BLACK BAG

US, 2025, 93 minutes, Colour.

Michael Fassbender, Cate Blanchett, Tom Burke, Marisa Abela, Rege-Jean Paege, Naomi Harris, Pierce Brosnan, Gustaf Skarsgaard.

Directed by Steven Soderberg.

Black Bag is a film from Steven Soderberg, now a veteran director, early on the scene at a young age, winning at Cannes, 1989, with Sex, Lies and Videotape. He won an Oscar for Best Director in 2004 Traffic. Now, 35 years later, that title does describe key elements in this 21^st-century story of bureaucratic spies, agents, secrets, lies, 21^st-century surveillance technology.

Soderberg is a very hands-on filmmaker and with most of his films, as here, he uses the pseudonym, Peter Andrews, for his role as cinematographer and Mary Ann Bernard (his mother’s actual name) for his role as editor.

The writer of this film is also a veteran, David Koepp, with a range of films from Jurassic Park to Spiderman and, for Soderberg in recent years, Kimi and the ghost story, Presence.

In many ways, this film could be described as intellectual. The setting is London, the key characters generally behind the scenes in their agency. The setting is London, the screenplay takes place over a week, each day indicated. There is very little on screen action (a drone exploding a car on a Polish road), with more talk, discussion, testing, polygraph sequences, cant-and-mouse games and an eruption of truth at the end.

At the centre is top intelligence agent, George, played precisely by Michael Fassbender, meticulous in manner and order (sometimes looking like OCD touches), informed that there is a traitor, the disappearance of information which could trigger explosive results, his quest to find the traitor. And, his link indicates that that could include his wife, Katherine a surface-assured agent, Cate Blanchett. He invites for over collaborators to a dinner, playing a game to try to determine who with a traitor could be. And the game is rather intelligence intriguing, each guest voicing a resolution for the future for the person sitting to their right. Of course, quite a number of secrets and lies, and a dramatic plunging of a knife into the hand of one of the guests.

As the week goes on, we are introduced to the top administrator, played by a silver haired Pierce Brosnan. We get to know the other dinner guests will, bread, a bluff agent played by Tom Burke (Cormorant Strike from the Robert K Galbraith stories and television series), Clarissa, his partner, by Marisa Abela (TVs industry in a striking performance as Amy Winehouse in Back to Black), Bridgeton’s Rege-Jean Page as James, a Colonel and Naomie Harris, veteran of many films from Moonlighting to being Miss Moneypenny and the Daniel Craig bond films) as Zoe, the in-house psychologist.

And so the week continues, Katherine going to Zürich for a contact, George using Clarissa for deep surveillance on her meeting. There are also counselling sessions with Zoe for Katherine and Steve, more secrets and lies.

Then George tests the dinner guests with the polygraph and then organises another dinner, more games and revelations, placing a gun on the table – and, with the pressures of the discussion, the decision that whoever lunges for the game is the traitor. Yes.

So, an espionage story but an exploration of motives and actions rather than non-stop activity – no, there is quite an unexpected shootout!

1. The world of security, agents, spies? The code of secrecy, lies, cover-ups, the symbol of the black bag?
2. A story of spies rather than a thriller? Secrets, plans, betrayals, testing, unmasking? Not an action spy thriller?
3. The London setting, interiors, the home and the dinner, the official officers, meeting rooms? Zürich, the airport, the square, the road through Poland, the fishing? The atmospheric score?
4. The work of Steven Soderberg, for 35 years, the title of sex, lies and video tapes, and the reprisal of equivalent themes in the 21^st-century? His photography, his editing?
5. The introduction to George, serious, meticulous, the camera following him in the street, the club, the contact, the issue of a traitor, his commission to find the truth? His relationship with Katherine, with her on the list? At home, no lying, each prepared to life of the other, kill for the other? His cooking, detailed, the stain on the shirt, changing his clothes, the touch of OCD?
6. The arrival of the guests, the spiking of the drinks, ready and Clarissa, the initial impressions, James and Sally, the relationship? Their meeting at the cafe, Freddie late, bringing the drinks, suspects? The conversation during the meal, George playing the game, each making the resolution for the other, truth and denials, Clarissa and her anger, Freddie and his affairs and denials, the knife in his hand, the relationship between Zoe and James? The end of the dinner?
7. The structure of the film, the indication of day by day?
8. The character of Freddy, passed over, the lies about his relationships, meetings with Zoe? Yet the relationship with Clarissa? Her background, family, their skills in espionage?
9. The character of James, the relationship with Zoe, her breaking it, his anger, Zoe and her psychology role, the meeting with Katherine, their exchanges, their attitudes towards each other?
10. George, going fishing, the meal? At home with Katherine, her going to Zürich? George and the office, Clarissa and the technology to home in on Katherine, her meeting, the issues, sales, the Russian? The supervisor glancing at the screen? Katherine and her return?
11. Suspicions of James, George taking him fishing, the gun, the conversation?
12. Stiglitz, in charge, the issue of Cerberus, disappearance, sale, money? The capabilities of each character? Suspicions on Stiglitz? His manner?
13. The lie detector, the questionnaire each of the suspects, truth and lies, covers?
14. Katherine, the connection with the CIA and information?
15. The murder of Philip Meacham, Georges contact, his death, suspicions?
16. The meeting for the final game, revelations, the gun on the table, the exposes, Clarissa not lying, James grabbing the gun, his being identified as the traitor, the story of the money, the deals, the CIA and the killing of the Russian and his contact? Katherine shooting him? The disposal of the body?
17. George and Catherine, working together, Katherine and her confrontation with Stiglitz and challenging him?
18. In espionage film of words rather than action?