(Bond. Jane Bond...)
CAST: Melissa McCarthy, Jude Law, Rose Byrne, Jason Statham, Allison Janney, Miranda Hart, Bobby Cannavale, Peter Serafinowicz, Nagril Fakhri, Morena Baccarin, Bjorn Gustaffson.
DIRECTOR: Paul Feig
WARNING: Some SPOILERS and very good reasons to make more female-spy films - straight ahead....
IT'S LIKE THIS: In case you were wondering what a James Bond film would be like if all the chicks took over, and the humor quotient was upped considerably, then our next review is what you would have. SPY focuses on CIA tech/liaison Susan Cooper (Melissa McCarthy), whose primary duty is to whisper not so much sweet nothings in the ear of of top agent Bradley Fine (Jude Law), but more like technical work-related somethings that keep his fine (pun intended) ass alive. I should also mention that Susan nurses a Montana-sized secret crush on Bradley, and yearns for the day when she can be the Bond Girl to his Bond, instead of a perennial Moneypenny.
Susan's word comes crashing down, however, when Fine gets killed in the field by Ice Princess Mega-Villainess Bitch Rayna Boyanov (Rose Byrne). You see, our bad girl Rayna is mixed up in some heinous shite involving the theft and potential sale of a nuclear device to some dastardly dudes who, presumably, are not going to use the nuke simply for a conversational mantel-piece while waiting for dinner to be served. Ordinarily, CIA Supervisor Elaine Crocker (Allison Janney) would send in other Fine-like goons like the sexily-dorky Rick Ford (Jason Statham) to go after Rayna. Unfortunately, our bad girl Rayna is hep to the CIA's roster of super-agents - and vows to kill any of them if she spots them anywhere near her.
Before you know it, Crocker is having to resort to the last resort of last resorts: sending Susan into the field. However, if you're thinking that Susan's cover is that of a gorgeous, glamorous, enigmatic fashion plate, please wake the hell up. Imagine your basic supermodel - but a hundred pounds heavier, a foot-and-a-half shorter, with a hair-do that would make any of the THE GOLDEN GIRLS chicks envious, then you have an idea of the "identity" that Susan is forced to take in order to ferret out Big Bad Rayna. Hilarity (and bad wigs) ensue.
THE DUDE OR DUDETTE MOST LIKELY TO SAVE THE DAY: The women rule this one. Most of the guys are basically either idiots, useless, too horny to see straight - or all three. Special kudos go out to Susie C. and also her loyal tall-drink-of-water pal, Nancy (Miranda Hart). What would a spy be without a gal pal to hang out with and shoot the breeze with?
AND THE "EYE CANDY" AWARD GOES TO: Jude Law is too goddamn pretty, so he's out. And seriously: what the fuck is up with that lipstick he's wearing during Susan's interrogation scene? Happily, Jason Statham nabs this one for being such a manly stud. As for the chicks, it's a three-way tie between three ravishing brunettes: Rose Byrne, Nagril Fakhri, and Morena Bacccarin.
MOST INTENTIONALLY HILARIOUS SCENE: Well, pretty much the whole friggin' movie. My favorite part, though, is when Susan forces Rayna's pretty boy Euro-trash bodyguard, Anton (Bjorn Gustaffson), to fork over his trenchcoat. You'll see.
MOST UNINTENTIONALLY HILARIOUS SCENE: Well, more like "Most unintentionally SEXAY scene!"... Ford and Susan discovering at the very end of the movie what ingesting huge amounts of Champagne can cause two people (who normally can't stand each other) to do. Ahem. Yes, folks, let's hear it for Hate Sex.
INQUIRING MINDS WANT TO KNOW: Will Susan be able to foil whatever the hell Rayna and her Euro-Trash colleagues including that sleazy asshole Sergio De Luca (Bobby Cannavale) are up to? Or has Rayna already made her? How will Nancy be able to help? Will she and Susan be the espionage version of CAGNEY & LACEY? And how will that idiot Ford fuck things up for her?Because you know he will. Or is there a secret villain waiting in the shadows with a secret agenda? How will this end? In a nuclear explosion? Or another kind of, um, explosion? Ahem.
FINAL ANALYSIS: Director Paul Feig (BRIDESMAIDS & THE HEAT) and his star Melissa McCarthy (of those same films) have been on a white-hot streak of success lately with their back to back box office hits. Now they have re-teamed with this hilarious 007-send up that amusingly places all the women front and center, and the men in decidedly supporting roles. It's a great concept that pays side-splitting dividends the further the film unfolds - and gives some talented female performers a lot of room to play in.
McCarthy is undoubtedly a talented comedienne who can be a bit of an "acquired taste" for some folks. I have some friends who don't seem to take to her "schtick" as easily in films like BRIDESMAIDS and THE HEAT. However, those very same folks actually quite liked her in SPY. That's largely because Susan Cooper is a very likable character, humble but self-effacing while also being tough and hilariously no-nonsense when the occasion warrants it. McCarthy must have had a hand in shaping the script because it dovetails perfectly with all her skills.
The supporting cast is also perfectly filled, down to the smallest role. Jude Law is someone whom I am normally cool towards, but here he is very winning in the role of Bradley Fine, which is clearly a spoof on James Bond's mix of suave and serious. Meanwhile, Jason Statham - whom I always very warm to - is even more engaging here, playing James Bond if James Bond were, well, a total dork. Statham gets to tweak his tough guy image and is the centerpiece of some of the film's best gags. Bobby Cannavale, also normally known for tough guy roles, similarly gets to ham it up as Sergio De Luca, one of the film's sub-villains. Then there's Peter Serafinowicz as Aldo, the lusty Italian who helps Susan on her mission, but whose intelligence seems to be centered in his groin area.
However, as mentioned above, the movie belongs to the ladies. Imagine a Bond film if all the major roles were filled by women, with the men more in support roles. Miranda Hart is a delightfully droll and witty presence as Nancy B. Artingstall, Susan's loyal best pal who aids her invaluably throughout her mission. There is a subplot involving Nancy's tussles with 50 Cent (yes, that 50 Cent) that is a riot. Hart is a wonderful comedic presence and matches McCarthy, line by line. It would be great to see a sequel with these two together again.
Allison Janney is a nice, no-nonsense presence as Elaine Crocker, the CIA supe who sends Susan into the fray. Janney's icily hard-nosed delivery is a good counterpoint to McCarthy's initial tentativeness. Meanwhile, the exotically gorgeous Nargil Fakhri is a memorable presence as Lia, a relentless assassin whom Susan gets to face off with in a hilarious kitchen fight. Fakhri, who is half-American/half-Indian, is a Bollywood star and former AMERICA'S NEXT TOP MODEL contestant who is now taking her first steps in Hollywood, and should do well. Also compelling and darkly gorgeous is Morena Baccarin as Karen Walker, a mysterious CIA agent who could be friend or foe.
Nearly stealing the show (no small feat given that comedic cast), though, is Rose Bryne as Rayna Boyanova, who is herself a send-up of every Bond Villainess in the pantheon. Imagine Elektra King fused with Miranda Priestly of THE DEVIL WEARS PRADA, and you can begin to imagine the hilarious hauteur and delightfully razor-tongued menace that Bryne brings to the role. Rayna is the Queen of the Cutting Remark - and watching her match wits with Susan (who ultimately gives as good as she gets) is a thorough pleasure. McCarthy and Byrne even manage to suggest some embers of respect growing between their morally-opposed characters, lending the film some unexpected nuance. Rayna and Susan almost come across as sort of an "Odd Couple," and it's awesome. As with Nancy and Susan, it would be great to see a sequel that pairs this bickering duo to work together and face off again.
Ultimately, SPY is one of the best films of this summer, and credit must go to everyone both in front and behind the camera.... Go, ladies...
In closing, please groove to theme song from SPY, the very Bondian tune titled "Who Can You Trust?"
