Black Bag

Front Row at the Movies by Shirrel Rhoades

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In spy talk, a black bag operation is a covert burglary to obtain intelligence information. The phrase refers to the black bag of equipment that a burglar would carry.

“Black Bag” – that happens to be the title of a new spy thriller, starring Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender. It’s directed by Steven Soderbergh (“Traffic,” “Out of Sight”).

Here, the title refers to the code word that spies use when they aren’t authorized to divulge certain information.

Steven Soderbergh tends to be a very cerebral filmmaker, his movies taking on themes of “shifting personal identities, vengeance, sexuality, morality, and the human condition.”

He’s known for his creative use of jump cuts, ambient music by Cliff Martinez, and including a company named “Perennial” in most of his films. He often does his own cinematography under the name Peter Andrew. As a joke, his cast credits sometimes end with “Introducing,” followed by the name of an already well-established actor.

Soderbergh’s father was a professor at Louisiana State College, so at 15 he enrolled in the university’s filmmaking class and began making 16mm shorts. After a stint in Hollywood working as an editor, he continued his path as an independent filmmaker, finally getting an assignment to do a concert film for the rock group Yes! That won him a Grammy.

His next big hit was “Sex, Lies & Videotape,” a movie which won him the Palme d’Or at Cannes; an Independent Spirit Award for Best Director; and an Oscar nomination for Best Original Screenplay. He had arrived.

In 1998, he did the sexy crime drama “Out of Sight,” with his pal George Clooney and Jennifer Lopez. This was a conscious decision to break out of the arthouse ghetto. He said, “I was very aware that at that point in my career, half the business was off limits to me.”

In 2001, he became the first director in 62 years to receive two Best Director Oscar nominations for “Erin Brockovich” and “Traffic.” As you know, “Traffic” won.

And he went on to great commercial success with the series of “Oceans” films.

Now we have “Black Bag.” This is not your typical spy pix – although it definitely carries “Mr. And Mrs. Smith” vibes.

The précis reads:

“When intelligence agent Kathryn St. Jean is suspected of committing treason, her husband, intelligence agent George Woodhouse, is assigned to investigate her. He faces the ultimate test – faithfulness to his marriage or loyalty to his country.”

As Showbiz Junkies puts it: “Is it possible to trust anyone – even your spouse – in a world of secrets, lies, and intrigue?”

“Secrets, Lies & Intrigues” – now that would have been a good title for Soderbergh’s svelte spy story. Rotten Tomatoes describes it: “Sleek in design and spiked with dry wit, ‘Black Bag’ is an exemplary espionage caper that lets movie stars like Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender do what they do best – light up the screen.”

“Black Bag” has a great supporting cast that includes Naomi Harris, Gustaf Skarsgård, Marisa Abela, Regé-Jean Page, and Pierce Brosnan.

The tightly-plotted script is by David Koepp, the fourth most successful screenwriter of all time (box office receipts for his films grossing over $2.6 billion in the U.S).

The MacGuffin in this thriller is called Severus – a cyber-worm device that can destabilize a nuclear reactor. National Cyber Security Center Agent George Woodhouse (Michael Fassbender) is told by fellow agent Meachum (Gustaf Skarsgård) that a mole has stolen this gizmo. He gives Woodhouse a list of five suspects, including George’s wife, Kathryn (Cate Blanchett), and tells him he has a week to find the traitor in their ranks.

Good luck with that.

Slant says this London-set spy yarn is “the kind of old-fashioned caper that Soderbergh can make in his sleep.”

True, but you’d be well advised to join him in his dreams. “The film seeks to pay tribute to a bygone era of genre cool – to a brand of popular escapist cinema where beautiful people casually navigated high-stakes situations while trading blithe bon mots.”

Think James Bond – without Bond.

Oh, wait – we have Pierce Brosnan on board. But if there’s a 007 in Soderbergh’s slick tale, it’s Cate Blanchett.

Yes, “Black Bag” is as cool as the blade of a stiletto pricking against your neck.

Email Shirrel: srhoades@aol.com