Rogue Agent (2022) – Movie Review

Rogue Agent, 2022.

Directed by Declan Garden and Adam Patterson.
Starring Gemma Arterton, James Norton, Marisa Abela, Sarah Goldberg, Shazad Latif, Freya Mavor, Rob Malone, Julian Barratt, Edwina Findley, Jimmy Akingbola, Charlotte Avery, Michael Fenton Stevens, Simon Chandler, Melissa Collier, Philip Wright, Matthew Douglas, Peter Heenan, Michael Drake, and Martin Walsh.

SYNOPSIS:

The extraordinary and chilling story of profession conman Robert Freegard who masqueraded as an MI5 agent and fooled individuals into going into hiding, and the girl who fell for him, after which introduced him down.

There’s a cult for the whole lot. Impressed by precise occasions (and coming from the directing duo of Declan Garden and Adam Patterson, each of whom share screenwriting credit with Michael Bronner), Rogue Agent facilities on Robert Freegard (a calculatingly manipulative James Norton) assuming a number of aliases and faking his approach by way of convincing sure individuals that he’s an MI5 agent.

Like a shark smelling blood, Robert selectively chooses his targets, that are usually people main boring lives or susceptible not directly (there are some extremely deplorable acts involving antidepressants), as they’re extra rapidly to imagine his tales and fall below a brainwashing spell about doubtlessly turning into spies and getting within the subject to thwart 90s Irish bombing assaults on London.

After a prologue briefly displaying off his hypnosis (with some narration from one among his victims breaking down the convenience with which he makes connections by way of eye contact and allure), the small group finds themselves on the run and following Robert as Rogue Agent flashes ahead slightly below a decade later, with their chief now working as a automotive salesman. Litigation lawyer Alice Archer (Gemma Arterton) stumbles into an interplay with Robert, initially turning down his advances for a date, rapidly caving as a result of his charismatic persistence. 

Considerably to a fault, Rogue Agent is extra involved with Robert’s seduction of Alice, easing her suspicions (she has associates in excessive locations that simply deduce that he gave her a ghost title) and warped manipulation into utilizing destructive tales about him as a method for his company to make sure that his companions are loyal to him, subsequently that means they are often trusted round his “mission particulars” (particularly if one thing goes flawed). Much more unsettlingly fascinating is a younger girl named Sophie (Marisa Abela), who has been below Robert’s spell for roughly 9 years, finishing up faux subject operations that solely profit him.

The concept that somebody, not to mention a number of individuals, can observe these orders and constantly imagine that they’re part of a spy group with out something helpful to point out for it (and reducing themselves off from their earlier lives, however not earlier than convincing dad and mom at hand over massive sums of cash) is baffling in a fashion that ought to have been the core dynamic of the narrative, relatively than a protracted look at first levels of this con.

Nonetheless, this questionable storytelling method doesn’t sink the movie contemplating the chemistry between James Norton and Gemma Arterton is stable; a number of sequences showcase simply how good Robert is at telling lies and considering on his toes to spin the story round his favor. As such, it’s arduous to fault Alice for falling for the deception, though the script additionally is aware of when it’s time to drag again and for her to smarten up.

There’s additionally the gripping, seemingly unbelievable precise crime facet to this real-life story, which solely makes the unfolding occasions hit tougher (and there are fairly a couple of disturbing reveals about Robert’s life). Rogue Agent turns into rather more involving as soon as the masks comes off Robert, little by little demonstrating how evil he’s and the way he can at all times go one horrifying step additional.

A sharper and extra insightful script would deal with the victims and maybe put in a bit extra effort to investigate what made Robert a monster, past surrendering to the concept some persons are simply plain flawed. Nonetheless, Rogue Agent is compulsively watchable and a daunting slice of dramatized true crime (with some infuriating however someway not stunning closing nuggets of knowledge).

Flickering Fantasy Ranking – Movie: ★ ★ ★  / Film: ★ ★ ★

Robert Kojder is a member of the Chicago Movie Critics Affiliation and the Critics Selection Affiliation. He’s additionally the Flickering Fantasy Critiques Editor. Verify right here for brand new evaluations, observe my Twitter or Letterboxd, or electronic mail me at MetalGearSolid719@gmail.com

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