Argylle: A Spy Movie Deconstructed or a Rom-Com in Disguise?
Ellie Conway (Bryce Dallas Howard) is a gifted spy novelist with a dedicated fanbase, a supportive mother (Catherine O’Hara) who doubles as her editor, and a charming, albeit taciturn, Scottish Fold cat named Alfie. For the past five years, Ellie has penned four books chronicling the adventures of secret agent Aubrey Argylle (Henry Cavill). As she struggles to complete the fifth installment, battling a severe case of writer’s block, Ellie boards a train seeking solace at her childhood home. It’s on this journey that she encounters Aiden (Sam Rockwell), a man who seems to have taken fashion cues from Forrest Gump during his cross-country run. Just hours after their meeting, Aiden is fending off a horde of assailants in the train car, leaving a bewildered Ellie to cling to her disheveled savior.
Henry Cavill as Argylle in “Argylle”
The Truth Behind the Fiction
It soon becomes clear that Conway’s novels are not mere figments of her imagination but suppressed memories of a real-life super-spy. However, the protagonist of these incredible adventures isn’t the dashing figure portrayed by Henry Cavill with his anachronistic 90s hairstyle, but Ellie herself. Five years prior, she experienced a near-death experience and subsequent amnesia. Now, the operative known as Rachel Kylle (Ellie’s real name) is being hunted by her former bosses from the “Division” organization. They orchestrated the elaborate charade of her writing career, hoping to tap into her subconscious and uncover crucial information.
Sam Rockwell as Aiden in “Argylle”
Matthew Vaughn’s Genre-Bending Experiment
Director Matthew Vaughn, known for his deconstructive takes on genre conventions in films like “Kick-Ass” and “Kingsman: The Secret Service,” has seen a decline in quality with subsequent sequels and prequels. “Argylle,” ostensibly conceived as a fresh perspective on spy thrillers, ultimately proves to be a deconstruction of a different kind. It’s akin to the Xenomorph bursting from John Hurt’s chest in “Alien.” Vaughn has implanted a rom-com larva within the body of a typical spy comedy-action film, gradually nurturing it with scenes of the protagonists cautiously bonding after intense action sequences or driving along sun-drenched French roads. Throughout the film, the rom-com steadily consumes its host, culminating in one of the most absurd fight scenes of the year, shedding the desiccated skin of the spy genre and standing tall in its place.
Samuel L. Jackson as Alfie in “Argylle”
A Misguided Deception?
Vaughn, it seems, may have overplayed his hand, deceiving everyone in the process. “Argylle” has suffered at the box office, and critical reception has been even worse. However, this may stem from a fundamental misunderstanding of the film’s true nature. Audiences anticipated a comedic action film at least on par with “Kingsman,” infused with the ingenuity of “Bourne” and the sophistication of “Bond.” Instead, Matthew Vaughn delivered a “My Big Fat Greek Wedding” disguised beneath layers of false narratives. While “our expectations are our problems,” as the saying goes, “Argylle” is so saturated with camouflage that the journey to its core becomes tiresome.
Even the stellar cast can’t fully salvage the situation. While the actors aren’t given much room to truly shine, they imbue every moment with genuine emotion. Rockwell dances through his scenes, Howard seamlessly transforms from a timid provincial writer into a lethal predator with a license to kill, Bryan Cranston embodies a classic Bond villain, and Henry Cavill, with a single smile, demonstrates to Barbara Broccoli the monumental mistake she made in not casting him as the next Bond.
Enduring the two-hour runtime of “Argylle,” even considering its few redeeming qualities (including the opportunity to nap during particularly drawn-out moments), is a challenging feat. The film isn’t inherently bad; it’s simply excessive. Vaughn’s lack of restraint can be partially attributed to the lengthy production and diverse filming locations, but only in part. Ultimately, “Argylle” suffers from the same ailments that have plagued the director’s films since “Kingsman: The Golden Circle”: an overly complex and bloated script and an excessive runtime. Furthermore, Vaughn’s continued attempts to connect all his recent films into a single universe are concerning. Someone needs to halt the expansion of this spy-movie black hole.