Review of the American Movie Spy essay

Spy is an American movie laced with both comedy and spy actions. Paul Feig and stares MelissaMcCarthy, Miranda Hart, Rose Byrne, Bobby Cannavale, Allisone Jenney, Jude Law and Jason Statham wrote the movie. The main character in the movie is Susan Cooper, acted by McCarthy and she stares against Ford (Jason Statham) who does the role of the main antagonist. Susan who is initially a desk-bound CIA is transformed through the ranks into a field agent. Her main objective is not only to spy the illegal activities going on within the black market but also to make the necessary responses to these situations. Through her efforts, she manages to avert the sales of a suitcase nuke which was intended to be sold within the black market. The film, which was released to the theaters, received worldwide acclamation from fans and critics alike. This perhaps comes from the producers’ fusion of both action and comedy hence enhancing the flow of the plot and the entertainment value. The interesting aspects can be emphasized by the overly enthusiastic audience whose responses can be felt through loud laughter in different scenes. It is because of its attractive aspects that the movie was nominated for the golden globe awards under the category among the best motion pictures under the category of a musical or comedy.

 

The star, McCarthy was also nominated for the Best actress in a motion picture the movie begins with Susan depicted as a CIA employee who basically transacts her trade from the desk. She is overweight and single though with an advanced age of 40.  Her role from the desk shifts to the field the moment she begins to assist her partner and a field agent on a mission. The partner, Bradley Fine accidentally kills a drug dealer before unmasking the location of the controversial suitcase nuke. This is followed by the drug Barron’s daughter shooting the field agent in the very presence of Susan. She watches helplessly as this happens before more information is unlocked about these agents. She volunteers to track them down which sees her travel to many countries and locations in abid to unlock this trail. The plot from this point changes to various locations and action points which involves Susan interacting with various characters like Miranda Hart and Statham as the producer unravels the main theme of crime as depicted in the movie. The movie ends with the conflict resolved and the nuke retrieved.

Language Functions and their Exponents

A message must be able to communicate an expression, a feeling or a thought. In the movie Spy, there are several instances in which the characters use the various functions of language. The functions each play a crucial role indicating the core purpose of the utterances. To begin with, when Susan’s partner is killed, her expressions are apologetic. The main purpose of her statements especially to the fellow characters in the cast is to apologize for being unable to protect the partner. This is similar to the UAE communication style which is characterized by expressive emotional displays. Rick on his first meeting with Susan depicts the function of desire and appreciation. Additionally, the movie is characterized with informative language functions. This is outlined especially when Susan seeks to receive Intel about the suspects from her helper Nancy. Nancy is quite informative in her communication to Susan as she uses the tracker to observe what is going on around her via the satellite. This function can also be compared to the UAE communication culture in which speakers are sensitive to formal language in communicating important messages. The other function is the exclamatory function depicted by Susan when she wakes up to find herself in bed with Ford. While Ford’s statements to her are basically declarative, her response with a scream depicts an exclamation. It reveals the psychological state of her mind especially at the thought of having spent the night together. There is also the function of affection which mostly comes from Ford to Susan as he constantly expresses his feelings towards her in the midst of the actions. Lastly, when Rayna imprisons Susan and Aldo in the bunker, Susan uses her persuasive wits in a bid to gain Rayna’s trust and earn her freedom.

Culture depicted in the Movie and Similarity with the UAE culture

One of the outstanding characteristics of culture in the United Arab Emirates is its diversity. The UAE culture is ethnically diverse hence comprising different values, people and beliefs as depicted by the society. The same case is visible in the movie since most of the scenes are acted in different locations across the globe. With America being the central point, other scenes are set in different areas for instance in Paris hence depicting a variety of cultures similar to the case in UAE. The other similarity is the aspect of variations in cuisine. As the characters move from one location to another, we experience different cuisines as enjoyed. For instance the types of foods done in the American restaurants are quite different from the collections in France. This is similar to the culture in UAE in which the meals comprise varied cuisine. The other similarity is in the attire and lifestyle. Various locations in the movie depict different lifestyles. For instance, the lifestyle in Rome is quite different from the case in Budapest and in Paris. This is similar to the UAE culture in which the diverse societies embrace different approaches to life and attire. The difference however is the architectural depictions. In the movie, there are different architectural designs emphasized by the different buildings as the actors move from one set to another. In the UAE, most of the buildings follow a specific architectural approach hence are similar in most cases.

 
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Biographical Variables and Communication Ideologies

There are several communication ideologies depicted in the movie which are in one way or the other similar to the communication culture in the UAE. The ideologies are influenced by various biographical variables for instance age, gender, class, education level, language background and ethnicity just to mention but few. One of the core cultural assumptions in the UAE is the aspect of building strong personal relationships and embracing the sense of family. This is achieved mainly through effective and formal communication. We interact with the same aspect in the movie Spy gauging from the picture presented by Susan’s relationships with Rick, Nancy, Aldo, Rayna and Fine. In each case, her communications to them indicate strong ties and the existence of long lasting relationships. The strong attachment can also be emphasized by her body language when Rayna shoots dead her partner in the field, Bradley Fine. The UAE culture also upholds reciprocation and hospitality through good etiquette and appropriate communication. This element is similar to some cases in the movie where the characters are depicted as hospitable and appropriately cautious in their communication with others. For instance, Susan while still working as a desk-bound agent. More of this is also highlighted by the individuals in the plane.The UAE culture encourages freedom of expression irrespective of gender and the same is evident in the movie where both the female and male characters have been accorded equal space for individual expression. Communication in the UAE emphasizes respect for the elders and hierarchy. The younger ones and those low in the economic class are expected to show respect in their communication. This is however different from the depiction in the movie where the characters for instance Rayna openly express themselves, and aggressively, in the presence of their elders. Despite being younger than Susan, Rayna continuously intimidates her through speech and even imprisons her in the bunker at some point. The other notable difference between the UAE culture and the movie is the aspect of gestures and space in communication.  The UAE culture shuns the show of too much familiarity to the opposite sex as this can be easily misinterpreted. Too much joking and animation in conversations is not encouraged in the UAE culture. However, in the movie, the characters show a lot of enthusiasm and over-closeness to one another. For instance, Aldo repeatedly flirts with Susan. Furthermore, Nancy’s advances to 50 cents at the concert in Budapest are coupled with too much animation.

Inappropriate Use of Language

There is inappropriate use of verbal communication indicated by use of profane words throughout the movie. Most of the terms depict violence and sexual content. For instance, Aldo continuously flirts with Susan throughout the movie. In addition, while in Budapest, 50 cent is cornered by Nancy who uses inappropriate language to ask him for sex. The profane words are used mostly used by Rick and Rayna. Susan too uses the F-word mostly in her speech especially after she becomes a spy. In the beginning portions, she doesn’t use profane words hence showing the influence of her new job environment on her communication ideologies.

There is also the aspect of inappropriate body- language is depicted towards the end of the movie where Rick and Susan lie naked in bed with the former heard using statements that would probably be uncomfortable with some audience.

The aspect of Para-linguistics is depicted at the beginning of the movie where a woman is seen kneeling before a man. The gestures and movement communicate a controversial scene hence its inappropriateness.

Proxemics as an aspect of communication is highlighted in the movie mainly by actors in the concert in Budapest. For instance, the actions of Nancy towards 50cents could probably have been encouraged by the nature of the environment around her. Due to the many people around her, all in a partying mode, she gets the confidence to make her advances although this doesn’t work as she is quickly taken out of the scene.

Save for these negative scenes, language is however used appropriately in most scenes throughout the movie. The helpers in the planeare full of etiquette in their communication although the killing does no justice to them. The interactions especially in Paris and America depict formal use of language with coherent communication of facts hence depicting an appropriate use of verbal communication.

Language Styles

The movie comprises visible transitions in the use of language. This is mostly depicted by Susan through her interactions with different characters throughout the movie. The introductory part is majorly characterized by the use of formal language. For instance, while working as a desk-bound CIA, Susan’s language is basically formal. The calls and responses to the clients and her other audience is done in formal language. Formal use of language is also depicted in the plane and various joints. However, her language changes drastically when she joins the field as a spy.  She begins to use various informal approaches in her communication which also includes the inappropriate f-word. This is shown by the interactions between Susan and Aldo as they constantly flirt with one another. Informal language is also shown at the concertwhere Nancy openly asks 50 cents for sex. The interaction between Susan and Rayna, Susan and her partner Bradley Fine are good examples where neutral language is used in the movie. For instance, Susan’s persuasive speech to Rayna is made of neutral connotations.

Cultural Patterns and Communication

The diversity of culture as depicted within the movie is accompanied with diverse use of communication techniques. One of the main obstructions to communication as depicted in the movie is the aspect of language barrier and variations in pronunciation. The different societies as shown in the movie have different approaches to communication hence an individual getting into a strange place finds it hard to cope with the mode of communication. The intelligent individuals in the movie use fluent language and effective communication techniques. This indicates their levels of education and hence interaction with the universal language. Most of the characters use English as the main language despite the switch in location, places and hence cultures.

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Conclusion

The movie is both educative and entertaining. It comprises various aspects which in one way or the other compares to the UAE cultures.  The diversity in culture as shown in the movie is synonymous to the case in UAE which also comprise diverse cultures in terms of language, cuisine, attire and music just to mention but few. The movie also uses a combination of both formal and informal approaches in communication hence bringing a balance and the ability to reach a wide audience. The use of inappropriate language however pricks its appropriateness especially among the younger audience. The characters who use inappropriate language like Aldo and Nancy would be my likely candidates if I were to change any. The movie however teaches a lot about the influence of culture on communication ideologies. As one moves from one culture to another, they are likely to interact with unique approaches to communication.

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Review of the American Movie Spy essay

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