Director: John Madden
Writer: Matthew Vaughn
Cast: Helen Mirren, Sam Worthington, Tom Wilkinson
Decorated spies Rachel (Helen Mirren) and Stefan (Tom Wilkinson) find themselves in a mad scramble to save their reputations after the suicide of a former colleague. As members of a select team the agents were sent on a mission that made them national heroes and the subject of legend, only to have that legacy come into question when it is revealed, 30 years later, that things may not have gone as planned. In addition to her own reputation Rachel is also concerned with that of her daughter who penned a book based on her mother’s lies. In a race against time this heart pumping thriller is filled with twists, turns and excitement from start to finish.
When the world thinks you’ve vanquished a monster how do you recover when they find it was all a pretty little lie? The sins of youth carry a heavy price tag for the secret agents, especially Rachel. Mirren’s portrayal shows Rachel’s conflicting emotions and the underlying guilt of having built a life on lies. The thriller spans 30 years, flipping back and forth between decades, giving glimpses of the past truth whilst highlighting the lies of the present. As expected Mirren commands the screen as only a veteran can giving this drama a surefire Oscar nod. 30 years of guilt and falsehood finally take their toll on the spies sending them reeling and scrambling to make things right. This action packed epic is a great date movie, with just enough romance to keep lovebirds happy. The kids should skip this one as they may miss the subtleties in the dialogue and plot twists. All in all a film worth viewing one the better films released this summer.