When the plots of reclusive author Elly Conway's fictional espionage novels begin to mirror the covert actions of a real-life spy organization, quiet evenings at home become a thing of the past. Ac...
As a fan of director Matthew Vaughn (“Kingsman: The Secret Service” is one of my personal all-time favorite movies), I was let down by his latest project “Argylle,” a borderline total debacle from start to finish. Everything from the weak story (by screenwriter Jason Fuchs) to the gross miscasting of the lead and supporting actors make this goofy, overhyped action film one thunderous, disappointing dud.
Reclusive author Elly Conway (Bryce Dallas Howard) has found her calling writing espionage novels about a suave secret agent named Argylle (Henry Cavill) and his crackerjack team (John Cena, Ariana DeBose). Her latest bestseller has attracted the attention of a sinister global spy syndicate, a group of clandestine operatives who realize the plot of Elly’s book has somehow begun to mirror real events. Fiction becomes reality as the introverted author is swept up in a cloak-and-dagger world by Aidan (Sam Rockwell), a man who claims to be a spy himself. With her beloved (and distractingly bad CGI) cat Alfie in tow, Elly and Adian travel the globe as the line between truth and imagination begins to blur.
The film is overly long and feels slow, especially during the first half. The stakes aren’t that high because you aren’t sure what’s fictional and what’s real, and the story leads you to assume much of what Elly is experiencing is all just fantasy. The narrative takes a welcome dramatic turn that cranks the adrenaline up a notch, making the second half of the film far better than the first. The most unfortunate thing is that the movie is more of a chore than the entertaining escape it could’ve been (and needed to be).
Piling on the problems is the biggest elephant in the room, which is the nonexistent chemistry between Rockwell and Howard. It almost feels as though off-camera, the two actors don’t care much for each other. Something is definitely “off” here, and they simply do not work well together. Rockwell is talented and does his best, but Howard brings everything down. She’s okay as a mousy, lonely author, but her character goes through a transformation that shows just how poorly cast she really is.
Vaughn is a terrific director, and his trademark style is on full display. There are cartoonish action scenes and thoughtfully choreographed fights that are accompanied by questionable choices in music. There’s a particularly enjoyable “meet cute” (for lack of a better word) on a train that features some clever editing, but Vaughn overuses the gimmick so many subsequent times throughout the film that it aggravates more than it delights. It’s clear the director had grandiose ideas for some super memorable set pieces (the oil slick, smoke dancing) but built a weak film around it, causing them to feel out of place rather than iconic. There are a couple of “hold for applause” moments that I cannot imagine would elicit any from the audience.
Taking over two hours to stretch out his story with bursts of assaulting action visuals, Vaughn doesn’t know when to stop. It’s just too much, of everything. A victim of unrestrained overkill, “Argylle” is a bust.
