Spy Game: further thoughts
My beloved says that the whole movie is about the woman. And from a plot point of view, that’s true; Pitt’s character is all about saving her, and she’s the reason for the break-up of the bromance (uh, maybe this is part of my problem with it…).
The more I thought about Elizabeth Hadley, the more I realised that she is a sexy lamp. While she has apparently done some things, they mostly happen off-screen. At best, she’s a sexy lamp with a post-it note to assist with passing on some information. She’s a MacGuffin – only there to give the (male) characters something to argue about and then go get. She has zero motivation of her own within the plot, she has zero agency, she has next to no character development.
… and this is why it will never be a favourite movie.