‘Rogue Agent’ Review: A Romantic and Vengeful Twist on the Spy Thriller
08.08.2022 - 20:37
/ variety.com
Manuel Betancourt Spy tales and romantic stories make for strange if complementary bedfellows. Both, after all, depend on a building of trust between individuals.
A spy is only as good as how well they can quickly and efficiently connect with strangers, often creating a makeshift intimacy that’ll be nurtured in due time. The terms may be different during a romantic meet-cute but the comforting sense of being seen by someone you just met — not to mention the thrill of what they may bring out in you and how they may change your life — is not too dissimilar.In Adam Patterson and Declan Lawn’s diligently crafted British caper “Rogue Agent,” the lines between a rakish spy and a dashing lover are blurred in the figure of Robert Freegard (James Norton), a real life individual who leveraged his alleged spy credentials toward less than savory ends.
“Rogue Agent” opens with some requisite historical context. Title cards remind us that in the 1990s, the Irish Republican Army was waging a bombing campaign in England, causing MI-5 to recruit freelance spies to help root out possible culprits.
Gemma Arterton’s voiceover helps further characterize the seductive spy we meet, first in 1993 when he recruits three unsuspecting college kids and nine years later when he flirts with Arterton’s Alice Archer in London. He knows how to gain your trust instantly: He looks into your eyes long enough to register their color.Initially taken aback by his advances, Alice does slowly fall for this handsome stranger who seems intent on throwing her off every chance he gets (“You’re so fucking random,” she beams at him at one point, perplexed at how smitten she’s become).
The website popstar.one is an aggregator of news from open sources. The source is indicated at the beginning and at the end of the announcement. You can
send a complaint on the news if you find it unreliable.