“SKumm’s Thoughts”
THE SPY WHO DUMPED ME (2018, R, 117 minutes, IMAGINE ENTERTAINMENT/LIONSGATE)
Every year seems to find a new comedic It-Girl. Melissa McCarthy (THE HEAT) and Amy Schumer
(TRAINWRECK) each had standout moments which seemed to propel them into the
spotlight, and seemed to redefine what it meant for a female in the genre of
comedic film.
So hats off to Kate McKinnon (“Saturday Night Live”) for her performance in
SPY. She uses up so much energy onscreen
that everyone else looks two steps behind.
The only person capable of keeping up with her (I really hate to use the
word “zany” here…) ZANY character is her best friend (Mila Kunis), and only
then because every Costello needs an Abbott.
SPY centers around the friendship between Audry and Morgan (Kunis and
McKinnon), and the extremes they will go to in order to protect each other when
they are thrust into the world of international espionage via Audry’s shady
ex-boyfriend. Seems he was secretly a
CIA operative, and he may have stolen something that the government(s) wants
back. This sends Audry and Morgan
overseas and on an adventure usually handled by the dudes. And honestly, that isn’t where this movie
gets its extra zing from (yes, apparently I’m going with adjectives which begin
with the letter Z now).
What worked so well in previous female-led comedies (THE HEAT, BRIDESMAIDS,
etc.) isn’t what drives the story here.
Thrusting females into what are traditionally roles for men can open up
many different comedic opportunities, but here it is handled differently. Writers David Iserson and Susanna Fogel (who
also directs) seem to know that their greatest strength lies in the chemistry
between Ms.’s Kunis and McKinnon, and, almost entirely to her credit, the
prowess of Ms. McKinnon. She is what
lifts this film up, what provides roughly 95% of the film’s laughs, and what,
ultimately, makes this an enjoyable affair.
You want to keep watching to see exactly what this woman will say next,
not to mention what she will be wearing.
Her jokes are not just set ups and punchlines; she gets reactions with
her facial expressions just as much as she does with her (I warned you)
zingers.
The always enjoyable Ms. Kunis turns in the perfect Abbott-esque
performance. She plays the straight guy
(although there’s a term which needs redefining now, doesn’t it?) role
perfectly, casting a sardonic eye upon Morgan and her antics. The laughs she elicits are few and far, far
between, but what the viewer is witnessing is two very different comedic styles
playing well against the other. It’s
just that one is much louder and screaming for your attention more so than its
subtle counterpart.
Of course, the film can become mired in the trappings of the genre it is
lambasting; what would a contemporary espionage film be without international
agencies working against each other, double crosses, technological world
threat, and sadistic baddies. The story
thrives on skewering many of those troupes, but to convey at least a somewhat
engaging storyline, small doses of the familiar—or the typical—need be
included. Certain formulas have to be
adhered to a point, lest your audience be subjected to something akin to a long
comedy sketch.
But with the driving force of McKinnon, I can’t help but wonder what her
character could have done if left with no restraints at all. Ms. Kunis is great in her own capacity, but
the sheer physical force of her counterpart is something entirely different to
behold. And this film is a lovely start
to Ms. McKinnon’s time of being the It-girl.
Grade: B
-- T.S. Kummelman
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