Streaming on AMC+
For rent on Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, and YouTube
Earnest Hemingway once said, "There is no hunting like the hunting of a man, and those who have hunted armed men long enough and liked it, never care for anything else thereafter." While this quote was about the effects of war on a person through the lens of an experienced recreational hunter, it is surprisingly relevant (at least in part) to today's subject, Rogue Agent. It may not be about war, but it is about a predator that never grows tired of their actions regardless of how many they have hurt. The kind that we should all be weary of.
The story follows Alice Archer (Gemma Arterton), a corporate lawyer in a prestigious law firm. She remains dedicated to her job despite some reservations and frustrations. One day, she meets a handsome and charming car salesman named Robert Freegard (James Norton), and they fall in love. After a bit, Alice notices some strange inconsistencies and little white lies from Robert and eventually confronts him about them. Robert then claims to be an undercover agent for MI5, and he is on a recruiting mission for new potential agents. Despite a fair amount of uncertainty, Alice decides to believe Robert and goes along with the idea of being free of her frustrating life with the hope of a romantic escape. How will Alice handle the ugly truth as things get more serious?
This is one of those scary movies in so many tangible ways. It tackles a realistic threat and serves as a reminder that, while most people are generally good, there are always those who take advantage of that good nature.
The performances are spot-on all throughout. Gemma Arterton especially carries much of the emotional weight of the story and punctuates some of the best moments in the film, which I will not spoil here. Special mention must also go to James Norton. I can't say much else about his performance without unintentionally spoiling aspects of the film, but I will say that he succeeds in making you feel the right way about him.
The cinematography is...questionable. It's not necessarily bad; it's just unusual. Photographed by Larry Smith, best known for Eyes Wide Shut and The Guard, his lighting and framing are still on par with his level of quality. However, the images produced for this movie feel, for want of a better word, unfinished. The film was likely shot on a digital cinema camera, which captures images using a flat picture profile: this is a setting that deliberately desaturates the image as much as possible to allow maximum dynamic range when adding proper color correction in post-production. However, the images presented in this movie (most of them) appear as if they were not properly color-graded enough, if at all. Granted, this could easily have been the fault of the editor or colorist and not the cinematographer, and it could easily be an intentional look for the film, but it didn't seem that way to me.
Despite this uncertain image style, Rogue Agent is still a relevant and gripping story that deserves your attention. While I caution some of my readers of a few uncomfortable and "trigger-warning" moments in the film, it is a story that needs to be told. I hope you will check it out.
Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm; thank you all for reading.
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