Just walked out of Steven Soderbergh’s “Black Bag” and immediately bought another ticket. Not because I’m some film-obsessed maniac (okay… definitely am that), but because my first viewing left me simultaneously dazzled and utterly bewildered.
Let me be clear – I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. Fassbender and Blanchett as intelligence agents/married couple George and Kathryn? Pure cinematic electricity. Their “flagrant monogamy” in a world of deceit is both refreshing and, somehow, the sexiest dynamic on screen this year. The way Blanchett purrs “I can feel you watching me” while Fassbender looks on with unabashed desire? Perfection.
But HOLY COW, did Soderbergh think we mere mortals could process this labyrinthine plot in a single viewing? The dinner party scene alone – with its drugged food, personal barbs, and one unfortunate stabbing – left me thoroughly entertained but completely in the dark. Who exactly was betraying whom? I thought I was tracking the mole hunt, only to discover there were TWO separate plots of subterfuge happening simultaneously!
It wasn’t until my second viewing that the brilliance clicked: both George and Kathryn were independently working to protect each other. The repeated dinner scene with new information revealed – chef’s kiss. All those bread crumbs I missed the first time around! That’s the problem with being mesmerized by Tom Burke’s delicious sliminess or Marisa Abela’s ferocious performance – I missed crucial plot details.
Soderbergh continues his streak of reinventing cinema with each project. His recent ghost story “Presence” filmed entirely from a spirit’s perspective? Groundbreaking. “Black Bag” may look more conventional with its espionage trappings and gorgeous people in tailored clothes, but its narrative complexity is just as avant-garde.
The performances deserve every accolade. Naomie Harris and Abela delivering verbal body blows with surgical precision. Rege-Jean Page weaponizing his charm. But it’s the Fassbender-Blanchett pairing that elevates this to another level – two master actors operating at their peak.
So, yes, “Black Bag” requires homework. It demands your full attention and possibly multiple viewings. But, unlike most films that collapse under scrutiny, this one reveals new layers with each watch. It’s like Soderbergh handed us a beautiful puzzle box without instructions – frustrating at first, but deeply satisfying once solved.
Is it too clever for its own good? Perhaps. But in an era of dumbed-down blockbusters, I’ll happily sign up for Soderbergh’s brain-benders any day. Just be prepared to buy that second ticket.
Edited by: CY