Film Review: Argylle

Argylle is a very strange experience that’s left me with far more questions that I would have anticipated. And I’m not just talking about the film itself, I’m still extremely puzzled over whether this is actually based off a book as was initially claimed, or if it was all just a strange marketing tactic to add some intrigue. Despite the rights being sold before publication, the book got a fairly quiet release that made no splash whatsoever, and the identity of the author is still unknown outside of the name Elly Conway, which some are saying is a pseudonym for someone famous, with folks on the internet claiming the likes of Taylor Swift and even J. K. Rowling.

If this all seems like…a bit much for a movie that seems like a fairly straightforward action-comedy, that is unfortunately the same feeling you’ll get when you watch the film itself. The setup is interesting. A renowned yet reclusive novelist of a popular spy series, Elly Conway (Bryce Dallas Howard) is ambushed by armed men on a train, but saved by a real spy named Aiden (Sam Rockwell). She finds out that her novels have been so accurate in detailing occurrences that come to be in the real world of espionage that she has become the target of an actual evil, secret organization.

Aiden is attempting to track down a master key that could help take down this organization, but given that she is currently finishing the novel that involves this very plot, he needs her to essentially write her novel in real time as a way to figure out the next steps in their mission. This evil organization, known as the Division, is led by Ritter (Bryan Cranston), and he is focused on stopping the two, and taking them down by any means necessary. So, what follows is a globe-trotting spy adventure that is ripped right out of one of Elly’s novels.

Now, there’s lots of moving parts for sure, but nothing that would feel out of the ordinary in any other spy movie. And yes, as many of the marketing material has heavily hinted at, there is a twist (actually, there’s multiple). However, while I won’t give it away here, I can guarantee that you will know what the twist is mere minutes into the movie. It is not very well disguised, and it feels like the logical answer to a number of the film’s mysteries. However, the more the film adds to this twist, the more flimsy the premise becomes, and by the time the film is over, the plot absolutely falls apart if you give it even the slightest bit of scrutiny, and it all just raises too many questions.

But with that all said, I think there’s still plenty of fun to be had here. While Jason Fuchs’ script seems to over-complicate what should be a basic “what if Romancing The Stone, but with spies” riff, but when you have someone like Matthew Vaughn behind the camera, I think it really helps. I do generally like Vaughn, and I honestly think this features some of the finest filmmaking in his career. There are some fantastic action set-pieces, though I wish it had some R-rated carnage, the PG-13 is *really* felt. The choreography is still strong and the work from the second unit and stunt team is really commendable.

I think it also took this film to really highlight what Vaughn’s strengths are as a filmmaker. He knows how to create a very specific atmosphere, his ability to craft a specific aesthetic, and have that reflected in almost every aspect of the visual and sonic language is really strong. He’s great at “pure vibes,” basically. It’s honestly surprising he hasn’t done a musical yet, because there is a strong musicality in his staging and visual exuberance that go well with the sensibilities of a musical. One of my favorite scenes involves dancing in the final act. And in that same scene, it also leans heavily on this deliberately artificial aesthetic and heightened sense of stylization that I find really compelling and unique, especially in the face of the modern Hollywood landscape that favors realism and lack of bright, vibrant colors.

The film actively gets better as it goes along. The more Elly gets involved in the spy stuff, the more engaging it gets. And the more it leans on the romance aspect that happens between her and Aiden, the more invested I get. I genuinely loved the final act of the film (except for the very end and the very confusing post-credits scene), I really think it brought everything together in a really impressive way, it paid off some things that were established prior, and Howard and Rockwell work really well together. The whole cast is really solid, though most don’t get much to do out of the leads. Cranston is a lot of fun as the villain, and Catherine O’Hara is a delight, playing Elly’s mother.

I just wished Argylle was a bit more honed in. There is a good, stripped down romantic action-comedy in here somewhere, but it’s buried by an overly complicated narrative that tries so hard to be clever that it trips over itself trying to tie all these varying pieces together, which just pulls away from all the elements that do genuinely work. When it focuses on our two leads butting heads as they get into some espionage shenanigans, the film is really terrific, and easily the most endearing out of anything I’ve seen in Matthew Vaughn’s entire filmography. It wouldn’t surprise me if this develops some kind of cult following. It’s weird, it’s interesting, there’s a lot of fun ideas, some of which are very well realized on screen, and while much of the film doesn’t totally work, it’s far from being boring. I honestly wouldn’t mind seeing more adventures with these characters. Plus, the cat – when it’s not in its CGI form – is very cute.

Argylle is now out in theaters.