Black Bag

Before

If you had to blow up your wife or your country, which would you choose?Calm down, calm down. I’m not trying to start a riot or anything, that’s just the premise of the movie. It’s a spy movie about a married couple who are both spies. They still do separate missions, so their relationship can get a bit complicated. Then one day, he gets word that she might be a traitor. The movie starts there. 

Right out the gate, I’m excited to see Fasbender on screen again. It has been a while since I have seen him in anything. Heck, I don’t think I have seen him as anyone but Magneto in the x-men movies (which is still one of my favorite movie franchises.) I’m also excited to see Cate Blanchett as the spy-wife. She’s a good actress and it seems like these two will have some decent chemistry. 

But the main focus of this show appears to be the tension between loyalty to one’s country and one’s spouse. I’m excited to see how they handle this. The trailer seems to say that there’s at least a little mistrust in the air, as Fasbender at least goes in to investigate her as a suspect. Whether or not he is able to overcome his love, however, seems to be the question. If this is executed well, this could make for a thick plot, indeed. 

With this emphasis on trust and the development of these characters, I don’t think this will be an over-the-top action flick. I glanced at the reviews, and it seems the critics haven’t touched it yet, but the fans rate it in the high 90’s. Now I’m really excited to see this. But my biggest thing is whether or not I’ll find something to philosophize about. I’m looking for something personal to chew on, and then spit out as practical advice for all of you. The groundwork is there, but if there’s anything that I have learned about movies, it’s that sometimes a great idea can still fall a little flat. But given the good reviews, I think that’s not as likely to be the case. 

So that’s my pre-movie thoughts, we’ll see how it goes!

After

This movie was pretty good, but it’s the type of thing that I would probably have to see a few times to fully appreciate. The reason for that is that it isn’t as dramatic as a lot of other movies, even spy ones. Most movies have a way of pointing you towards specific details and giving you queues about how to interpret them. This movie is a lot more about tracking all the details yourself and making your own interpretations of them as you go. 

This goes for the actors as well. There are only a handful of moments where they show any real reactions to what’s going on. This isn’t a mission impossible-style movie, it feels more like real life. Some people may not like that. If you struggle to keep up with all the little things in a movie, this one might not be for you. It isn’t gratuitous. It isn’t larger than life. It’s very dry. 

But if you can keep up, it’s a great movie. I found myself questioning every character’s truthfulness from start to finish. Especially with the marriage thrown into the mix. It sounds tricky: how do you trust someone when their job, as well as yours, is to be deceptive? How do you keep a strong bond when it would be all-too easy to break it? 

I think trust is one of those things that is, by nature, pretty similar to foolishness. Why would I believe that my spouse is actually innocent, when all signs point to them being guilty? It seems dumb, blind and stubborn to try to convince yourself, and others, that something’s wrong with the story being told. And yet, that’s the virtue we’re supposed to cling to. Usually it’s because there’s information being withheld. There are always details being left out for one reason or another. It isn’t always because someone wants to do harm, but harm winds up happening when the truth is covered up. But the best of us know the character of the people we are around. The best of us don’t need the facts because we have our past experiences. 

This was a good movie, but I don’t feel the need to push anyone off the fence. If you like movies with thick plots, lots of details, and a real-life feel, this movie is for you. But if you like something that you don’t need to pay as much attention to, or that’s a little more gratuitous, maybe skip this one. After all, there are a lot of good movies coming out this week. It’s not like this is your only option. So feel free to see it, or don’t, and let me know what you think. 

Until next time

May Peace be your guide.