This is a smart espionage thriller that feels like an update to Cold War-era stories like “Bridge of Spies”,that adds in the modern complexities of drone strikes, satellite surveillance, and AI-powered eavesdropping as well as a hint of Mr. and Mrs. Smith with more allure and less tension.
Here is the set up. Within a week, George will have to find the source of the security leak in his intelligence organization or tens of thousands of people will die. The short list of suspects includes his equally talented wife, Kathryn (Cate Blanchett), a hotheaded subordinate he passed over for promotion named Freddie Smalls, Freddie's younger date who also works in surveillance, Clarissa Dubose , the hotshot go-getter who did nab the promotion, Colonel James Stokes , and his current date, one of the organization’s therapists, Dr. Zoe Vaughan. George invites them over for dinner for something of a truth-telling session, but little is revealed other than cracks in the other couples’ relationships--there is a stabbing at the dinner table, which is more drama than is usual, and George is kind of an arrogant spy who is sure he can tell what is what by what is said and what is left unsaid. The game is afoot, and he has just a few more days left before the shadowy operation known as Severus wreaks real-world havoc. Worse yet, his wife is being set up, he is sure of it.
This is well worth watching. The tensions are well played, and the dialogue volley's back and forth, more like a comedy than a thriller. Every conversation is a test of wills and smarts, a tennis match between players who think they’re each at the top of their game. But as we’ve seen many times, only one player goes home the winner.
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