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It's fair to say that Hollywood has taken its time in realising what Melissa McCarthy can actually do. What she can do - that too, almost freakishly well - is carry a film on her own. Also, there is little doubt that McCarthy and director Paul Feig (Bridesmaids and The Heat) make a great pair. In Bridesmaids, McCarthy's portrayal of the groom's kooky sister - which was gross and delightful in equal measure - gave us a puny glimpse of her wondrous presence on screen.
In Spy, McCarthy gives us much more of the same - unrepressed access to that very screen persona. She plays the role of Susan Cooper, a genial, at times mousy, deskbound CIA analyst who guides her partner, Agent Bradley Fine (Jude Law) - a ritzily-dressed, ludicrous version of James Bond - during his missions. After a reckless Fine ends up getting killed by Rayna Boyanov (Rose Byrne) - the daughter of a deceased Bulgarian arms dealer - the CIA must stop Boyanov from selling a suitcase nuke to some terrorists who are raring to blow it up in the middle of New York.
In a desperate bid to prevent the sale of the nuke, Cooper is packed off to Paris to chase down Boyanov. There, she is unknowingly joined by Agent Rick Ford (Jason Statham) -a smug detective who hastily quits his job after being overlooked for the Paris assignment he so desperately craved. Cooper's escapades lead her to Rome and Budapest, where she encounters a profusion of bad guys, including Sergio De Luca (Bobby Cannavale), the cocky leader of a European terrorist group. Feig has also reserved some screen space for Nargis Fakhri. A tiny role sees her in a feisty kitchen battle - complete with frying pans and knifes - with Cooper. She is eventually killed by Fine. How this is possible is for the plot to unravel for you.
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Despite a cast with a host of star names, this is McCarthy's movie throughout. Her ability to laugh at herself and being unafraid of looking stupid - a quality deeply ingrained in all good comics - is what makes Spy tick, but only in parts. While McCarthy's self-deprecating humour rescues the banal plot in most places, the humour otherwise is mostly boorish.
The unremitting use of the F-word by both Statham and Byrne makes you cringe after a point. Not to forget that the CIA office basement where McCarthy works has bats flying around -and hideous mice too. Also, Feig is unlikely to win accolades for taking on a topic that is so annoyingly trite. However, he must be complimented for a lively screenplay that keeps you engaged all through. Bryne's character is deliciously wicked as she fits into the role of a rich arms dealer's evil daughter perfectly.
What is captivating about the movie is its somewhat unorthodox subplots. The fact that Cooper is smitten by Fine is apparent in the first scene, when the latter's exaggerated machismo is raucously applauded by Cooper after he accidentally guns down Boyanov's father. But in Rome, Cooper meets Aldo (Peter Serafinowicz) - a hilarious middle-aged Italian man - who immediately falls for her and the two develop an unexplained affection for each other by the time the film ends. Cooper's tempestuous relationship with Ford (both look out for each other in spite of all the antipathy) is Feig's attempt at adding an emotional touch to the film. The duo's bizarre camaraderie is one of the standout features of the film. Cooper eventually succeeds in foiling Boyanov's plan, getting her arrested and being appointed a full-time field agent by the agency in the process.
McCarthy does incredibly well to hold the movie together all on her own in major parts, but comes up agonisingly short in the end. However, it is safe to say that McCarthy is one of the very few female actors around who can hold their own when flanked by seasoned male co-stars like Law and Statham. McCarthy's talent is on show in abundance in Spy. It's a great shame that we can't say the same about any of her co-stars.
