Cate Blanchett and Michael Fassbender as a smart married couple in the movie "Black Bag"

Steven Soderbergh is a master of irony: For his spy thriller "Black Bag," the US director has cast a cast of deserving James Bond characters – first and foremost, former 007 Pierce Brosnan, who, as head of the cyber division of the British Secret Service, grants a license to kill: "All measures to apprehend the traitor remain unquestioned," Arthur Stieglitz instructs his men. Previously, Brosnan's Bond had to obtain this ultimate permission from Chief M.

Naomie Harris, the former Miss Moneypenny in Bond's film, joins the cast as the in-house psychologist Zoe Vaughan. Half the spy crew takes a seat in her consulting chair. Zoe is playing a game just as difficult to understand as everyone else involved, who either distrust each other or have an affair. One by no means excludes the other.

This has to do with the everyday professional life of those who keep secrets. How is a professional spy supposed to explain to a partner outside the company what they're not allowed to explain? It's better to remain unfaithful within one's own peer group. Then a hint over breakfast coffee about the eponymous "black bag" is enough. The reference to the symbolic black bag means something like: Darling, please don't ask any more questions. I'm on a secret mission until dinner.

At least, that's how Kathryn St. Jean (Cate Blanchett) and George Woodhouse (Michael Fassbender) operate. The married couple navigates this film, which is incredibly stylish from the clothing to the real estate, with perfect form – and with mutual loyalty, which is probably a unique selling point. But then George, who rarely smiles, is set on his own wife.

Could Kathryn, of all people, be the one who stole the computer malware that would cause a meltdown in every nuclear reactor on the planet (and, oddly enough, is carried around on an old-fashioned computer stick)? To whom should George be loyal: his wife or Great Britain?

Anyone who's reminded of action-packed spy marital dramas like "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" with Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie is mistaken. The director and his savvy screenwriter David Koepp—responsible for films ranging from "Jurassic Park" to "Mission: Impossible" and "Panic Room" to "Indiana Jones"—are not interested in conventional spy nonsense.

Soderbergh has tailored every genre to his needs, whether it was a relationship drama (the Cannes-winning film "Sex, Lies and Tapestry"), a gangster movie ("Ocean's Eleven"), or a global virus thriller ("Contagion" was frighteningly topical in Corona times).

Sure, in "Black Bag," a deadly drone flies high above the clouds and then dives down toward an identified target. Likewise, a bench in Zurich's city center is zoomed in on via satellite, or a service weapon is audibly loaded and hidden within easy reach among the fishing tackle. But just as important are security clearances, service IDs, and, above all, a state-of-the-art lie detector.

The highly intelligent George can also cook. So what does he do when he's handed a list of five suspects (including Kathryn) from which he's supposed to find the culprit? He hosts a dinner complete with a board game.

However, stricter conditions apply: George mixes a truth drug into the delicious chana masala. And then he doesn't bat an eyelid when the evening threatens to escalate with his wife, Clarissa Dubose (Marisa Abela), Zoe (Harris), James Stokes (Regé-Jean Page), and Freddie Smalls (Tom Burke).

To solve the mystery, the participants will once again gather around the living room table, Agatha Christie-style. George will have to work his brain cells hard to reach the goal.

With a bit of wicked humor, one could say: Hercule Poirot looks much better now, is no longer full of quirks, and is now investigating for the British Secret Service. After the screening, the audience can ponder which clues they previously overlooked and whether the detailed puzzle really fits together.

Up until then, we've seen a 93-minute thriller trimmed for effectiveness, which isn't quite as smart as the filmmakers would like. More impressive, however, is the film's elegance. Multi-talented Soderbergh, under his well-known pseudonyms, is also responsible for the camera and editing.

This much can be revealed: You should listen carefully to a casual saying at the beginning. It goes like this: Sometimes it's good to sweep the truth under the rug.

“Black Bag,” directed by Steven Soderbergh, with Michael Fassbender, Cate Blanchett, Naomie Harris, Pierce Brosnan, 93 minutes, FSK 12