‘The Union’ Review: Old Friends Mark Wahlberg and Halle Berry Reunite in a Middling Spy Movie

As a seasoned cinephile with over three decades of movie-watching under my belt and a penchant for action-packed spy thrillers, I must say that “The Union” left me feeling more like I was stuck in quicksand than on the edge of my seat. The film’s premise is as thin as an old action flick’s plot, and it struggles to keep up with the pace set by its genre predecessors.

Mike McKenna (Mark Wahlberg) experienced his life’s pinnacle in high school, contrastingly, Roxanne Hall (Halle Berry) broke free from their dead-end lives in New Jersey to explore the world. Instead of joining a local construction workers union, Roxanne became part of The Union, a covert spy group that she casually remarks, “Most of the intelligence community doesn’t even know we exist, and those who do often regret discovering us.”

In Netflix’s exclusive service, “The Union,” we find a tale that revolves around a heartwarming reunion, specifically between Mike and Roxanne. This story unfolds amidst a predicament reminiscent of numerous recent spy films. Mark Wahlberg, in this instance, yearns for the role of James Bond, a dream he’ll never realize as a Dorchester-born American. Instead, he gets to embody the second-best option, being tapped by a former Bond girl, Halle Berry, who dons an unusual hairdo last seen in “Swordfish,” a pixie cut with anime influences, one side shaved, and the other spiky with blond tips.

The film’s main concept involves placing a commoner in a typical action flick scenario, an arrangement that feels more forced than convincing. The plot revolves around the theft of sensitive data about everyone who has served a Western alliance nation (similar to the NOC list from the initial “Mission: Impossible” movie), and recovering it requires someone not on that list. In other words, they need an ordinary person, and Roxanne has the perfect candidate for the task.

Mike has been frequenting the same bar since Roxanne broke up with him, hoping she might return. When she finally does, he’s asked, “Was it as you thought it would be?” To which he replies, “I guess not.” In his mind, Roxanne was always pictured in a swimsuit. This seems to suggest that the movie caters more to adolescent boys, despite Wahlberg believing he’s making this film for working-class men back home. What else might he be referring to when his character says, “It’s enjoyable seeing myself portrayed on screen”? He’s not sipping martinis in a tailor-made tuxedo, but this certainly doesn’t seem like the representation that Hollywood has been lacking.

Once again, it’s Wahlberg’s project, and despite the movie suggesting otherwise, he was the one who recruited Berry for their covert agent roles. The two veterans in Hollywood have been friends for years, which adds a delightful touch of old grudges – manifested in sharp, playful jabs and subtle flirtations – to a film that could have benefited from more humorous banter instead of the generic action sequences set in Trieste, London, and Istria. Instead, we’re treated to routine action scenes, with Mike dealing with obstacles like driving on the opposite side of the road and leaping onto a moving barge from a bridge.

In this film, Wahlberg portrays Mike with an apparent reluctance towards spy work, yet the script fails to provide a compelling motivation for his eventual cooperation. Perhaps if Roxanne had been kidnapped or someone close to him, like Lorraine Bracco (underutilized as his mother), was in peril, he might have joined the union. However, as it stands, it seems Wahlberg’s character consents due to his personal preference for the role. It is also believed that Wahlberg played a part in casting director Julian Farino, who has experience in comedy but appears less comfortable with action sequences, which are evident in action scenes reminiscent of 007 and “Mission: Impossible” movies.

After Mike decides to become a part of the team, the movie condenses a two-week training period (originally reduced from six months) into a brief montage sequence. During this montage, Mike interacts with other Union members such as senior member Tom Brennan (played by J.K. Simmons), combat specialist Frank Preiffer (Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje), mental health evaluator Athena Kim (Alice Lee), and a tech-savvy individual who goes by the name “the Foreman” (Jackie Earle Haley). Occasionally, the movie hints that these agents may have been ordinary, diligent workers like Mike in the past. However, if this were the case, then Roxanne would not fit the mold of a typical Union member.

Perhaps she does, but there’s a problem with “The Union” – neither the movie nor its characters seem to have much of a personality, making it unclear how they feel about each other. Revealing the villain might spoil a small surprise, yet it feels like complaining about the cheap trick of implying that said villain was once married to Roxanne. When all three characters are together, the movie aims to provoke jealousy between Mike and his rival, but instead, it seems to halt the chemistry building between the ex-high school sweethearts, as Mike ends up in the friend zone.

In essence, there’s an undeniable charm in envisioning Berry and Wahlberg as action heroes, given their past performances in this genre. For instance, Berry’s intensity in “Kidnap” is hard to match, while Wahlberg thrives in director Peter Berg’s real-life hero portraits like “Patriots Day”. However, in “The Union”, it’s evident that they are frequently replaced by stunt doubles, and even when they’re not, their actions don’t seem entirely convincing. This leaves us questioning the idea of a Jersey boy being a spy, which ultimately undermines the notion we previously held that Wahlberg could successfully portray this role.

2024-08-16 03:17

‘The Union’ Review: Old Friends Mark Wahlberg and Halle Berry Reunite in a Middling Spy Movie

Read More

Minority Mindset