From the crafty direction and production of Matthew Vaughn (the Kingsman franchise and Kick-Ass) comes a one-of-a-kind spy action comedy film that will bring you along a joyous ride of fun twists and surprising revelations. Argylle is loaded with a star-studded cast that tantalizes in its creative trailers, fostering excitement on what’s to come.
The Greater the Spy, the Bigger the Lie
Aflie the cat in ARGYLLE, directed by Matthew Vaughn
Argylle tackles the story of Elly Conway (Bryce Dallas Howard), who is a reclusive author of her best-selling series of spy novels. However, she gets entangled in real-life espionage incidents as it turns out that the plots she is writing reflect real-time happenings as well. Aidan (Sam Rockwell), a spy himself, sweeps into her rescue against the threats to her life by a powerful global spy syndicate. With her cat Alfie in tow, Elly tries her best to triumph over multiple challenges: writing the next part of her book series, saving her life and her family’s, and learning more about her own development as a person.
One would expect that this is your typical action-packed spy movie, however, Argylle promises to break expectations and exceed standards in terms of plot revelations and twists. The story is easy enough to understand, but the proceedings are not something you will easily expect.
Bryce Dallas Howard and Sam Rockwell in ARGYLLE, directed by Matthew Vaughn
With the film’s tagline of ‘The Greater the Spy, the Bigger the Lie’, expect ‘lies’ and twists in the story that play huge turning points in the film. I find these impressive because I have been pleasantly caught off-guard midway in the film. There has been a flabbergasted ‘What?!’ moment for me during the screening and I applaud the development team for cleverly masking the reveal till it happens. The plot twists are crafted nicely without making them seem forced or overwhelming. And coupled with action-packed sequences and light-hearted humor, Argylle checks all the boxes of an enjoyable spy flick.
Smooth and Seamless Cinematography
Since we are used to the unique cinematography and visuals which were a constant in Director Vaughn’s works especially in the Kingsman franchise, one would think–does this movie deliver the same? Perhaps! Notice the recurring play on yellows and golds in the production design? They are very Kingsman-like. Added to this are the familiar faces in the cast like Sofia Boutella and Samuel L. Jackson. I can almost feel like this is an extended universe of Director Vaughn’s creativity.
While it’s less on the blatant carnage [and gore], Argylle fosters a refreshing and whimsical ambience. It has vibrant cinematic palettes that suggest how colorful Elly’s imagination as an author can be. The movie’s choice of wardrobe also reflects the light-heartedness and cheery interactions of the cast. I find that despite being villains, the characters still appear bright and lively to me.
Bryce Dallas Howard is Elly Conway with Samuel L. Jackson in ARGYLLE, directed by Matthew Vaughn
The film tackles characters from Elly’s novel works mirroring reality; therefore there are a lot of instances where sudden switches happen with a said character and the scenery. And the cinematic switches have been smooth and seamless in their cuts! I am highly impressed with the effortless transition in each switching scene because they are meticulous in the angle, the point-of-view, and they add humor on top of it, too.
Overall Verdict
Bryce Dallas Howard is Elly Conway in ARGYLLE, directed by Matthew Vaughn
Argylle touched a lot of good points for me, especially since I write fiction sometimes myself. I relate to the constant writing woes and fantasizing (bordering on fanatical delusion) that Elly Conway experiences in this film. Argylle is highly enjoyable, fun, and lively– a very fitting movie for good vibes with a dash of spy action and super cute Alfie the Cat moments.
P.S. Don’t forget to stay a bit in the cinema after the first few credit rolls!