(from left) Aidan (Sam Rockwell) and Elly Conway (Bryce Dallas Howard) in Argylle, directed by Matthew Vaughn.
Courtney Howard // Film Critic
ARGYLLE
Rated PG-13, 2 hours and 19 minutes
Directed by:
Starring: Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Rockwell, Henry Cavill, John Cena, Ariana DeBose, Catherine O’Hara, Bryan Cranston
Director Matthew Vaughn is certainly no stranger to the cheeky action-spy genre having launched the KINGSMAN franchise, which suffers from diminishing returns upon each installment. ARGYLLE, which leans further into unabashed screwball romcom territory, provides more of his zippy, hyper-stylized signature in this crafty tale centered on a reclusive author of spy novels roped into a dangerous game of espionage. Repetitive and reductive, the picture deflates before the end credits begin to roll. Yet, like many films in the auteur’s oeuvre, it’s entertaining in a garishly gonzo way, which might be enough to keep audiences tethered to its unapologetic, audacious lunacy.
When we first meet workaholic author Elly Conway (Bryce Dallas Howard), she’s experiencing the highs of releasing a book to her adoring fans, but also the lows, suffering from writer’s block trying to conclude her 5th novel in a wildly popular spy series starring debonair Agent Argylle (Henry Cavill, saddled with bad hair crimes and boxy bespoke suits), his handler Wyatt (John Cena) and partner Keira (Ariana DeBose, who pulls double duty, appearing on the soundtrack twice). It’s been said that her best-sellers not only mimic current geo-political dealings, but she’s also ahead of them, leading to questions of whether or not she’s a real spy fictionalizing her own globe-trotting quests. Despite wanting her latest endeavor to end on a cliffhanger, her mother (Catherine O’Hara) encourages her to end it on a more satisfying, definitive conclusion.
To clear her mind, Elly hops aboard a train and meets gregarious passenger Aidan (Sam Rockwell), who’s looking less-than-dashing and more-than-disheveled. He drops a bomb on her: he’s a secret agent and has intel that the real rogue spy agency – The Division, led by Ritter (Bryan Cranston), which bears an uncanny resemblance to the one in her books – is out to capture and kill her. To stay alive, she must follow him into the fray, searching for a silver bullet (it’s a metaphor!) USB drive encrypted with top secret info. Her brains and his brawn will be tested as they uncover the mysterious identity of the real Agent Argylle, a lynchpin in the entire operation.
Vaughn and screenwriter Jason Fuchs combine outstanding elements from THE LONG KISS GOODNIGHT and THE LOST CITY (which, in effect, is a redux of ROMANCING THE STONE) along with the outlandish vibes of Roger Moore-era Bond flicks to concoct their own fun, but moderately taxing adventure. While the first act moves at a snappy clip with a disco-infused kick, the ensuing narrative experiences a staggering dip until it picks back up in a ridiculously bombastic 3rd act. Olympic-champion figure skating replete with Axels and dizzying sit spins on hunting knives through crude oil?! They embrace it for our benefit. A rainbow-colored routine choreographed to a Snow Patrol cover as the dynamic duo battle baddies in synchronized balletic dance?! They bewitch us with this smoky CG-enhanced incantation.
Pacing issues aside, there are other drawbacks that threaten to dull the brilliance. Clues as to the mysterious identity of the real Agent Argylle are dropped as subtly as anvils, raising our suspicions long before character reveals and inevitable double-crosses occur. A clunky, expository speech dump occurs around the midpoint, though Rockwell, ever the charismatic, impish presence (oozing Cary Grant-esque charm especially whenever he calls his charge “kid”), delivers the dialogue with well-meaning pathos. When pondered for longer than the end credit scroll (one that houses a lackluster mid-credits stinger), the film’s logistics are a wee bit wobbly. Utilizing The Beatles’ melancholic “Now and Then,” released a mere 2 months ago, doesn’t land the way the filmmakers desire as the track is too recent. But, hey, at least there’s nothing grossly misogynistic (a la the first two KINGSMAN films) that ruins the more pleasurable proceedings.
Vaughn, as always, exercises a strong visual dexterity bringing his big action set pieces to life. The close-quarters train sequence where Elly blinks back and forth between a hallucinated hero and real undercover agent Aidan fighting off an onslaught of mercenaries is highly comedic, leaning into the Jackie Chan-inspired, slapstick-infused overtones of the fights. The riverside apartment fisticuffs sequence is a sparking live-wire that needs no grounding force. He even represents Elly’s writing process with assured artistic panache, where scenes rewind in real time and backdrops shift between a glamourous location and typed words that rain down when deleted. And sonically, composer Lorne Balfe makes the score feel grandiose like John Barry would composing for Bond films.
Ultimately what this film gets right are the two characters at the core of this rambunctious, raucous riot. We grow to care about the pair’s outcome – albeit a predictable one – and root for their survival.
Grade: C+
ARGYLLE opens in theaters on February 2.
