THE UNION

Mark Wahlberg, Halle Berry, J.K.Simmons, Mike Colter, Alice Lee, Jessica De Gouw, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Jackie Earle Haley, Stephen Campbell Moore, Lorraine Bracco, Dana Delaney.

Directed by Julian Farino.

The Union is a secret organisation, very secret, which runs all kinds of international operations – and opening one in Trieste a which fails, the death of several agents.

This is a kind of popular espionage film with some comic touches that has been popular, especially since the 1960s with tongue-in-cheek heroes, paralleling James Bond.

This time it is Mark Wahlberg, an ordinary worker, with very few ambitions and horizons, called on by a former girlfriend, one of the heads of The Union, played by Halle Berry. As a bonus, the boss is played by JK Simmons who is later accused of being a mole.

All is drugged and abducted, wakes in London, goes through all kinds of rigorous training, psychological evaluation, new identity, and, probably most improbably, set out to do all kinds of actions, retrieving money, going to option beatings, in great danger.

Looking at the cast list, there is quite a long list of prominent actors from the past as well as in the present, meaning that the range of supporting characters is always interesting.

Clearly building up to a confrontation a climax, a Revelation of the true mole, kinds of action – and, just as it thinks he is free, the head of the Union comes up with another mission.

The cast and the action keep the audience entertained even though, in retrospect, it is just one another of those undercover espionage action romps.

1. The title, the secret union? Undercover? International? American espionage? Threats and expose?
2. The opening in Trieste, the action, betrayals? Deaths? The London scene, action? The contrast with the ordinariness of New Jersey? The musical score?
3. Roxanne, her role, her relationship with Nick, his death in Trieste? Tom Brennan? The situation, the threat of exposure, suspicions? Who worked for 25 years?
4. Mike, Mark Wahlberg role, his work, ordinary life, day by day, the past, the past with Roxanne? Not likely action film hero?
5. The action sequences, and upkeep audiences interested? The various plots, suspects, the plans?
6. The mission, the abduction of Mike, the hotel, London, Tom Brennan and the explanations?
7. The issue, the information, the option, the representatives from various national interests? The range of spy bidders?
8. Mike, the training, new identity, psychological training?
9. The crisis, the ambush, the money lost, the role of the Koreans?
10. Strategies, undercover, sabotage?
11. Juliet Quinn, collaboration, her role, tactics?
12. Nick, reappearance, alive, tactics, motivation? The relationship with Roxanne? His envy, anger? Involvement? Ruth and his motivations?
13. Mike, tantrums, collaboration, the briefcase, the chases, the fights?
14. The final, the confrontation with the deputy director, Tom Brennan vindicated?
15. The future, Mike and his role in the Union?