Red Sparrow
2.5/4
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Edgerton, Matthias Schoenaerts, Jeremy Irons, Charlotte Rampling, Ciaran Hinds, Mary-Louise Parker, Joely Richardson, Thekla Reuten
Rated R for Strong Violence, Torture, Sexual Content, Language, and Some Graphic Nudity
I suppose to say that, for a spy thriller, I was always left wondering the true motives of the lead character and what her ultimate plan was, would be a compliment. After all, we go to movies like "Red Sparrow" to guess who is playing who and who is going to make it to the end credits still breathing. On that level, the film works. The problem is that I just didn't care.
After a career-ending injury, ballerina Dominika Egovora (Lawrence) is approached by her mysterious uncle Vanya (Schoenaerts) with an opportunity: help him nab a traitor or lose her home and access to medical care that her mother Nina (Richardson) requires. Of course, it's not that simple. Soon Vanya has all but forced his niece to attend Sparrow school, where women are coached in tools of seduction and manipulation to extract information on their targets. Dominika's quarry is Nate Nash (Edgerton), a CIA agent who royally screwed up when poor judgment led to the near-discovery of a mole in the Russian government. Her task is to seduce him and find out the mole's identity. But Nate has his own motives, and Dominika is looking for a way out. Soon the question becomes what will these two do to survive.
Jennifer Lawrence is one of the hottest stars working in the film industry today, and it's not hard to understand why. She's pretty, talented, and has a spunk that makes her instantly adorable. While Lawrence has certainly played adult characters before, such as in "American Hustle," but nothing this sexual or violent. Lawrence is wonderful as always, portraying Dominika as a young woman who is simultaneously manipulative and vulnerable. Joel Edgerton digs into his bag of tricks to play a man who is probably too earnest to be a good spy. And Matthias Schoenaerts turns up the villainy as a creep who should never be invited to a family reunion. Reliable character actors Jeremy Irons, Charlotte Rampling, Ciaran Hinds, Mary-Louise Parker and Joely Richardson round out the cast. I was kept waiting for Rade Serbedzija to show up, but he never did, which is ironic, since this is the kind of movie he would have found himself home in.
"Red Sparrow" reunites JLaw with Francis Lawrence, who directed her in "The Hunger Games" sequels. I wouldn't put him on the shortlist to direct the next James Bond adventure. His work is pedestrian; the camerawork is flat, there's at least one giant plothole, and a distinct lack of energy. The whole film feels like it is stuck in neutral. There's no burgeoning suspense to carry us through to the conclusion. What should be an edgy and exciting thriller ends up being almost totally vanilla.
"Red Sparrow" certainly isn't a bad movie; the performances are too good for that, and there are a few neat twists. Plus it has the most uncomfortable torture scene since "Pan's Labyrinth." It's just that I wished it was better. With a cast like this, it kind of had to be.
Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Edgerton, Matthias Schoenaerts, Jeremy Irons, Charlotte Rampling, Ciaran Hinds, Mary-Louise Parker, Joely Richardson, Thekla Reuten
Rated R for Strong Violence, Torture, Sexual Content, Language, and Some Graphic Nudity
I suppose to say that, for a spy thriller, I was always left wondering the true motives of the lead character and what her ultimate plan was, would be a compliment. After all, we go to movies like "Red Sparrow" to guess who is playing who and who is going to make it to the end credits still breathing. On that level, the film works. The problem is that I just didn't care.
After a career-ending injury, ballerina Dominika Egovora (Lawrence) is approached by her mysterious uncle Vanya (Schoenaerts) with an opportunity: help him nab a traitor or lose her home and access to medical care that her mother Nina (Richardson) requires. Of course, it's not that simple. Soon Vanya has all but forced his niece to attend Sparrow school, where women are coached in tools of seduction and manipulation to extract information on their targets. Dominika's quarry is Nate Nash (Edgerton), a CIA agent who royally screwed up when poor judgment led to the near-discovery of a mole in the Russian government. Her task is to seduce him and find out the mole's identity. But Nate has his own motives, and Dominika is looking for a way out. Soon the question becomes what will these two do to survive.
Jennifer Lawrence is one of the hottest stars working in the film industry today, and it's not hard to understand why. She's pretty, talented, and has a spunk that makes her instantly adorable. While Lawrence has certainly played adult characters before, such as in "American Hustle," but nothing this sexual or violent. Lawrence is wonderful as always, portraying Dominika as a young woman who is simultaneously manipulative and vulnerable. Joel Edgerton digs into his bag of tricks to play a man who is probably too earnest to be a good spy. And Matthias Schoenaerts turns up the villainy as a creep who should never be invited to a family reunion. Reliable character actors Jeremy Irons, Charlotte Rampling, Ciaran Hinds, Mary-Louise Parker and Joely Richardson round out the cast. I was kept waiting for Rade Serbedzija to show up, but he never did, which is ironic, since this is the kind of movie he would have found himself home in.
"Red Sparrow" reunites JLaw with Francis Lawrence, who directed her in "The Hunger Games" sequels. I wouldn't put him on the shortlist to direct the next James Bond adventure. His work is pedestrian; the camerawork is flat, there's at least one giant plothole, and a distinct lack of energy. The whole film feels like it is stuck in neutral. There's no burgeoning suspense to carry us through to the conclusion. What should be an edgy and exciting thriller ends up being almost totally vanilla.
"Red Sparrow" certainly isn't a bad movie; the performances are too good for that, and there are a few neat twists. Plus it has the most uncomfortable torture scene since "Pan's Labyrinth." It's just that I wished it was better. With a cast like this, it kind of had to be.
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