Spy
A desk-bound CIA analyst volunteers to go undercover to infiltrate the world of a deadly arms dealer, and prevent diabolical global disaster.
Cast
Melissa McCarthy – Susan Cooper
Jude Law – Bradley Fine
Rose Byrne – Rayna Boyanov
Jason Statham – Rick Ford
Allison Janney – Elaine Crocker
Bobby Cannavale – Sergio De Luca
Miranda Hart – Nancy B. Artingstall
Third Degree Byrne
Rose Byrne.
What a bloody splendid actress. She’s been a bridesmaid,
Bridesmaids
A terrified housewife,
Insidious
Militant,
28 Weeks Later
Australian,
The Internship
..and unhappily married
I Give It A Year
..and now a thirty-something super-bitch with a wonderfully articulate British accent.
I can’t fault Rose at all for her performance during Spy, she delivered her character in her usual way; with passion and pure talent. In fact, the second she appeared on screen I smiled. Tight upright posture and pout, Rose turns as Melissa McCarthy approaches her and the on-screen magic begins..
I wasn’t sure who would come off funnier; Byrne or McCarthy, but in actual fact – both their comedic skills rubbed off on each other and caused sparks of hilarity throughout Spy. It was fantastic to watch, Byrne gracing the screen with some exquisite outfits and smiling softly – then bursting into screams of, “OH FOR FUCK SAKE!”, which had the audience laughing out loud. The woman is gifted – versatile and capable of delivering a very believeable performace, be it comedic or serious. She never falters during the movie and absolutely nails it, bringing a character I loved to hate – yet found fucking hilarious at the same time.
Just superb.
Audience Atmosphere
Spy was a movie that caused absolute uproar from the audience – in the laughable sense. The atmosphere in the auditorium when watching this movie was electric. Thanks to a brilliantly casted ensemble of actors and some excellent script and slapstick moments, people all around me were sniggering, howling, roaring, laughing out loud heartily at various scenarios taking place on screen. This made me laugh a bit more whilst already laughing – it was hilarious. I can honestly say this movie created a brilliantly jolly atmosphere in the auditorium. I went to see this on my own and wasn’t afraid to howl with laughter during certain scenes due to the bubbly atmosphere.
I wasn’t sure how this movie would pan out; mainly due to Melissa McCarthy. The actress is literally a balloon (no reference to her weight, I’m not that much of a bitch).
She’s a comedian – yet in some movies she’s just shit (a-hem, Identity Thief). And others she is hysterical (The Heat). I’ve come to realise it matters how a movie is scripted. It matters how it is directed. Especially when the lead character is being played by McCarthy. I thought Identity Thief was awful; she was near-covered by massive curly hair and spent most of the movie waddling around like a jolly housewife, whilst being hit by cars, etc. Like a pin being stuck in a balloon, the actress deflated massively and was a total flop. And yet in The Heat, due to a fantastic script and different direction from the producers, she inflated once more to hysterical proportions. She had the audience laughing out loud constantly with her dirty mouth and physical comedy.
And then came Spy..
Fucking FANTASTIC. Excuse my language there, but the woman was on top form. Helped by some scenes that were so random they were hilarious, and a script which was delivered with comic precision, Melissa nailed it. Just watching her stick an unfolded napkin in her mouth thinking it was food and saying, “I don’t want to be critical, but this is very chewy”, had the audience laughing so loudly I couldn’t hear the next line delivered by Jude Law.
She also delivers a generous display of physical comedy; her prize action being falling backwards from fainting. And a certain scene involving a man falling from a building whilst Susan stands watching, my god – the audience were literally ROARING with laughter at how it unfolded.
Spy was turning out to be one of McCarthy’s finest moments, proving that if directed well, she can carry an entire movie singlehandedly. And because she did, the atmosphere in the cinema on Friday night was magic. Absolutely brilliant.
Icing
With McCarthy and Byrne being at the helm of Spy and driving it forward with sheer talent, I didn’t think it could get any better.
It did.
Jason Statham and Allison Janney are thrown into the mix of cast, and each deliver some fantastic one-liner’s.
First up, Janney:
I’ve never seen her play a part like this before. Smart, sassy and brutally outspoken, CIA deputy Elaine had me (and yes – most of the audience) LOL’ing once more. The style in which Janney delivered her lines was superb; often harsh words with a completely straight face. She oozed sarcasm and was very funny. I loved her.
Next up, Statham:
An excellent performance from the British tough boy. And like Janney, I’ve not seen anything like this from him before. As past-it CIA agent Rick Ford, the man brings an air of vain desperation to the screen. His personality trait throughout the movie is boasting about how talented he was during his service; reeling off lists of injuries sustained, people he’s gunned down, etc. It was hilarious to watch, and Statham played it wonderfully stupid. Again, totally different to what I’ve seen of him in his previous movies – which made his performance even more enjoyable. Ruggedly sexy and funny – what a great blend.
Statham and Janney were the icing on the cake of this already deliciously sweet movie, ensuring a solid casting base for the others to work on. Top marks for this.
What Went Wrong
Nothing.
Seriously, nothing.
Which surprised me because Spy is produced by he who brought us Bridesmaids; a movie which although brilliantly funny in parts, was dragged out painfully long and full of disjointed scenes – rolling along but going nowhere. For once, Paul Feig did good. He seemed to have upped his game this time and delivered a movie which flowed at a slick pace and was full of fantastic comedy.
..and that was Spy.
Need I say this movie was a top watch? Probably not, as I think you’ve all got the gist – it was fantastic. The atmosphere in the cinema was electric; people laughing loudly at some brilliant comedy which came from both performance and script. The casting couldn’t have been better, a mixed bag of Hollywood names who shone brightly on their own individual levels yet worked well together at the same time. And having Miranda Hart as part of the cast was a good move, she provided a solid comedic back-up for McCarthy and was actually quite different to what I’ve seen before. Nice one.
If it’s a laugh-out-loud comedy you’re wanting, expect nothing less from Spy. The movie is an easy watch, and very well scripted. And for those who aren’t a massive fan of McCarthy, fear not – Byrne is just as strong, and will have you highly entertained throughout. This movie is perfect for a Saturday evening if you’re stuck for something to pop in the dvd player.
Give it a go, you may be surprised.
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