Cinema for Brunch ARGYLLE Review

A fun, action-packed spy romp with some unevenness, “Argylle” thrives off its great chemistry between Bryce Dallas Howard and Sam Rockwell.

Synopsis

Reclusive author Elly Conway writes best-selling espionage novels about a secret agent named Argylle who’s on a mission to unravel a global spy syndicate. However, when the plots of her books start to mirror the covert actions of a real-life spy organization, the line between fiction and reality begin to blur.

Review
Taking a step back from his cinematic baby – the Kingsman universe, Matthew Vaughn returns with his latest venture of kinetic action and irreverent humor – “Argylle”. Ever a lover for the espionage – specifically the James Bond films – Vaughn starts off “Argylle” the best way that he can, with the main “character” himself (played by Henry Cavill) being caught in a situation where a beautiful femme fetale (Dua Lipa) puts him in a bind and he has to find a way out. In comes his trusted partner-in-crime Wyatt (John Cena) to save the day and as we proceed towards the conclusion, we realize that this is all from the imagination of author Elly Conway (Bryce Dallas Howard). Famous for her “Argylle” spy stories and running into writer’s block for her next one, Conway runs into a strange man named Aidan (Sam Rockwell) and realizes she has been thrown into a real world of espionage and her stories may not be as fictional as she thought.

Through its ups-and-downs, the one thing “Argylle” doesn’t fail to do is entertain. Tongue-in-cheek references in Elly’s “fictional” world coupled with entertaining, fun action is what makes “Argylle” such a good time in the theatres. Vaughn pays homage to spy tropes, flips them on their head and pays homage to them once more. This is a film meant to be taken at face value for what it is – a fun send-up of the espionage genre. It’s a film that exists in two halves. The first half is a commentary on storytelling – as Elly finds herself thrown into the chaotic, real-life espionage world of Aidan, she’s put in a position as a writer where she has to predict where the next clue is or find a way to stop the big bad (Bryan Cranston, taking on that role as “Ritter”) from finding their location and stopping them. The film knows what it’s like to be a writer – a creative fiction one at that. Screenwriter Jason Fuchs understands that ideas, characters and stories don’t come out of thin air – they come from inspiration, whether self-induced or externally influenced. This shrewd metaphor of Elly’s journey in the first half is not lost on this writer – there’s depth to the fun, action filled adventure the film puts us in. The second half of the film, while it may not be the strongest, deals being exactly as aforementioned – a fun, action-filled ride. After a surprising twist, Matthew Vaughn throws in his greatest hits in the latter half. Tense showdowns, witty banter and hilarious kinetic action sequences – the strongest of which involves a character skating with knives for foot support on an oil drenched floor while stabbing and shooting away at their enemies. It’s a silly, great action sequence that proves why we go to the theatres to see such a fun spectacle on the big screen.

There’s a strong cast here with “Argylle,” Cavill – with his short amount of time onscreen – fully sells the silly James Bond archetype with the silly hairstyle; Sam Jackson – while more toned down in this than his other great, vibrant performances – is a solid addition as “Alfie”; Catherine O’Hara, always a welcome addition, is great as Elly’s mother Ruth. And Cranston brings back his comedic side we always loved from the “Malcolm in the Middle” days with a nice addition of “Heisenberg” menace. All that aside, what really carries “Argylle,” with all its uneven flaws, is the chemistry of Howard and Rockwell. Sam Rockwell no doubt steals with show with his one-liners and facial responses but his ying to Howard’s anxious yang is what makes this pairing so fun onscreen. There’s also the addition of Elly’s cute feline companion – another trope that is flipped on its head. Usually, the trusted companion is a dog.

Closing Thoughts
Aside from a great twist that flips the film on its head and great moments of action and comedy, “Argylle” is not perfect. Nor is it supposed to be. Matthew Vaughn presents a fun homage to spy films – in all their silliness and ingeniousness – and besides a few nuggets of subtext, that’s all “Argylle” is. And that is enough to justify its existence. Sometimes, a film can just exist as a fun time at the movies and nothing more or less.

Trailer