Argyle: The Secret Agent review: An ambitious but empty story

Directed by Matthew Vaughn (Kingsman: The Secret Service) has the acrobatic flair of an action movie. What’s more, we turn great shooting scenes, bare-knuckle combat and death into a clever way to move the action forward. They are created not only to surprise or, in any case, to fill space. For the director, bullets and blows mean power. At best, an exploration of the world it represents.

Something more than obvious in his new film Argyle: Secret Agent, in which the director explores his style in detail. But in particular, it makes him the center of a story that combines visually unusual sequences with a meta-referential plot. Namely: the book of the same name is real and written by the author Ellie Conway. A name that could be a pseudonym because little or nothing is actually known about her. The thing is, Jason Fuchs’ script adapts her book using the same trick that the writer does in real life. This leads to a whole story, a kind of games and winks about what is true – and what is not – in this tricky plot.

The true story of the mysterious writer is reproduced in almost detail on the big screen. Ellie Conway (Bryce Dallas Howard) rose to fame almost serendipitously with her gripping spy novels. She is about to start her fifth and is determined to uncover all the secrets accumulated in the previous ones. Including a high-level betrayal that threatens the life of the protagonist, and a mysterious organization hiding a scandalous act of corruption. The film spends a lot of time showing Ellie making things up and adding to her complex narratives. So there is practically no explanation at the moment when their plots begin to take place in reality.

That’s when the script tries to spin itself – unsuccessfully – to create the impression that it, too, is some kind of version of reality turned into fiction. The reference to the book and the mysterious writer is constant, but not exciting enough. In fact, one of the problems is that the wink game is never believable. As for the possibility that Ellie – real and cinematic – You are at the center of a conspiracy that could put your life in immediate danger.

Predictions of a worrisome writer

By far the best thing about the film is its first half hour. Sparkling, full of a delightful sense of humor and with all the energy of Bryce Dallas Howard, she gives all the necessary details without giving away her secrets. So, from typing at his desk to being hunted by an international conspiracy, the character is the focal point of everything that happens at breakneck speed. The director uses the sense of unreality surrounding Ellie to pose a dilemma for her. Is what is happening real or is it about a book, as the author presents it?

But this interesting premise is immediately lost when Ellie is hunted to kill her. Which confirms their fears and reveals the secret. Of course the movie comparison Lost City The Nee brothers and starring Sandra Bullock is imminent. However, Matthew Vaughn prefers a more entertaining and superficial version of his famous saga. king. Which, on the one hand, may seem like an advantage, but in fact it does Argyle: Secret Agent in a cheap and not very interesting copy of the director’s trilogy.

In fact, one of the most difficult problems the film faces is avoiding comparisons. What he fails to do, although the actors are enthusiastic about this world of spies and betrayals. Especially Henry Cavill as the secret agent, who brings a curious sense of absurdist humor to the character. It’s nice how the actor creates an exaggerated and mostly flat stereotype, playing with the image of what a secret agent would be expected to be.

But the surprise is Dua Lipa, who plays with an elegant charm that captivates every scene in which she appears. However, again, the director is more interested in mind-blowing camera movements and spectacular action scenes than in the script.

The downside of the film is that while the plot hints at a lot of ideas in the background, Vaughn wants to surprise on a visual level. He succeeds – he has all the resources to do it – but he does not reach the level of ingenuity of other possibilities. And again a dance fight – more than reminiscent of Rasputin from King’s Man: First Mission – and copious amounts of blood were shed. But this time he doesn’t know much, and perhaps that’s because the movie he hints at – and doesn’t happen – is more interesting than the one he tells in rushed shots. Unfortunately, the film also suffers from low-quality special effects, which spoil its middle and final sections.

Little to tell, much to show

While Ellie, including the cat, is trying to save her life and the civilized world, Argyle: Secret Agentloses energy and meaning. As for the final scenes, this is a visual feature film that has never been restored. The same thing happens with its plot, which ends up filling in the blanks without much sense or interest.

With a post-credits scene included, the plot offers a lot more, but the ambition isn’t to tell a complex story well. The film is disappointing with forced twists in the script, misleading twists, a lot of pointless cheating and ultimately a predictable ending. Worse, it’s boring.The worst thing that can be said about a concept whose main goal is a show between laughter and tension.