lampic

I have problems with comedy genre because too often I don't find big hits funny at all - my favorites were always some off-the-wall, left field forgotten camp treasures that no one has ever heard of and I'm glad to say that for once finally I enjoyed a new cinematic big comedy hit, it is hilarious.

Where this year we have "Kingsman: The Secret Service" that pokes fun at James Bond genre, "Spy" offers different approach - here the main hero (who is James Bond wannabe) is unlikely, plump and clumsy Melissa McCarthy (who is absolutely adorable) head over heels in love with secret agent Jude Law who naturally is not even aware of her. When her object of desire disappears in action, McCarthy somehow wiggles herself into action and creates mayhem everywhere she turns up - more or less all the comedy is about poking fun at her being such unwitting heroine of action but instead of cruel jokes we are actually laughing along with her, because McCarthy shows unexpected bravery and is bouncing enthusiastically at enemies. In the best cinematic tradition, she even gets herself a sidekick who is far clumsier than herself (excellent Miranda Hart) and there are some brilliant parts by Peter Serafinowicz , Jason Statham and fierce, spoiled heiress Rose Byrne. I don't remember when was the last time I laughed so much out loud during the movie.

Unexpectedly entertaining movie - honestly, I assumed this will be just another run-of-the- mill action boom-bang-a-bang but it turned out it was compulsive watching with lots of humor that affectionately pokes fun at James Bond. It has all the ingredients of usual clichés (elegant mentor leading young unknown and green talent trough procedures that would create another super-hero) and it works wonderfully as everybody obviously had lots of fun while making this, specially Colin Firth who for once steps out of the box where directors so often forced him to be just another romantic lover in historical costumes - you can clearly see his joy of being allowed to do something different and here, for a change he is a bad ass who fights, breaks bones left and right and all of this without ever losing his suave posture. His young protégé is Eggsy (Taron Egerton) who metamorphoses from poor London boy in sneakers into another elegant secret agent and has just the right charisma to carry on the rest of the movie. There are also obligatory celebrities (Samuel L. Jackson, Michael Caine) but honestly the movie would work with anybody in these roles. There is no point in taking this movie seriously and trying to find any deep meaning - critics are collectively praising it for being entertaining, funny, full of action and lots of car crashes so it is really a good, old fashioned cinematic action extravaganza that screams for sequels.

What initially was "just a movie" quickly evolved into really strong story about serious moral issues. Does the ending justifies the means we use? Is it correct to torture prisoner? Or is it more "human" not to use torture and risk millions of people die instead? The movie centers around interrogation of a white American Muslim who blackmails the government or else he has several nuclear bombs ready to explode in various secret locations hidden around the country. Its not just some ordinary wacko but the man who was trained with nuclear weapons and has army past, the man who was prepared to get arrested and tortured for his beliefs. All sorts of secret agents, policemen and politicians are circling around him - terrorism and bombs are serious threat indeed - though there are some who won't even take him seriously. What if its all just a hoax? Even more surprisingly, his demands are not demands of a madman, he wants the president to announce that the United States will stop supporting puppet governments and dictatorships in Middle Eastern countries and a withdrawal of American troops from all Muslim countries. Sound reasonable enough, you might say, lots of people would want the same - but government won't budge and they would rather torture prisoner (or get those darn bombs explode) than to change their international policy. The more I think about it, the more I see roles of good and bad guys interchanging here. We also have two main protagonist in soft-hearted FBI inspector and cold blooded interrogator (echo of "good cop,bad cop" routine) running around and screaming at each other while the clock ticks and there are just 24 hours left until bombs start exploding.

As a viewer I went trough several different phases of changing my opinion here - it would be too easy and simplistic to dismiss Yousef as a "crazy terrorist" if we don't understand that this is someone who was willing to die for his convictions, and actually not for helicopter and bunch of money but for world peace. This is something that I personally find incredibly strong point. These are not just empty words, this is my own opinion because during my own war experience it went trough my head that if I could somehow (theoretically) get to "enemy president" and kill him & die than, my death would be less important than peace for everybody. Believe me, I would have done that. However, from this perspective I also understand that aggression breeds aggression so perhaps I would have die pointlessly. Humans are the most dangerous species on the planet and perhaps they deserve everything that happens to them.

Back to the movie - actors are all exceptional. Lots of praises went for Samuel L.Jackson as hard-core interrogator, in my opinion he did a good job but its easy to admire him as we are familiar with his earlier work, he is known actor and people would always take him to hearts simply because they recognize him. Carrie-Anne Moss as FBI inspector has very difficult role in a man's movie because she is basically on everybody's way, Jodie Foster might have been better choice here. But for me the main star is brilliant Michael Sheen who is dazzlingly versatile actor (I remember him from ridiculously varied screen portraits, from Tony Blair to SF Werewolf) and who spits his guts here still getting across as a human and not a madman. Brilliant movie with some seriously important questions camouflaged as political thriller. To my biggest surprise it went straight-to-DVD hell and was therefore marginalized in media, however it deserves to be seen. I can't understand how anyone can watch this and be unmoved.