Black Bag

An effective spy drama does not require staging elaborate set pieces or reinventing the genre, as evidenced by Black Bag, which finds some fresh twists in its throwback approach.

This sleek and stylish espionage saga spotlights Oscar-winning director Steven Soderbergh and an esteemed ensemble cast in top form, fueling a central mystery that isn’t as compelling as those involved in solving it.

The film opens with a stirring tracking shot weaving in and out of a vibrant London nightclub, at which point the debonair George (Michael Fassbender) is briefed about the theft of a powerful malware that could fall into the wrong hands.

George’s responsibility becomes finding a traitor within the powerful cybercrime agency for which he works as an agent. The list of five potential moles includes his wife and fellow superspy, Kathryn (Cate Blanchett). “Some things really are best swept under the rug,” George explains.

He organizes a dinner party including an ex-military confidant (Rege-Jean Page), his psychiatrist girlfriend (Naomie Harris), and two more romantically involved colleagues (Tom Burke and Marisa Abela), but the gathering quickly unravels amid a whirlwind of arguments and accusations — just as George planned.

It’s fair to question whether George and Kathryn’s marriage is rooted in love and affection, or merely professional convenience. If there’s anything they want to cover up between them, they put such information in the proverbial “black bag,” no questions asked. However, they do seem fiercely loyal to one another, until death do they part.

Meanwhile, as the investigation continues, tension simmers as clues and red herrings are revealed amid a maze of shifting loyalties and cloudy motives. And their dismissive boss (Pierce Brosnan) seems determined to further stir the pot.

The screenplay by frequent Soderbergh collaborator David Koepp (Presence) features more talk than action, yet the witty banter creates some intriguing dynamics among characters who must conceal their distrust and hostility along with any secrets or suspicions.

It’s difficult to establish a rooting interest in any of these erudite and morally ambivalent schemers who seem more concerned with outmaneuvering one another and feigning intellectual superiority than finding any perpetrator.

Anchored by understated turns from Fassbender and Blanchett, Black Bag excels not because of flashy scope but efficient execution.

Rated R, 93 minutes.