Starring: Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Rockwell, Henry Cavill, Bryan Cranston, Catherine O’Hara, Arianna DeBose, Dua Lipa, John Cena, Samuel L Jackson
Distributor: Universal Pictures
Runtime: 140 mins. Reviewed in Feb 2024
Reviewer: Fr Peter Malone msc
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A reclusive author who writes espionage novels about a secret agent and a global spy syndicate realises the plot of the new book she’s writing starts to mirror real-world events, in real time.
Has there been any research done about film fans who decide that they are against a film before they see it, still determinedly actually pay for their ticket, then spend a great deal of their time lamenting about the time wasted in watching the film and devoting more time and energies to badmouthing it, especially on social media, and on movie blogging sites? The immediate response to Argylle would be a case in point. A great deal of social media time and space devoted to lambasting it.
The accompanying question for discernment would be: why not look at the cast and the director, discern that it would be an action show, with espionage, probably a lot of spoof, and, with the history of the director, lots of colour and over the top action, and give it a try. There would be many things to enjoy. And, that is probably the point – Argylle was made for enjoyment rather than for minute critical analysis.
Vaughn has had an interesting career, from the gangster Layer Cake to Kick Ass, Stardust and the Kingsman series. And, this time he has had a $200 million budget. A lot of it up there on the screen in colour, special effects, spectacular action sequences.
The basic idea is enjoyable. Howard is Elly Conway, a rather mousy writer of spy thrillers. She is a recluse who lives in a world of her own making until an agent named Aidan (Rockwell, enjoying himself all the way through) approaches her on a train, and informs her she is the target of a spy organisation. Aidan is revealed, through as many fight variations you can have on a moving train, to be a spy and a reader of all Elly’s novels, and is set to protect her.
We have already seen part of one of her novels in action, with Cavill as her muscular hero Argylle (despite that awkward Mohawk hair style), in action in Greece, with his tough associate Wyatt (Cena). Argylle will reappear throughout the film, in Elly’s eyes alternating between Argylle and Aidan as reality and fiction blurs.
While Elly’s mother Ruth (O’Hara), is keen to help her daughter with her writing and plot development, we discover the malevolent influence of the rogue spy organisation The Division, led by Ritter (Cranston). Plenty of star power in this film, including Oscar-winner Arianna DeBose as an IT expert spy, Jackson as the retired head of the CIA, Sofia Boutella as an exotic mastermind.
By about a third of the way through or more, there is the temptation to think that this is perhaps a bit more routine than hoped for. But, then the twists start. And then twist on twists! And, the spending of the budget on big action sequences, the audience thinking that one that involves all kinds of smoke and technicolour clouds isn’t bad, but then there is the ice-skating on an armaments floor covered in gasoline, a number of the spectacular leaps and action shots during the skating, some tension in the revelation of who is spying on whom, and a desperate fight interrupting the sending of an important file, a surprise rescue and a final explosion.
This is rather a different role for Rockwell and he seems to relish it. And, a bit more admiration for Howard by the end – and, as she grows older, she will enjoy sitting down with her grandchildren to watch it again!
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