Relay runs rewarding course

Rather than speed to its finale, Relay spends time setting up with multiple characters for a satisfying race. As he did in Hell or High Water, David Mackenzie directs a story showing a dark side of U.S. life with characters who find their own form of justice outside the system. Charismatic Riz Ahmed, a real-life rapper and best actor Oscar nominee for Sound of Metal, plays a go-between negotiator, working secretive deals between whistleblowers and abusive companies. An upscale Manhattan setting allows for a glitzy atmosphere suited to high-tech, spy-like operations. But rather than turn into simplistic spyjinks, explanations for the process get talky, especially when Ahmid’s negotiator takes on a new client played by Lily James, the charmer from Downton Abbey and the Mama Mia!  prequel.  Along with frequent dialogue, screenwriter Justin Piasecki slows action even more by opting for character development—not a bad thing since it allows the fine cast to display acting chops as characters who come burdened with baggage that James Bond and his kind never carry. Dialogue, rather than chases, propels action with an observation that quote “addicts do addicty things” covering a few plot holes. Avoiding asking too many questions helps too, allowing Relay to trot into a slow build leading to rewarding and respectable finish.