Twelve years after announcing his supposed retirement from film (and only a few months after his last film, Presence, released), Steven Soderbergh is still pushing the boundaries of the medium.
With one of the most eclectic filmographies of any major modern director (including Ocean’s Eleven, Solaris and Magic Mike), Soderbergh has no definitive genre, tone or style. Yet, despite being so prolific, he always manages to tell stories that are both emotionally engaging and deeply entertaining.
His latest film, Black Bag, is no different. A sleek, sexy spy thriller in which two married British intelligence agents (Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender) are forced to investigate one another, the film is a remarkable work of ever-rising tension and nail-biting action. Following a hiatus from acting to pursue driving in the European Le Mans Series, Fassbender’s performance is as assured and meticulous as ever.
