Matthew Vaughn, the British filmmaker who burst onto the scene with his hit debut mob thriller Layer Cake in 2004, has since carved out a niche for himself in the realm of flashy, lighthearted action flicks. Known for his visually striking and over-the-top fight sequences synced to music, Vaughn’s films such as Kick-Ass and Kingsman artfully balance graphic violence with campy humor.
What propelled these films to success was the liberal use of violence afforded by their R-rating. There’s something uniquely satisfying about witnessing Pride and Prejudice’s Mr. Darcy, Colin Firth, in a headshot rampage, exacting fountains of blood to the tune of “Free Bird.” It is this unbridled silliness and the incongruity of the music that produces the comedy.
Vaughn’s latest film, Argylle, in a surprising shift, scales back the bloodshed that candied his prior scenes, opting for a more subdued, PG-13 spy comedy. Unfortunately, the reduced splatter lessens the impact, lacking the same visceral satisfaction of his earlier works.
Elly Conway, portrayed by Bryce Dallas Howard, is a reclusive novelist, comfortably ensconced in a world of her own making. Her disheveled bangs, casual wardrobe, and cat serve as convenient shields against the complexities of romantic involvement, while her inner desire for adventure manifests through her series of cheesy spy novels.
A triumph of the film is its depiction of a writer’s creative process. As Conway fervently types away, her characters come to life, progressing in sync with her keystrokes. Yet, when writer’s block strikes, they are left suspended against a stark white background, symbolizing her stagnation of ideas.
The narrative takes a thrilling turn when Aidan Wilde (Sam Rockwell), an ostensibly ordinary fan aboard a train, rescues her from a cadre of hired guns and thrusts Conway from the safety of her written world into the heart of a real-life espionage thriller, mirroring the plotlines of her novels. Suddenly, she finds herself living the life of her fictional protagonist, navigating a world of intrigue and danger that she had only ever imagined.
As Argylle’s plot gets underway, the homebody novelist learns to overcome her trepidations and navigate the real world, in which spies aren’t 7-foot tall, muscle-clad action figures. Fans of Henry Cavill and John Cena, whose hulking frames loom large on the film’s poster, will be dismayed to learn that they are only figments of Conway’s imagination. One shudders to think what Cavill did to deserve that haircut.
Wilde, possessing a far more demure stature, whisks Conway along as he guns down hordes of syndicate agents. However, the lack of visceral carnage in these scenes leaves them feeling somewhat hollow and perfunctory. Enemies seem to be merely knocked down and brushed aside, lacking the memorable presence that defined Vaughn’s earlier works.
Another departure in Argylle is Vaughn’s deviation from collaborating with his usual screenwriter, Jane Goldman. This change is palpably felt in the film’s dialogue, which lacks the sharp, witty humor characteristic of their previous collaborations. Instead, within the film’s extensive two-hour-and-20-minute runtime, we are presented with scenes such as Samuel Jackson’s character sauntering through his French vineyard, delivering incoherent ramblings about pinot noir.
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In one scene, he attempts a nonsensical analogy, relating the wine’s expressiveness of its origin to a person’s character, stating, “Pinot noir grown in Napa Valley is completely different from pinot noir grown in Tuscany.” Unfortunately for Jackson, the cool-climate grape is the mainstay of neither sultry region.
With its star-studded cast (not to mention Bryan Cranston, who delivers a stellar performance) and a more-than-capable director at the helm, Argylle missed an opportunity to be a fast-paced and vibrant action comedy. Much like Jackson’s imagined Tuscan pinot noir, it’s unlikely to age well.
Harry Khachatrian (@Harry1T6) is a film critic for the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog and a computer engineer in Toronto pursuing his MBA.
