A perfectly choreographed espionage action movie with a dash of whimsy! Matthew Vaughn delivers a wildly entertaining genre-bending spy movie that simultaneously subverts and satisfies expectations for enigmatic espionage movies. Written by Jason Fuchs, Argylle delivers that metaphoric roller coaster ride that we love in this genre-blend. Bryce Dallas Howard shines opposite the gritty-charm of Sam Rockwell in the lead roles, and they are surrounded by an all-star cast of supporting characters. And that technicolor-spectacular sequence at the end is clearly inspired by the dance scenes from Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion and Dirty Dancing. One part fish-out-of-water and another part reluctant hero, this movie is just the thing to start February off with a blast at the cinema.
Reclusive author Elly Conway (Howard) 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.
As entertaining as the movie is, we do not actually know the significance of the content in the secret file(s) nor do we know why our heroes must send the files to the former head of the CIA; however, the movie is so much fun to watch, that it almost doesn’t matter–though, I am a little bothered that I was not informed as to the point of the whole sequence of missions, duplicitous relationships, and endless masquerades. But ultimately, Vaughn uses the power of declaration to state that the object to be retrieved is in fact important. And for what it’s worth, that’s all that really matters in this light-hearted espionage action movie.
Much of the movie exists in that liminal space between reality and fantasy, wherein so many authors find themselves as they create compelling characters and craft enigmatic plots to thrill the reader. A well-written character speaks with their own voice and metaphorically take on a life of their own. I appreciate how we are placed in a subjective point of view throughout the move so we can experience the unfolding story from Elly Conway’s perspective. Moreover, the film also has something substantive to say on art as a reflection of life. Writers of all types often take inspiration from their own lives, and mold it to fit the type of story they want to write. We also see this in subject matter experts as authors of fictional stories based on their real life work or inspired by the nature of their work. Whether or not Vaughn and Fuchs intentionally gave Argylle this depth is neither here nor there, the point is that there are opportunities here to closely read the film as a commentary on an artists relationship with their art.
Without getting into spoilers, it’s difficult to talk about too much (this is a spy movie after all) of the plot. Suffice it to say, this movie has some wild twists and turns, reversals, and reveals, but they all feel grounded in the reality of the world that has been created for us on the screen. I appreciate the movie’s foundation in classical story structure, because it allows for character complexities to be revealed through simple plotting–simple plot, complex characters.
If you enjoyed The Beekeeper, then you will also enjoy Argylle. While the former is the stronger movie, I must say that Argylle‘s whimsical nature makes it equally as entertaining.
Ryan teaches Film Studies and Screenwriting at the University of Tampa and is a member of the Critics Association of Central Florida and Indie Film Critics of America. If you like this article, check out the others and FOLLOW this blog! Interested in Ryan making a guest appearance on your podcast or contributing to your website? Send him a DM on Twitter. If you’re ever in Tampa or Orlando, feel free to catch a movie with him.
R.L. Terry ReelView 