Henry Cavill channels his inner James Bond in the fast, furious and frequently funny Argylle

Audiences may never get to see Henry Cavill play 007, but his take on a James Bond-ish spy in Argylle is a rollicking ride, writes Leigh Paatsch.

ARGYLLE (M)

Director: Matthew Vaughn (Kingsman: The Secret Service)

Starring: Bryce Dallas Howard, Sam Rockwell, Henry Cavill

Rating: ***

A fake spy, a real spy and actual danger

The first thing you immediately notice about Argylle is that it is a spy movie perpetually changing pace, direction and shape.

No kidding, the entire production is structured like a concertina, forever fanning out, then folding in on itself.

At a running time of two and a quarter hours, some viewers are bound to find the experience a touch on the exhausting side.

However, for sheer energy expended in the name of entertainment, most will find in Argylle’s favour.

Getting a grip on the true essence of the plot proves to be a tricky prospect in a busy opening act, with several scenes centring on a James Bond-ish super-spy named Argylle (played with just the right pinch of sarcasm by Henry Cavill).

Just as Argylle’s latest assignment in the Greek Isles appears to be going off the rails (via a multi-rooftop car chase in a clapped-out dune buggy) we are informed that our hero is actually the figment of someone’s imagination.

Dua Lipa and Henry Cavill in a scene from Argylle.

That someone is Elly Conway (Bryce Dallas Howard), an author who has been steadily building a massive global following for the Argylle character across three best-selling books.

With the fourth volume about to drop, Elly suddenly finds herself embroiled in a real-life case of high-stakes espionage that would give her beloved Argylle pause for concern.

Elly’s only way out of this ever-widening mess is to put her trust in an actual spy. American undercover operative Aidan (Sam Rockwell) is the polar opposite of the a suave, shaken-not-stirred operator like Argylle.

He’s a slob. He’s a wise guy. He’s a bit annoying. But nevertheless, Aidan does seem to possess the skills to rescue Elly from the clutches of an international crime syndicate and put her back behind a keyboard where she truly belongs.

As the movie wears on, the line dividing Argylle’s fictional exploits and Aidan’s improvised handling of some difficult situations becomes intriguingly blurred.

As for Elly, just how and where she came to be in possession of so much pinpoint knowledge of the spying world also becomes a mystery that needs further exploration.

With so much going on – and the movie rarely backing off the pace – there can be times where Argylle can be indulging in too much of a good thing.

However, once Rockwell takes tighter control of proceedings in the second half, the movie settles into a rollicking, carefree rhythm most will appreciate.

Argylle is in cinemas now

Natalie Portman as Elizabeth Berry and Julianne Moore as Gracie Atherton-Yoo in May December. Picture: Francois Duhamel/Netflix

MAY DECEMBER (MA15+)

***

General release

Is this movie studiously walking through the strange, fascinating and rather appalling story it has to tell? Or is it cynically dancing around that story? Everyone who sees May December will come up with wildly varying answers. The screenplay is inspired by the infamous case of Mary Kay Letourneau, a 34-year-old teacher convicted in 1997 for seducing a 13-year-old student. After doing jail time, Letourneau went on to marry and start a family with her young victim-lover.

Julianne Moore and Natalie Portman in May December. Picture: Francois Duhamel/Netflix

In this movie, we meet a very similar woman named Gracie (Julianne Moore) who did the crime and did the time to entrap the love of a much-younger husband Joe (Charles Melton). While the couple have been leading a seemingly ordinary life since their scandalous hook-up, all that is about to change. Hollywood intends to make a movie about their illicit affair, and a famous actress Elizabeth (Natalie Portman) will be following Gracie around to “get under the skin” of her character. What follows is a delicately uneasy journey into Gracie’s mind as a sex offender – which is still fortified by several layers of denial – and Elizabeth’s ego as an attention-hungry performer. Moore and Portman are both in compelling form here, but their dynamic displays won’t be enough to seal the deal for all viewers. Tread warily here. Directed by Todd Haynes (Carol).

Paul Mescal and Andrew Scott in All Of Us Strangers. Picture: 20th Century Studios

ALL OF US STRANGERS (MA15+)

****

Selected cinemas

This beautiful British movie about love, loneliness and the lingering after-effects of loss is well worth the track-down. Particularly if you have been following the exemplary career of its writer-director Andrew Haigh (Weekend, 45 Years, Lean On Pete). Andrew Scott plays the lead role of Adam, a screenwriter wasting away in a drab London flat until befriending the equally isolated Harry (Paul Mescal). A ungainly love blossoms between the pair that is endearing as it is raw and heartfelt. And then, this disorienting development: during a visit to his childhood home, Adam encounters his late parents (Claire Foy and Jamie Bell), who had died in a car crash when he was just 12. How these disparate plots are threaded together is difficult to describe, but the feeling with which they have been woven is genuinely touching.