Steven Soderbergh’sBlack Bagis the latest slick, stylish thriller from the acclaimed director, this time following a group of espionage agents as they attempt to uncover which of them is secretly selling information to their enemies. The film’s unique selling point, however, is that two of these central characters are husband and wife. With fierce lead performances from Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett,Black Bagis a record-breaking thrillerthat constantly pays homage to the classic spy movies to come before it.
Soderbergh’s style of filmmaking is reliably captivating, and that’s no different inBlack Bag. The way he effortlessly weaves these characters’ stories together in such personal and intimate ways, all while maintaining a narrative of global importance in the background, is nothing short of staggering. Although he manages to wrap everything together neatly inBlack Bag’s ending,the film will surely have audiences itching to find another moviethat can fill the same hole.
Mr. & Mrs. Smith
Cast
Mr. & Mrs. Smith is a romantic comedy action film that follows a married couple who discover that they’re both assassins after years of maintaining a false relationship for cover when John and Jane discover on a hit job that they both have the same target, the failed mission results in the discovery that they’re both assigned to different agencies. Now tasked with eliminating one another, the two engage in a darkly comedic battle where they soon begin to fall in love - for real, this time.
Best known as the first collaboration between Hollywood stars Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie,Mr & Mrs Smithis an underrated entry in the espionage genre that tells the story of a married spy couple whose new top-secret mission requires them to kill each other. The movie then shows the married couple setting out to achieve their mission, even though they realize they have to kill the person they are married to before they finally decide to band together and fight their common enemies.
Black Bag’s Michael Fassbender, Cate Blanchett & Cast On Steven Soderbergh’s Complicated, Sexy Thriller: “They’ve All Got Baggage”
ScreenRant interviews Black Bag stars Michael Fassbender, Cate Blanchett, Marisa Abela, Regé-Jean Page, and Naomie Harris about the spy thriller.
Much likeBlack Bag, it’s a film about the blurred line between love and duty, examining how far these individuals will bend their moral compasses to protect the people they love.It’s a much more comedic outing thanBlack Bag, but it deals with many of the same themes in an equally slick and absorbing way. It is also a more absurd action flick with gun fights, explosions, and over-the-top fight scenes. However,Black Bagis more of a dramatic telling of a similar story.
The Killeris rarely considered amongDavid Fincher’s best movies, but it’s still an excellent thriller that perfectly examines the cold and calculated behaviors that are needed to be a killer. Michael Fassbender stars as a professional assassin who only goes by the name “The Killer” who sets out on a personal vendetta when one of his hits goes wrong and assassins target him and the people closest to him.
Fincher’s movie is also more action-packed, but both deliver some great acting performances by Fassbender.
The film boasts an excellent performance from Michael Fassbender, who brings much of the same enigmatic stoicism to his character inBlack Bag- both are figures who must put their emotions aside to ensure perfect results in their work, though Fincher’s protagonist is much less likable than Soderbergh’s. The film features some excellent cinematography, creative visual choices, and a brilliant soundtrack. Fincher’s movie is also more action-packed, but both deliver some great acting performances by Fassbender.
No Sudden Move
2021’s No Sudden Move is an HBO Max original film starring Don Cheadle, Benicio Del Toro, David Harbour, Jon Hamm, and Brendan Fraser. The neo-noir crime thriller centers on a group of criminals who work together to figure out why their simple job failed and why they were brought together.
No Sudden Movealmost feels like Steven Soderbergh’s trial run forBlack Bag;the film is a sharp, stylish thriller that uses its ensemble cast and witty dialogue to place the audience directly into this criminal endeavor and figure out the mystery at the center.It’s a very tight and fast-paced storythat begs the audience’s attention at every turn, taking the viewer through a complex web of crime and conspiracy that centers around one man’s decision to steal from his employers to protect his family.
InSudden Move, Don Cheadle is a gangster named Churt Goynes who wants to leave town and get out of the business. However, his recruiter had him complete one last job for more money. When he and his new partners, Ronald Russo (Benicio del Toro) and Charley (Kieran Culkin) pull off a kidnapping heist, he learns he has been betrayed and has to fight out of this and stay alive as he tries to escape. LikeBlack Bag, Soderbergh creates a story where no one knows who they can trust.
Sicario
Sicario is a crime thriller directed by Denis Villeneuve, featuring Emily Blunt as an idealistic FBI agent. The film explores the intense and morally complex war on drugs at the U.S.-Mexico border, with key performances by Benicio del Toro and Josh Brolin.
Denis Villeneuve’s breakthrough feature may not be as epic as something likeDune, nor as groundbreaking as films likeArrival, but it opts instead for a more naturalistic approach that immerses the audience in a very specific narrative.The story focuses on Emily Blunt’s ambitious FBI Agentas she attempts to bring down a criminal empire operating on the southern border of the USA. However, she quickly learns that the United States special forces officers are just as dangerous as the drug runners in Mexico.
Sicariohas a fantastic endingthat forces the audience to contemplate the real-world implications of the story they’ve just watched, asking important questions about crime and national security - just likeBlack Bag.Who are the good guys, and who are the bad guys? In both movies, there is no such thing as a real “good guy,” as everyone is only out for their own well-being and often that means that they are willing to stab even their own allies in the back.
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spyis based on John le Carré’s high-stakes crime novel of the same name, which explores the attempts of one retired British spy to uncover an undercover agent within their ranks. This is easily one of the best adaptations of a George Smiley story, and Gary Oldman is masterful in his performance. Just likeBlack Bag, there is a mole in the agency and Smiley has to figure out who he can trust and who he can’t, with some big-name actors filling out the supporting roles.
Bridget O’Connor and Peter Straughan’s screenplay does an excellent job of revealingjust enoughinformation to keep the film exciting without ever making the answer too obvious.
It has much of the same “whodunnit” atmosphere that makesBlack Bagsuch an engaging watch, inviting the audience to figure out which of the film’s characters is harboring secrets alongside Gary Oldman’s protagonist. Bridget O’Connor and Peter Straughan’s screenplay does an excellent job of revealingjust enoughinformation to keep the film exciting without ever making the answer too obvious.
Of allSpielberg’s movies made in the 21st century,Bridge of Spiescertainly feels the most familiar to the filmmaker’s classical style. Adapted from Giles Whittell’s acclaimed book of the same name,Bridge of Spiesis set during the Cold War and tells the turbulent story of an American lawyer who is called upon to exchange a Russian prisoner with KGB soldiers in their home territory. The film was a great success, with Mark Rylance winning an Oscar for his performance.
It’s a very tense and unpredictable story that’s filled with twists from start to finish, with Tom Hanks’ lead performance holding everything together in ways that only Hanks can do. Just likeBlack Bag, this is a movie that relies more on dramatic moments and tension than it does straight-out espionage and spy action. In both films, the lead characters walk a tight rope to get the right thing done, and it isn’t always easy when there seem to be people at the top plotting against them.
It’s difficult to compare any film toBlack Bagwithout first mentioning Alfred Hitchcock, whose works were seemingly an enormous influence on Steven Soderberg’s latest project. The recent thriller has much of the same tight, compact storytelling and richly developed characters that made Hitchcock’s works so enjoyable, and 1948’sRopemay be the finest example. Based on a play,Ropeis a more personal Hitchcock story, and the same can be said for Soderbergh andBlack Bag.
The film takes place moments after two friends have killed a manand hidden his body in their home, following them as they attempt to protect their secret during an unpredictable dinner party with friends.Ropeis also one of Hitchcock’s most impressive performances as a director, as he shot the entire movie to take place in “real time,” with what looked like four long uninterrupted shots, stitched together to look like there were almost no edits at all in the film.
The Conversationis one of the most inventive and groundbreaking stories in Francis Ford Coppola’s filmography, telling the story of a mundane surveillance agent who is assigned a case that quickly takes a dark turn. When he accidentally stumbles into a murder conspiracy, Gene Hackman’s Harry Caul must weigh up his loyalties to his profession with his burning moral compass, knowing he can prevent needless bloodshed.
The film deals with many of the same moral dilemmas asBlack Bag,weaving them together with a complex character arc that makesThe Conversationone ofFrancis Ford Coppola’s best movies. Much likeBlack Bag,Hackman’s Harry has to figure out the truth and then decide on the moral implications of his decisions and whether he can trust his own gut or dig deeper to find even darker truths at hand.The Conversationwas added to the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress in 1995.
Ocean’s Elevenis the film that really transformed Soderbergh into a household name in the film business, turning what easily could’ve been a darkly familiar thriller into something completely unpredictable and relentlessly entertaining. This was also the first commercial success for Soderbergh, shot as a fun remake of a classic Rat Pack movie, but adding in some of the era’s most popular stars, like George Clooney, Brad Pitt, and Matt Damon, in a heist movie that was as thrilling as it was smart.
WhileBlack Bagkeeps Soderbergh’s more indie sensibilities intact, it wasOcean’s Eleven’ssuccess that made all this possible.
The film constantly keeps the audience at a distance, using the charming characters to distract them from the details of the plot, just to make those huge third-act reveals even more effective. It’s the golden standard of the “show don’t tell” rule of filmmaking, and that’s something that Soderbergh has carried forward into the rest of his career before (and including)Black Bag.WhileBlack Bagkeeps Soderbergh’s more indie sensibilities intact, it wasOcean’s Eleven’ssuccess that made all this possible.
James Bond is likely the first name that comes to mind when considering fictional spies in cinema, and for good reason.Bond is a perfect example of how to make a timeless herothat audiences can relate to, and this has never been stronger than inCasino Royale. Martin Campbell’s soft reboot of the Bond franchise introduces Daniel Craig as immediately one of thebest actors to play James Bond, and this story is filled with shocking moments that remind viewers exactly what kind of storytelling tricks are possible when the audience is constantly one step behind.
I Think I Need Multiple Viewings Of Black Bag To Fully Understand The Plot After That Ending
Those seeing Black Bag in theaters won’t want to miss a single second of Steven Soderbergh & David Koepp’s whip-smart and sharply paced spy thriller.
Black Bagis clearly inspired by spy movies likeCasino Royale, with Fassbender’s charmingly cold lead performance even paying homage to stoic heroes like James Bond at times. The overarching narratives of global terrorism and international conflict are also strikingly similar, and both projects even have the seductive romance to hold everything together.Casino Royaleis slightly more action-packed than dialogue-driven films likeBlack Bag, but the latter certainly feels like it owes something to the former.
