The 2024 film The Union is all about “the odd couple” – again. Sans the wit of the Neil Simon original and without the acting chops of Matthau and Lemmon. Mark Wahlberg and Halle Berry do their best here, but the story lacks so much.
Like a discernible plot.
The Story
The Union is a shadowy organization that does not rely upon former military or law enforcement personnel to fill its ranks. It prefers instead to use people who are not traceable via their service records.
After a member of this organization is murdered, Roxanne Hall decides to recruit old flame Mike McKenna to help track down the stolen intel. Hall’s boss, Tom Brennan trusts her instincts and welcomes the underachiever into the fold.
The main Cast
Halle Berry is Hall. A tough nut who decides to push for her high school sweetheart to play on her team.
Mark Wahlberg is McKenna. He is so low on the social scale that he sleeps with his 7th grade teacher. (Dana Delany is the teacher but the math is all wrong here.)
J.K. Simmons is Brennan. The lowkey boss who okays the mission.
Mike Colter is Faraday. He gives good bad guy.
Alice Lee is Kim. Hall’s cohort in crime, so to speak.
Behind the scenes
Brit director Julian Farino gives us a “by the numbers drill” right down to the “cool” James Barry type spy music. Joe Barton and David Guggenheim co-wrote the screenplay and have not blazed any original trails here.
Not so original
This theme has been explored before. This year alone, we have had Ghosted, Role Play and on the outside; Argylle. These are all the latest odd couple pairings. Earlier films include: Knight and Day (2010) and Killers (also 2010) and these all feature odd couple pairings.
One full time “agent” and one neophyte who learns to be as good as the professional.
The Union
This iteration is amazingly like the previous versions of the pro vs the amatuer. Slightly amusing and also a retread. There are only so many times that this formula can be revisited.
*On a side note here: Operation Fortune: Ruse de Guerre broke the mold. Guy Ritchie’s “odd couple” pairing here was that little bit different. However, it still relied upon the outsider becoming proficient in the “spy world” and becoming a hero.
The verdict
The Union is a solid 3 star effort. It may not be overly original but it still entertains. It is steaming on Netflix.
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