Halle Berry Delivered a Stellar Performance in 'The Union'—But She's Not the One Who Caught My Eye
When I first caught wind of Netflix's The Union a few months ago, I thought of a very familiar plot: Smokin' hot agent swoops into her ex's life to cash in a major favor. Said ex—who is still head over heels for this agent—reluctantly agrees in hopes of winning her back. Duo essentially morphs into Mr. & Mrs. Smith as they embark on a high-stakes mission. And of course, since their chemistry is off the charts, they get back together.
Is it as predictable as I initially thought? Well, mostly. (More on this later.) But if you've ever seen Ghosted or Duplicity, you'll find some familiarity in this film, which packs plenty of action sequences and will-they-or-wont-they romantic moments. And per usual, Halle Berry's performance was incredible—but believe it or not, she wasn't the one who stood out for me.
First, What Is The Union About?
In The Union, Mark Wahlberg stars as Mike, a New Jersey native who works as a construction worker. While having a drink with his pals at the bar one night, his ex-girlfriend, Roxanne (Berry), turns up and, to put it lightly, "recruits" him to assist her on a risky, top-secret mission in Europe. Before he knows it, Mike is undergoing intense training while getting caught up in fistfights and car chases. And in the process, old romantic feelings resurface as the exes work together.
In addition to Wahlberg and Berry, the cast includes J.K. Simmons, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje, Jessica De Gouw and my personal favorite, Mike Colter. Which brings me to my next point...
Why Is The Union Worth the Watch?
Courtesy of Netflix
As the credits began to roll for this film, I smiled and thought, "That was cute." Not princess castles and fairy dust cute, but just endearing in the sense that Berry and Wahlberg work pretty well together. To be quite honest, I found their romantic chemistry lacking, but I did appreciate their solid rapport, which gave off the dynamic of longtime BFFs, rather than lovers. It was fun to watch a clueless Jersey boy team up with a skilled agent to take down the bad guys. And I definitely didn't see that final twist coming. But if you ask me, the biggest highlight was watching Colter in action.
Courtesy of Netflix
The actor stars as Nick Faraday, Roxanne's husband and a fellow Union agent, and he's easily one of the most annoying characters in the film. However, it was so satisfying to see the Luke Cage star do action sequences, and I can tell that Colter had a lot of fun with the role. I'll spare you the details to avoid any spoilers, but I'll say this: Colter's role definitely took this comedy to the next level.
The Union is now available to stream on Netflix.
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