Blackbird is a 2018 film starring, written by, directed by, produced by and financed by Irish dancer Michael Flatley. A spy film and a romance, it is most definitely not a Vanity Project.
Troubled secret agent Victor Blackley, codenamed "Blackbird", retires from service and tries to leave his dark past behind him, moving to the Caribbean where he runs a luxurious nightclub. When a former lover comes to visit him a dangerous situation ensues and, as the only man who can save the world, Blackbird is forced to come out of retirement.
Production was completed in 2018 and the announcement was followed by four years of mostly radio silence, during which the film gained mythical status. Following a premiere from which journalists were banned and an event at the Monaco Streaming Film Festival where the film didn't actually stream due to "technical difficulties" (but its star won the Best Actor award anyway
), the film finally got a limited release in select cinemas across Ireland and the UK.
Generally panned by critics, and described by Mark Kermode as "Possibly the worst film I have ever seen", it has so far proved popular with fans of a certain type of film.
No relation to the 2019 drama film Blackbird, or the 2022 Apple TV miniseries Black Bird.
Tropes:
- Chick Magnet: Unsurprising for a James Bond pastiche, women are all too happy to throw themselves at Blackley, though given his feelings for his deceased wife, he doesn't respond the same way 007 would.
- The Lost Lenore: The movie opens with Blackley losing his wife and spends a montage grieving at her grave.
- Oireland: Irish-American Flatley plays Blackley with an Irish accent, and his unique flavour of Irishness is evident throughout the casting and locations.
- Tuxedo and Martini: Blackley is a suave ex-spy cum suave nightclub owner.
- Vanity Project: As mentioned in the description, the same man wrote, produced, directed, and financed the movie. Which stars him as a Retired Badass spy. This is denied by its creator, who insists that Blackbird is definitely not a vanity project, and the only reason he self-financed the film was because finding a backer would have taken too long but the work does tick every box of being one.
