with Black Bag.

A

MOVIE REVIEW: DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: HONOUR AMOUNG THIEVES

 

A charming thief and a band of unlikely adventurers embark on an epic quest to retrieve a long lost relic, but their charming adventure goes dangerously awry when they run afoul of the wrong people.

Director: John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein

Cast: Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez, Regé-Jean Page, Justice Smith, Sophia Lillis, Hugh Grant

Release Date: March 31, 2023

Genre: Action, Adventure, Fantasy

Rated PG-13 for fantasy action/violence and some language

Runtime: 2h 14m

Review:

Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is a fun, if inconsistent, adventure comedy that works mostly because of the energetic charisma of its ensemble cast.  Directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein do a solid job of setting up the world and its light goofy tone early on.  Chris Pine is a perfect shepherd for this fantasy romp by using his natural onscreen charisma to great effect.  Pine makes the whole thing far more accessible than it should be since the script throws a bevy names and locations which longtime fans of the game will probably appreciate but will fly over the general public's head.  The action set pieces are large impressive mostly CGI creations with a graveyard and arena sequence being the best of the bunch.  Thankfully, the story never takes itself overly serious even as we traverse the Lord of the Rings style world as the group of misfits assembles.  This allows the rest of the ensemble their moments to shine typically through a series of extended flashback which flesh out their backstories.  Michelle Rodriguez is perfectly cast as the barbarian and Pine's platonic partner.  Justice Smith is appropriately award and unsure as the less than stellar sorcerer whose hopelessly in love with Sophia Lillis shapeshifting druid.  Lillis is a fun counterpoint to Smith with her natural poise and self confidence.  Regé-Jean Page and Hugh Grant both make the most of their screen time but you get the sense that the film could have made better use of the performers and characters.  It’s a strange sort of film that's far better than it deserves to be mainly because of the cast is able to rise about the film's script with is filled plenty of clunky dialogue.  The surprising thing about Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves is that amongst all the goofiness it's got a good amount of heart at the center of the story.  

B-