Ever since his groundbreaking debut feature Sex, Lies & Videotape, Steven Soderbergh has done things his own way. Without regard for the hot trends or favored genres of the moment, Soderbergh has brought his own unique style to every film he’s gotten behind the camera for. Recently, he’s been branching out and trying something new, as with his first horror movie Presence that opened earlier this year. And now Soderbergh tackles espionage with Black Bag (review here), a slick, sexy spy thriller that’s also a story about love and secrets.
Soderbergh has put together an incredible cast with Michael Fassbender, Cate Blanchett, Tom Burke, Marisa Abela, Rege-Jean Page, Naomie Harris, and Pierce Brosnan. This past weekend I had the pleasure of sitting across from most of them. Sadly, the ex-007 wasn’t among them but you won’t find me complaining.
First up, I spoke with Blanchett, Harris, and Burke about their roles in Black Bag. Blanchett talked about being fascinated by the complex lives of these married spies and the real love they had for one another. Harris revealed that she was actually told by a real spy that she’d make a great one herself, and Burke talked about preparing to play a character who keeps everything close to the vest.
Then came Fassbender, Abela, and Page, who each talked about working with Soderbergh and the ease that he brings to a set. Fassbender recalled working with Soderbergh on Haywire more than a decade ago, and it was easy to slip back into the groove.
Black Bag is open in theaters now!
