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Argylle, Review: Spyurious stuff | Filmfestivals.com
Argylle, Review: Spyurious stuff
Don’t even try. To make sense of this one. It’s a tribute to James Bond, Jason Bourne, Die Hard, Lethal Weapon. That is what the makers want you to believe. Well, it’s one tribute the ‘quartet’ can do without. There is a cat in the film, getting a fair amount of footage. Maybe that’s a tribute to Solomon, the cat of the Bond villain Ernst Stavro Blofeld, who appears in several 007 films, a white, blue-eyed Turkish Angora. In Argylle, it is a Scottish Fold cat, named Alfie, which belongs to the protagonist, a female novelist who has been a spy. There is so much back story to the heroine that you desperately want the film to get back to the story. Instead, it takes you on a tour of Europe and America, not to mention HongKong and some part of Arabia. And yet, Argylle misses its target by a mylle.
Elizabeth ‘Elly’ Conway is a reclusive spy author (if spies are reclusive by definition, what’s wrong with a spy author being so?). She writes about a Super Spy called Aubrey Argylle. And each of the four novels she has written have turned out be bestsellers. But there is a problem. Her plots of international espionage turn out to be predictive and prophetic. What she writes, actually happens. On a train journey (Elly has a fear of flying) to visit her parents, she is suddenly attacked a horde of men, and miraculously saved by the man sitting next to her, who reveals himself to be Aidan Wylde, a real-life spy, and a fan of hers. He tells her that she was attacked by the Division, because of the prophetic nature of her writing.
Aidan accompanies Elly to London, where, he hopes, she will lead them to the MasterKey, and thus put paid to the plans of the Division. Not sure of Aidan’s intentions, Elly calls her parents, who turn out to be Dr. Margaret Vogeler (Ruth) and Director Ritter (Barry), the bosses at the Division, who had assumed the identities of Elly’s parents when she was in their captivity, suffering from amnesia and semi-conscious. Aidan and Elly manage to dodge them and escape to France, where they meet former CIA Deputy Director, Alfie. ‘Alfie’ is short for Alfred, and has no connection with Elly’s cat, Alfie, which she takes around wherever she goes. Alfie tells Elizabeth that Argylle is derived from her real name, which is R. (Rachel) Kylle. And soon, it is all guns blazing, as the good guys try to get rid of the Division (did I hear them call it the Directorate, on a couple of occasions?).
Convoluted is a word that readily comes to mind when I look at the script by actor-writer Jason Fuchs (Ice Age: Continental Drift, Pan and Wonder Woman. By comparison, this is the first ‘realistic’ script coming from him, the others being about a legend, a super heroine and animation. Perhaps the complications arise from his desire to go overboard, in an attempt to impress. Giving the cat so much prominence, for only two worthwhile scenes, is irrational. Elizabeth Conway’s many incarnations are always two-steps ahead of the audience’s intellect. Train attacks have been filmed many times in earlier films, and cannot get much better. Why cannot spy film writers think beyond a pen-drive? And what a colossal waste of the likes of Henry Cavill (Superman, Mission Impossible, The Man from U.N.C.L.E.), who is seen in apparitions by Conway, each one just a few seconds long, as the Argylle in print. One tends to agree with director Matthew Vaughn that Cavill is Bond material, but is this how you treat Bond material?
Is Matthew Vaughn the son of actor Robert Vaughn? No, says a paternity test. It is a bit complicated, like Argylle, but his full name(s) is/are Matthew Allard de Vere Drummond (born Matthew Allard Robert Vaughn; 7 March 1971), and is known as Matthew Vaughn, professionally. Many of us know him as Kingsman or King’s Man. Producer, Executive producer, writer and director, Vaughn also directed the X-Men: First Class. Notching 15 films as producer and only 10 as director, Vaughn appears to be smitten by the spy genre. After three Kingsman films, we now have the fourth, Argylle, which he also produced, like the Kingsman series and the X-Men film.
For most of Argylle, the director seems to be unsure whether it is to be a comedy, a spoof or an original spy thriller. Yes, the transformation of Elly from a house-wife-like character into a fighting mean machine persona is a mild tour de force. And just when you have written off Alfie, the cat, as a mere ‘passenger’, she gets to the eyes (literally). Aidan is not very convincing as the superhuman spy, and the role needed better casting. The title itself is not attractive, and the 139 minutes’ length gets to you. He brings back his Stardust actor Henry Cavill, only as a figment of Elly’s imagination. Fights are often unrealistic, with a dozen or more gunmen pouncing on one or two protagonists, and failing to match them. Alfie raises one laugh when he bounces from a mattress on a road up to a high storey window. The dance sequence is impressive and sensual.
Discovered by M. Night Shyamalam, and cast in two of his films, Bryce Dallas Howard (Pete’s Dragon, Rocketman) is the daughter of actor-director Ron Howard. Elly Conway looks the dowdy novelist Elizabeth Conway, and metamorphoses into Rachel Kylle with ease. Both Bryce (42) and Sam Rockwell (Aidan), who is 55, belie their age. The villain-in-chief, Ritter, and his female half, Dr. Margaret Vogler, are played by Bryan Cranston and Catherine O’Hara. Both are made to behave in a clichéd manner, perhaps in the hope that they will come across as comedians. Nothing doing. Richard E. Grant plays Fowler, Ritter’s book counterpart in the Argylle novels. Samuel L. Jackson as Alfie could have sleep-walked into this role. And Sofia Boutella as Saba Al-Badr is completely dispensable to the plot.
Cinematography is by George Richmond and the film is edited by Lee Smith, Tom Harrison-Read and Col Goudie, with music by Lorne Balfe. An Apple Original Films production there is neither any juicy apple in it nor originality. In fact, everybody who likes originality should keep away from this spyurious stuff.
Rating: **
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Cary Elwes, Gates McFadden, Walter Koenig, Manny Jacinto Added to FAN EXPO Portland Celebrity Lineup
Elwes gained wide acclaim for his portrayal of “Wesley” in the 1987 classic The Princess Bride and reached new audiences by headlining the Mel Brooks spoof Robin Hood: Men in Tights and later Saw. He also recently appeared in the Tom Cruise features Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning Part One and Mission Impossible: The Final Reckoning and portrays “Mayor Larry Kline” in Stranger Things 3.
McFadden had the key role of “Beverly Crusher” in TNG, reprising the role in Picard, Prodigy and other iterations of the franchise. She is also a stage actress, choreographer, director, teacher, and was the host of more than 300 episodes of the podcast “Gates McFadden InvestiGates: Who Do You Think You Are?”
Koenig is best known for his recurring television portrayals both of the hated, intensely driven “Alfred Bester” (Babylon 5) and the likable, perpetually cheerful “Pavel Chekov” (Star Trek). Koenig’s film work includes the first seven Star Trek feature films, for which he earned two Saturn Award Best Supporting Actor nominations. His many other films have been independent projects with challenging roles.
Jacinto played “Jason Mendoza” on the full four-season run of The Good Place (2016-20) and later appeared as “Lt. Fritz Avalone” in the blockbuster Top Gun: Maverick. Also among his more than 50 TV and film credits are runs on the Hulu series Nine Perfect Strangers and the animated series Hailey’s on It!
Peggy, earning the title of “Britain’s Ugliest Dog” in a national competition there, has gone on to stardom as “Dogpool” in the Marvel Universe in Deadpool & Wolverine. A portion of proceeds from her appearance at FAN EXPO Portland will support a local charity in the Pacific Northwest.
The five bolster an already impressive FAN EXPO Portland celebrity roster that includes:
• The Lord of the Rings headliners Elijah Wood, Sean Astin, Billy Boyd and Dominic Monaghan
• Mike Colter (Luke Cage, Men in Black³)
• Josh Holloway (Lost, Yellowstone)
• Jonathan Frakes (Star Trek: The Next Generation)
• Harry Potter duo of Matthew Lewis and Bonnie Wright
• Judith Hoag (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Armageddon)
• Robbie Rist (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, The Brady Bunch)
• Ernie Reyes Jr. (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull)
• Brian Tochi (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Revenge of the Nerds)
• Kenn Scott (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, director/Adventures of Johnny Tao)
• François Chau (Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Lost)
• Thomas Lennon (Reno 911!, American Dad)
• Cedric Yarbrough (Reno 911!, The Goldbergs)
• My Hero Academia standouts Eric Vale, David Matranga, J. Michael Tatum, Brandon McInnis and Clifford Chapin
• Hazbin Hotel regulars Christian Borle, Joel Perez and Krystina Alabado
More FAN EXPO Portland guest announcements will follow from the worlds of film, television, streaming, art, literature, gaming, cosplay, anime, animation and more in the coming weeks.
Adult, Youth and Child Single-Day Tickets, Three-Day Passes, Family passes, and Ultimate and VIP Packages for FAN EXPO Portland are available now at www.fanexpoportland.com. Advance pricing is available until January 1.
Portland is the second event on the 2026 FAN EXPO HQ calendar; the full schedule is available at fanexpohq.com/home/events.
About FAN EXPO HQ
FAN EXPO HQ is the largest comic con producer in the world. Collectively it hosts over one million fans annually at FAN EXPO New Orleans, FAN EXPO Portland, FAN EXPO Vancouver, FAN EXPO Cleveland, MEGACON Orlando, Toronto Comicon, CALGARY EXPO, FAN EXPO Denver, FAN EXPO Philadelphia, FAN EXPO Boston, FAN EXPO Chicago, FAN EXPO Canada, FAN EXPO Dallas, VIDCON Anaheim, EDMONTON EXPO, Dallas FAN FESTIVAL and FAN EXPO San Francisco. The latest schedule of events is available on the website, along with up-to-date ticket information. Discover. Celebrate. Belong.
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Nashville Lavender Pioneer Gigi de Lugo Secures Majority Ownership of Permanent Farm in Joelton, Tennessee
Lloyd Traven, President of Peace Tree Farm, the original breeder of these global-standard varieties, praises de Lugo’s early foresight and influence:
“Over a period of the last decade, Gigi has been highlighting our introductions that have become the Gold Standard for lavender worldwide, and she was an early proponent because she saw the extra value of these introductions… Once she knew the plants were different and far superior, she committed to making the right choice for her customers. She can now proudly say that she has started over 30 new farms on their journey across an area ranging from Virginia through to Iowa!”
From its original rented fields in Whites Creek—Gigi’s Lavender, was celebrated by “Garden & Gun” magazine as one of the South’s top lavender destinations—the licensed nursery has supplied thousands of Peace Tree-bred plants throughout Tennessee and beyond. In 2019, de Lugo founded “The Lavender Exchange (TLx),” an exclusive membership alliance offering ongoing technical support, resource sharing, cooperative marketing, and agritourism promotion to farms that source their plants exclusively from Gigi’s Nursery.
Traven also highlights the impact of this network: “Gigi also knows the great importance and value of marketing with expression of clear benefits and a clear message. She created the Lavender Exchange with this in mind—to provide an outlet for cooperative marketing and sharing of equipment and machinery and product ideas.”
This strengthened ownership ensures continuity for de Lugo’s research, educational outreach, and product innovation at the Joelton location, including her newest Patent Pending offering, “ZWave Mg”—a topical magnesium spray infused with pure Phenomenal lavender hydrosol steam-distilled exclusively from flowers grown by TLx member farms. Designed for relaxation, muscle relief, and better sleep, ZWave Mg showcases the wellness potential of Southern-grown lavender.
“This milestone gives us the stability and security to continue investing in our Southern lavender research, development, product distribution, and growing community of the farms we support through The Lavender Exchange (TLx),” said Gigi de Lugo. “From the beginning I set out to prove lavender could become a viable cash crop for Tennessee and Southern farms—not only a pretty agritourism field, but a real harvestable commodity built on Phenomenal®. It took courageous pioneers willing to bet on the unproven and stay the course with me. These years, alongside the extraordinary farmers of our TLx family, have been one of the greatest adventures of my life.”
Experience the pure essence of Southern lavender: Gigi’s premium products, including the breakthrough ZWave Mg, are available exclusively through her website, and retail partners across Tennessee. Gigi is in discussion with a Nashville based manufacturer to expand her ZWave Mg production capacity for 2026.
About Gigi’s Lavender Nursery & Farm
Gigi’s Lavender Nursery & Farm is a Tennessee-licensed grower and an exclusive Southeast source for Peace Tree Farm’s Phenomenal®, Sensational!®, Exceptional!®, Inspirational!® lavender cultivars. It serves as headquarters for The Lavender Exchange (TLx), a premier network advancing lavender agriculture and agritourism across the South and Midwest.
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