Spy (2015)

Genre


Director


Country


Cast
Melissa McCarthy, Jason Statham, Rose Byrne, Jude Law, Miranda Hart, Bobby Cannavale, Allison Janney, Peter Serafinowicz, Richard Brake, Morena Baccarin, Björn Gustafsson, Nargis Fakhri, 50 Cent, Zach Woods, Jessica Chaffin, Will Yun Lee, Carlos Ponce, Michael McDonald, Jamie Denbo, Ben Falcone, Katie Dippold, Steve Bannos, Mitch Silpa, Verka Serduchka, Paul Feig

Storyline

When her partner (Jude Law) falls off the grid and another top agent (Jason Statham) is compromised, unassuming, deskbound CIA analyst Susan Cooper (Melissa McCarthy) volunteers to go deep undercover to infiltrate the world of a deadly arms dealer, and prevent a global disaster.

Opinion

About a week ago I got an email from my local movie theater saying I had the chance to watch this film's national premiere for free. As soon as I found out Statham was in the film, I was pretty reluctant about it. But Melissa McCarthy, whom I really like, and the high rating on Rotten Tomatoes made me change my mind, and I am extremely glad I gave it a try, because, beside from being a James Bond's parody, Spy is an exciting, fresh, and hilarious comedy.

I don't really know when it's the last time I've laughed so hard at a movie - and it wasn't just me, other 100 people were laughing along with me -, and even though some scenes are supposed to be serious, the way the characters deal with the issue is tremendously funny.

After "Bridesmaid" - which I didn't particularly enjoyed - and "The Heat" - which I loved -, Paul Feig comes back, once again alongside Melissa McCarthy, with a great direction, and some great writing dressed with tons of witty lines, and a very good twist for a comedy.

Melissa McCarthy's character is at the center of the story and indeed the most developed, but Jason Statham's Rick, Peter Serafinowicz's Aldo, and Rose Byrne's Rayna are the best and most enjoyable characters, and the first two deserve a film of their own. There is lot of swearing, but, to be honest, the characters look way more realistic because of it.

I did love the music, and the action are nicely choreographed and very well done, specifically the fight between McCarthy's and the female terrorist/assassin in the kitchen, and the scene in which Aldo hurtles  through the alleyways of Rome with a spectacular red Alfa Romeo.

The acting is mostly great. Melissa McCarthy does a wonderful job as Susan Cooper. Miranda Hart is surprisingly good as Susan's friend and co-worker. Jude Law is mediocre as the CIA agent - still eye-candy - and I've read his American accent was bad. Rose Byrne is wonderfully hilarious as the villain, Rayna. Everybody else does a good job. And I can't believe I am saying it, but I loved Jason Statham. I really had no idea he could be so funny, and I loved his character with all my heart --we all know the badass guys usually played by him, but this time he does a parody of those guys, pretending to be tough and tremendously skilled only to turn out to be the clumpiest and stupidest person ever.


Quotes
Rick Ford: You really think you're ready for the field? I once used defibrillators on myself. I put shards of glass in my fuckin' eye. I've jumped from a high-rise building using only a raincoat as a parachute and broke both legs upon landing; I still had to pretend I was in a fucking Cirque du Soleil show! I've swallowed enough microchips and shit them back out again to make a computer. This arm has been ripped off completely and re-attached with *this* fuckin' arm.
Susan Cooper: I don't know that that's possible... I mean medically...
Rick Ford: During the threat of an assassination attempt, I appeared convincingly in front of congress as Barack Obama.
Susan Cooper: In black-face? That's not appropriate.
Rick Ford: I watched the woman I love get tossed from a plane and hit by another plane mid-air. I drove a car off a freeway on top of a train while it was on fire. Not the car, *I* was on fire.
Susan Cooper: Jesus, you're intense.

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