BLACK BAG – Review by MaryAnn Johanson
When I say that Steven Soderbergh’s perfect little cinematic contraption Black Bag is old-fashioned, I mean it only in the very best sort of way. Movies used to be like this, not that long ago but long enough that today’s young adults might not be aware of what they’ve been missing unless they haunt the deep catalogues of the streamers that the algorithms seem to bypass.
I’m talking about smart, sexy stories about grownup people, not the serious dramas but the sophisticated nonsense. Sleek and elegant, full of gorgeous, charismatic people with genuine star quality engaging in deliciously amusing balderdash. Movies like this used to be multiplex staples, and they’ve all but disappeared. It’s great we got this one, but it’s a bittersweet experience. “I haven’t had this much fun in years,” Cate Blanchett’s silky spy intones here… and it’s not difficult to hear it as a meta commentary from the actor, too. I certainly felt the same as an audience member. (Continue reading…)
