"Spy" is Melissa McCarthy's Best Work To Date

When Melissa McCarthy first took Hollywood by storm in 2011, it was as the loveably raunchy Megan in "Bridesmaids". The film was a surprising critical and box office behemoth, landing two Academy Award nominations (including one for McCarthy) and more than $250 million at the box office. Since then, McCarthy has proved to be a continued box office draw; her films ("Identity Thief", "The Heat" and even "Tammy") have all grossed at least $100 million.

McCarthy the actress, however, has not had a role since Megan that has challenged her. Outside of her very nuanced and solid performance in last year's "St. Vincent", she's continued to rely on the loud mouthed, not 'conventionally' attractive woman while putting a comedic spin on her weight. And while there's nothing wrong with that, it would be nice to see McCarthy flex those acting muscles we know she has.

Her third outing with "Bridesmaids" and "The Heat" director Paul Feig, is the very vehicle McCarthy needed not only to establish herself as more than a one trick pony, but a true movie star. We knew she could carry films before, but never like this. "Spy" is McCarthy's magnum opus.

The film's plot is centered around C.I.A. analyst Susan Cooper (McCarthy), who works with super spy Bradley Fine (Jude Law). She's more than happy to stay in the background and let Fine do all of the heavy lifting, but when he's compromised during a mission, Susan volunteers to take over and avenge her fallen partner. Though more than qualified (both physically and mentally) to handle herself in the field, she let herself be outshone and underestimated by her partner and those around her. But as she makes progress fighting and zooming through Europe, she becomes more assured in herself not only as a spy, but a person as well.

What's nice about Susan is that she's completely different from anyone McCarthy has played before. Far from the loud mouthed, raunchy characters from her previous films, it's a joy to see her step so effortlessly into the shoes of someone who's not exactly sure of herself. Even funnier is when McCarthy switches between Susan and her undercover persona, Amber Valentine, who resembles the brash and over exaggerated characters from McCarthy's past. Without breaking a sweat, she jumps between Susan and her alter-ego, sometimes within the same scene, proving that not only is she a versatile performer, but one who can think on her feet, and enjoys great chemistry with every one of her co-stars. This is truly a star turn; McCarthy embraces her familiar persona and tackles previously uncharted territory. She does a great job at selling herself as a credible action heroine who is compelling enough of a presence to warrant our investment.

McCarthy does an incredible job at carrying the film, but this is far from a solo effort. On the contrary, every single member in the cast brings their A-game. Allison Janney proves she doesn't need a lead role to be a comic force of nature; not sure if there's an actress working today who could match her knack for hilarious dead pan delivery. Law's suave agent Fine doesn't have much in the way of laughs, but he's a warm presence. Matching McCarthy tit for tat, however, are Rose Byrne, Jason Statham and newcomer Miranda Hart.

As the unsung hero of "Bridesmaids", we already knew Byrne was secretly hilarious, and after her stint in "Neighbors" that became even more apparent. Here as the film's villain Rayna, however, Byrne delivers a full bodied performance unlike anything we've ever seen from her before, complete with such amazing line delivery I'm not sure if there's another actress that could have embodied the role as well as she did. It reads very much like McCarthy's own performance in "Bridesmaids", with its scene stealing nature, albeit in a slightly different vein. Though it's unlikely, Byrne is 100% deserving of awards attention here for this comically tricky work; I'd like to see some of our recent Oscar winners pull off a performance this varied AND have it be as funny as Byrne is.

As for Statham and Hart, they are unexpected delights in different ways than Byrne. I got the sense that much of Statham's hilariously crass performance as a loose canon agent was improvised, and even if it wasn't, he made it seem so easy to be that funny. Hart, in her first Hollywood role, makes what could have been a slightly funny 'best friend' role laugh out loud hilarious. From the inflection of her voice, to the way she widens her eyes, I couldn't stop laughing at everything she was saying. Though Feig deserves a lot of credit for writing such a great screenplay, Hart and the other actors make it even funnier in their delivery, mannerisms included.

"Spy" manages to be not only a satirical take down of the genre, but a very credible action film. Feng is clearly a director that understands great comedy, which may explain why McCarthy is always her brightest when she works with him.  I wasn't sure that the duo could top their efforts with "Bridesmaids" or even "The Heat", but it's clear to me that Feig and McCarthy are truly capable of making magic together.


Grade: A

Oscar Chances: I would love it if the great reviews and the box office performance could get the film some attention for its brilliant screenplay and performances. This is the type of ensemble work that the Screen Actors Guild trophy for Best Ensemble was made for. Not since Feig's own "Bridesmaids" has a cast so effortlessly gelled together; they're a well-oiled machine. But my biggest hope is that we can all bang the drums for Rose Bryne, who would be such a deserving Best Supporting Actress nominee. In a more realistic point of view, however, the film and McCarthy stand a great chance at being nominated in the Comedy section of the Golden Globes, so at leas there's that.