The Fix Review

After learning from their old boss of millions of dollars hidden inside the wall of a hotel room in Tehran, a team of disaffected ex-CIA officers sneak into the Iranian capital in search of a big payday.

You could say the timing of this movie’s release is unfortunate. More so due to current events, than the anniversary with which it shared a date. Then again, you might not. Either way, The Fix is an intriguing spy thriller, rooted in recent and mildly uncomfortable history. It all begins with an operation set during the pull-out from Afghanistan. One that gets a little messy, leaving the team responsible out of favour with the bosses in Langley. Naturally their response is to scatter, so that Zachary Levi’s ‘Tucker’ can reassemble them when he hears – through a potentially questionable source – of fortune-bearing walls in one of the world’s most inaccessible countries. Naturally you should expect Tucker to find them in varied but typical places. However, it isn’t long before they’re back doing what they do best, only now they’re doing it for themselves rather than duty or country.

I must admit, Triple Frontier did spring to mind as I started watching, but those thoughts quickly faded into the background. In many ways The Fix goes in the opposite direction, as our heroes’ struggle becomes more about putting their own interests aside in order to do what’s right, rather than the other way around. All throughout the movie plays with the morality of such activities – espionage, global politics etc. – but without ever picking a lane or choosing a side. Giving this tale of espionage something of a nihilistic vibe, as it continually begs the question: ‘What’s the point?’ ‘Is it worth the risk? Let alone, the cost?’ All of which is experienced through Tucker, who wrestles with those very questions constantly.

It’s interesting seeing Levi in a more reserved role. No computer in his head, or lightning bolt on his chest. He brings an intensity and a little humanity to Tucker. Levi is able to flesh out what would otherwise be a fairly generic veteran spy character, so that we see both a man carrying the weight of a long career in service to his country, and one trying to hide most of himself from the world. Whereas Neeson, who has surprisingly little screen time, gives boss man ‘Larry’ a sense of fatherly leadership figure. As well as – for any fans of The A-Team, out there – a bit of a ‘Lynchian’ quality. As for the rest of the team; Quincy Isaiah, Wes Chatham, Jake Choi and Augusto Aguilera all play your typical ‘team’ roles, but they do manage to make their characters likeable, and fun. Navid Negahban and Elnaaz Norouzi are also very good in their respective roles.

As is often the case  – according to Hollywood, anyway – this dangerous way of life proves difficult to walk away from for this plucky band of former spies. It certainly doesn’t take much convincing for them to get back at it. Especially when there’s a $25 million payday. But it’s not as simple as checking into a hotel room in Tehran and making a hole in the wall. There are many hoops to jump through to even get the name of the hotel. All of which is understandably dangerous, and the movie reflects that. No matter where they go there is a sense of unease. It’s almost palpable. As if they’re one step away from catastrophe. Thankfully, director Gary Moshe and his crew do a good job of making their activities look believable. Including some enjoyably hair-raising action sequences. Moshe, along with fellow writers Mark Bacci and Ron Hutchinson, even manages to keep you guessing here and there. But that also proves to be the movie’s downfall.

The Fix is a movie of twists. Twists on twists, even. It seems like every other minute, one character or another is attempting to pull the rug out from under. In fact, if the movie had a subtitle, it would be: ‘An Unfortunate Series of Betrayals’. Which is something that goes on until the very end. At a little over two hours, the movie already feels a little long, and the constant twistiness doesn’t help. It also leaves the plot feeling more than a little convoluted, as you try to keep track of the many developments. Preventing the movie from ever being what I’d call ‘gripping’. Don’t get me wrong, it can be fun to have the wool pulled over our eyes every now and then, as our heroes get themselves into some seemingly inescapable situations. But as is the case here, it’s a trick that can be overplayed, to the point it becomes tiresome, and even a little ridiculous.