Here at 18 Cinema Lane, “newer” theatrically released movies are rarely reviewed. One reason for this is how I have prioritized older films and made-for-TV productions. But since I recently saw Argylle, I found a good excuse to write about a “newer” theatrical film! The mystery genre is the most popular genre on 18 Cinema Lane, as I have stated before. While Argylle isn’t exactly a mystery film, it seemed to contain elements of mystery based on the movie’s marketing. The marketing also had a distinct color scheme and style, boasting argyle patterns in either blue or yellow. However, any fan of film would know it takes more than pretty looking marketing to make a good movie. All of the right pieces have to fall into place in order for a movie to not only be financially successful, but to also be acclaimed by both the critics and the audience. So, what are my thoughts on Argylle? Keep reading my review to find out!
Things I liked about the film:
The acting: When an actor or actress portrays a protagonist, what can work in their favor is bringing a sense of likability to their role. In Bryce Dallas Howard’s case, her portrayal of Elly presented a realistic looking performance that could make the audience feel empathetic for the story’s main character. A great example is when Elly takes her first plane ride. Due to her anxious feelings, she consistently taps and shakes her head while also shutting her eyes. She explains to Aiden how these physical gestures are intended to be a coping mechanism. Another example takes place when Elly is reunited with her cat, Alfie. When this reunification happens, Elly’s hands are shaking, a visually sign she was distressed over Alfie’s well-being.
Throughout Argylle, Elly interacts with Aiden. Portrayed by Sam Rockwell, Aiden had a laid-back personality and a dry sense of humor. Sam had nice on-screen chemistry with Bryce as well. A good scene between Elly and Aiden is during her aforementioned first plane ride. As Elly is trying to cope with her anxious feelings, Aiden helps Elly through her ordeal, calmly talking to her with a soothing tone of voice. He also gives her direct eye contact, emphasizing how he has Elly’s undivided attention. To me, this scene was one of the better scenes in Argylle, as the interaction between Aiden and Elly felt genuine!
Based on what I know about Bryan Cranston’s performances, he seems to, typically, be cast as characters that either have no-nonsense attitudes or a dry sense of humor. In Argylle, Bryan portrayed a character called Director Ritter. While Bryan consistently carried his character with a serious persona, there wasn’t much room in his performance for humor, as he portrayed an antagonist. Despite this, Bryan was expressive throughout the film! When he is frustrated by an agent’s mistake, Director Ritter has an irritated look on his face. He also has a stern look in his eye, indicating his bottled-up anger. More subtle expressions like this one worked in Bryan’s favor, allowing his character to have a distinct personality!
Fight choreography: Because Argylle is classified as an action film, there are a collection of action scenes scattered throughout the story. Several of these scenes involve choreographed fights between characters. The way the fights were choreographed was fluid and fast paced. The back-and-forth action between the characters sometimes felt like a ping pong game in motion. One such example is when Aiden fights multiple people on a moving train. As he goes from car to car, the ultimate fight continues. The adrenaline remained consistent in this scene, which helped it be an exciting moment in the film! The fight scenes in Argylle were also presented in creative ways. Different elements and materials were used to bring unique ideas to the big screen.
The allegories: Action movies aren’t typically known for having thought-provoking or creative writing. In Argylle, though, I was impressed by the incorporation of allegories! A scene that showcased a good example is when Elly and Aiden enter an empty room. Prior to this scene, Elly is told to write her next book as she and Aiden go along. Based on how I interpreted it, the empty room represented Elly’s writer’s block. The evidence that supports this claim is how, earlier in the story, Elly is experiencing difficulty writing another novel in her book series. An empty room is waiting to be furnished, just like a story is waiting to be told. While still in the empty room, Elly rips wallpaper off the walls. This, from my interpretation, was an allegory for a writer finding a breakthrough from their writer’s block!
What I didn’t like about the film:
A drawn-out story: According to IMDB, Argylle has a run-time of 2 hours and 19 minutes. Though stories set at a little over two hours can be well paced and delivered, Argylle is drawn out. The problem was the creative team trying to satisfy their film’s run-time by placing an abundance of plot twists into their story. Most of these plot twists were effective. But I think a few of them could have been cut from the script.
Things that don’t make sense: There are moments in Argylle that don’t make sense the longer you think about them. One example is when Elly and Aiden are trying to locate someone. While sitting in a public park, Aiden and Elly do their research on Elly’s laptop. Meanwhile, antagonists are trying to locate Elly and Aiden, using technology at their disposal. Why would Elly and Aiden put themselves in a vulnerable position when they know the antagonists could easily figure out what they are doing?
Henry Cavill’s limited presence: In my review’s introduction, I briefly mentioned Argylle’s marketing. One aspect of this movie’s marketing was Henry Cavill’s inclusion. From what I remember, Henry was heavily featured in the marketing, making it seem like he was one of the film’s main stars. Even though his character, Argylle, was important in the story, Henry’s overall presence in the movie was limited. Without spoiling the film, I will say this limited presence was explained. However, this creative decision made Argylle’s marketing seem somewhat misleading.
My overall impression:
When I chose to watch Argylle, I thought I had an idea what type of movie I was about to watch. While I was correct on some aspects, there were surprises along the way. A few of these surprises were the allegories sprinkled throughout the story and the abundance of plot twists. Out of the expected elements of the movie, Argylle had its strengths; from the acting performances to the fight choreography. But the film does have its flaws. Some of them range from having a drawn-out story to presenting misleading marketing. In my opinion, though, Argylle was an exciting, enjoyable picture! It won’t become one of the best movies of the year. But the film was, for me, a memorable experience!
Overall score: 7.2 out of 10
Have you seen Argylle? Which 2024 movie releases are you looking forward to? Let me know in the comment section!
Have fun at the movies!
Sally Silverscreen
18 Cinema Lane 