Black Bag
(PG) ***
Lover’s Tryst!
Running Time: 1h 33m
It’s spy vs spy with a sexy twist in Black Bag. Forgot about all those fanciful James Bond extravangzas a la Connery. Consider all those Mission Impossible and Jason Bourne escapades to take a back seat to the danger a loving couple faces In this meticulously acted espionage thriller from Touchwood PR which is now entertaining audiences at Cineplex Cinemas and Landmark Theatres around B.C.
Moles aren’t just blemishes on your face. In spy parlance a mole is a “plant” embedded in a security organization. On the surface husband and wife tag team spies George Woodhouse and Kathryn St. Jean seem to have a good thing going. Too bad for them MI6’s top pair of assassins may be guilty of betraying their paymasters. Both Michael Fassbender and Cate Blanchett are superb as the meticulous lovers who get caught up in a dastardly plot to ruin their careers, bring down MI6 and maybe destroy the world. Sounds interesting.
A list director and George Clooney partner Steven Soderbergh is in top form reviving that spy who came in from the cold Harry Palmer era. To make the movie work you have to buy into the whole premise of a husband wife spy team not letting their personal feelings interfere with their work. Yes, we’ve seen films like this before. But thanks to the great acting from Fassbender and Blanchett it all seems so real.
You really don’t know what’s going on and who are the traitors in this smartly written story that truly leaves you guessing. If you want to see great characters going at it hot and heavy then Black Bag will be worth your time. Besides, it also features Pierce Brosnan and Naomi Harris.
The Penguin Lessons
(PG)***
Lesson Learned!
Running Time: 1h 50m
A lesson learned. And earned. That about sums up the goings on in The Penguin Lessons. Sometimes small films can be good. And entertaining. So let the good times roll and flow which they do in this quaint little movie from Mongrel media now enchanting folks at select Cineplex Cinemas and Landmark Theatres across B.C.
South America Is full of mystery. And danger. But let’s not forget instability. Into this smouldering setting wanders globe-trotting teacher Tom Michell. Funnyman Steve Coogan ( Night at the Museum) turns down the comedy and ramps up the drama as a long haired English teacher doing his best to tutor some well-heeled boy students at St. George’s college a prestigious boarding school in Buenos Aires.
Set in Argentina during the turbulent mid 1970s when martial law was in vogue The Penguin Lessons shows the fine line that had to be drawn between doing the right thing or staying out of jail. With whimsical humour thrown in to take the edge off the incessant danger communities were facing at the time Coogan carefully weaves his way through the countless challenges he faces to retain his job, his sanity, and a new Penguin friend named Juan Salvador who somehow provides the glue it takes to survive.
Poignant, uncertain and thoroughly enjoyable The Penguin Lessons is based on a real story and shows how people can overcome fear and desperation when all hope seems to be lost. Bolstered by a charming performance by former James Bond nemesis Jonathan Pryce (Tomorrow Never Dies) as Buckles, the flimsy school headmaster The Penguin Lessons will leave you smiling all the way home. And happy you saw it!
McVeigh
(PG)****
Lone Wolf!
Running time: 1h 30min
Go behind the scenes to track a determined killer in the spine-tingling McVeigh. Based of course on the life of notorious bomber Tim McVeigh this drama from Route 504PR being backs lots of memories. Bad memories. Check out this slice of American folklore and history at select theatres across BC. Before it makes its way onto streaming services as well as on Blu-Ray and DVD.
Shot in the land of bourbon and fabled thoroughbred horse farms and racing in Kentucky, McVeigh follows the drive and determination of the ultimate loner/loser. A man of few words and questionable motives, actor Alfie Allen is as intense as they come in portraying Tim McVeigh, superbly conveying all that raw rage and pent-up emotion buried deep inside a calm demeanor.
Director and co-writer Mike Ott does a great job recreating an unsettling atmosphere as this determined man out to blow up a federal building in Oklahoma makes his way from Kentucky to his final destination. Along the way he meets up with the usual suspects and undesirable wannabe revolutionaries, Nazis and the hard right extremists. More into gun shows than hooded rallies you can sense the desperation in all who cross paths with this ticking time bomb who somehow succeeds in creating chaos at a troubling time in American society. Chilling to the core.
The Friend
(PG)***
Puppy Love!
Running time: 2h
It’s an unusual love story to be sure. Heartfelt and emotional are the performances that unfold effortlessly in the New York set The Friend. Brought to British Columbia by Mongrel Media this loving portrait is currently playing at Vancouver’s Park Theatre.
Losing a loved one is a painful process. So when author and educator Walter dies it leaves a big hole in the hearts of all his friends, including Iris. Funnyman Bill Murray (Caddy Shack) turns down the comedy while Naomi Watts rises to the occasion and steps up to take care of her friend’s prized possession – a pooch named Appolo. (Played by Bing).
Maybe it’s the dog that’s the real star of this show as it takes centre stage turning Iris’s life upside down. At first reluctant to take in The Great Dane over time the two “bond” in a poignant way. Just how this woman copes with looking after an animal in the big city is wonderfully depicted in an honest, accurate and emotional way.
Front and centre in The Friend is the realistic way with which it portrays the grieving process. Adding to the drama are the problems associated when trying to find a place to rent which are exacerbated when an animal is thrown into the mix.
Ideal for both romantics and dog lovers The Friend is full of good vibes and will leave its mark on you.
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By Robert Waldman
