Film review: Spy - Tough as nails

Spy shuns the chauvinism of male-dominated undercover agent films

The key fight scene in the Melissa McCarthy-led Spy takes place in a kitchen amidst banging pots and flying knives and is between two ladies exchanging punches as well as sharp zingers at each other —with absolutely no men around. The scene, in all its ridiculous hilarity and sleek action, epitomises what the film Spy is all about: it takes the male-dominated spy film genre, which has traditionally not been kind to its female characters, and cleverly shakes it up by making the spy world a place where women have fun and kick ass and men are largely superfluous.

Susan Cooper (McCarthy) is a spy who is very good in the field but sits in the basement of the CIA office, assisting smarmy agent Bradley Fine (Jude Law) via an earpiece as he engages in the typical spy-genre heroics. She chooses to do this because she is in love with him, but that doesn’t detract from the fact that she is a skilled agent: even from behind a desk, she is resourceful and manages to keep cool in a crisis. When Fine tells her he couldn’t have done it without her, the film makes it clear that this is objectively true — it’s just that the people she works with don’t seem to realise it. She gets a chance to prove them wrong, however, when a notorious arms dealer Rayna (Rose Bryne) gets the intel on all active CIA agents, and Susan, being largely invisible, has to step into the field. Soon, Susan is taking charge of the assignment, creating a new identity and infiltrating Rayna’s inner circle with the help of her CIA friend Nancy (Miranda Hart), who acts as her earpiece assistant, and an Italian agent (Peter Serafinowicz). Making things difficult for her is Rick Ford (Jason Statham), who spoofs the typical James Bond, spy movie hero. Ford loves to recount his absurd heroics which cannot possibly be true while really bumbling around and making a fool of himself.

McCarthy brings her hallmark mix of physical comedy and heart in her portrayal of Susan, whom the film treats with respect and affection. Although there are jokes in the first half that lean a bit too heavily on her weight and appearance, the film soon makes clear that the joke is in fact on people making fun of her. The film balances humour based on her mistakes and errors with the knowledge that she is no bumbling fool. She may vomit all over an enemy agent, but only after taking him down swiftly and efficiently. McCarthy is supported by other, similarly funny actors, particularly Statham, who is clearly poking fun at the stoic, angsty action heroes he usually plays.

The film does have its pitfalls, particularly the Italian agent who does nothing but sexually harass Susan throughout the film. Why a flick with such a firm handle on gender politics would include a running joke about a creepy man repeatedly and aggressively coming on to the self-assured female lead is a mystery. It is not amusing, and it is out of character for Susan to resignedly tolerate his advances when she has no problem putting idiots in their place in the rest of the film. Overall, though, Spy is clever, humorous and just plain fun.



Published in The Express Tribune, Sunday Magazine, July 26^th, 2015.