Black Bag

Director: Steven Soderbergh

Writer: David Koepp

George (Michael Fassbender) and Kathryn (Cate Blanchett) are a married couple, who work for the intelligence services. Dedicated to each other, George finds his dedication tested when Kathryn is highlighted as a possible intelligence leak, alongside five of their friends and colleagues. George has to use his particular set of intelligence skills to discover the leak, reclaim a dangerous piece of cyber technology, all while dealing with friends, colleagues and a wife who may all be manipulating him to cover their tracks.

I have to admit, I do enjoy a good Soderbergh story. At their best they fly along, with zippy dialogue, twisting plots and plenty of style. Black Bag is not Soderbergh at his peak, but what it is, is an efficient, neat and tidy, spy inspired thriller, that knows its job and does it well.

It’s built mainly around. Fassbender’s performance, with a character who is cool, calculated and reserved, but with much going on under the covers. He’s well supported too. Cate Blanchett is as reliable as ever. But there are particularly good performances from Naomie Harris as a calculating and cold psychologist and Tom Burke’s old school spy. But it is Marisa Abela, as a young and eager, George “fan girl”, who often steals the show.

At just 94 minutes long, it zips along, with snappy dialogue and not too many twists and turns to keep track of. Although it is those lack of twists and turns that probably keep this at mid range Soderbergh, his best work is a little more layered and smarter than what Black Bag has to offer. But that’s not necessarily a bad thing for an entertaining piece of well made cinema.

Black Bag is a well made, efficient spy type thriller. At just 94 minutes it’s tightly scripted, well performed and has enough twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat. It’s not prime Steven Soderbergh, but for a bit of relatively light, well made cinema entertainment it does a job.