If the James Bond franchise makes being a spy look sexy and cool, then Red Sparrow makes it look like a miserable, hellish nightmare.
This is a compliment.
After delving into Biblical symbolism and anarchic surrealism in Darren Aronofsky's incredible mother!, Jennifer Lawrence takes another plunge into darkness with Red Sparrow, an adaptation of the first novel in a series by Jason Matthews. She may be re-teaming with director Francis Lawrence (the last three Hunger Games movies), but this time around, the material at hand contributes to what is very much an R-rated affair. More Hitchcock than 007, this complex and suspenseful look at spycraft in modern Russia is a nasty, grim thriller that skips the big action setpieces in favor of intricate tension and good, old-fashioned brutality. Overlong at a staggering 140 minutes? Absolutely. But with a tremendous star performance from Lawrence and a sense of intrigue that never dissipates, Red Sparrow is a delightfully intense treat.
Dominika Egorova (Jennifer Lawrence) is one of the most talented ballerinas in Russia, a star performer who manages to pay for her mother's medical expenses by dancing in a prestigious ballet. Nate Nash is an American spy on duty in Russia, seeking data from an informant who talks to him and only him. When we meet these two characters, they have no connection to each other. But after a bravura opening sequence, one that cuts between Dominika and Nash with seamless grace, it's clear that their fates are intertwined in a significant way. Dominika's leg is permanently damaged in what's initially considered to be a freak ballet accident, while Nash ends up in trouble after panicking in front of Russian cops on a routine check. The talented Egorova will likely never dance again, thus making her unable to pay for her mother's treatment; Nash is grounded by the CIA, limited only to one specific mission.
Dominika's life goes from bad to worse when her uncle, Russian intelligence expert Vanya Egorov (Matthias Schoenaerts), re-enters the picture. After giving her the information on who really ended her ballet career, Vanya implores Dominika to take on a task for her country. While he ensures her that she won't be in any danger, that turns out to not be the case. Eventually, Dominika finds herself training to become a sparrow, an agent prepared to use seduction and manipulation in the art of espionage. Her first major assignment from Vanya, General Korchnoi (Jeremy Irons), and President Putin himself- there's a traitor in the Russian government, and she needs to snuff them out. But as Dominika crosses paths with Nash, the American begins to think that she can be turned. What is the endgame here? Who's playing who? Who can be trusted?
As I said before, it's THAT kind of spy movie. Don't expect any large-scale action, or even a sequence resembling the stairwell fight in David Leitch's Atomic Blonde. When Red Sparrow does dip into extreme violence, it's often of the stomach-churning variety, including grueling torture, shocking murders, and stunningly straight-forward, blunt force combat. In a way, that makes it all the more effective. In the aftermath of the film's most nauseating moment (a scene that relies on implied nastiness more than explicit content), there's a knife fight that is so precisely coordinated that it knocked my socks off. But even if it's labeled as a thriller, these moments of virtuoso viciousness are few and far between. "Uneasy" is the best way to describe the feeling that Francis Lawrence creates throughout this film, a sense of razor-wire tension that could boil over into something awful at any moment.
Lawrence is an atmospheric director, and Red Sparrow's cold, unforgiving style is expertly carried out through Jo Willem's icy cinematography and the pitch-perfect score by James Newton Howard. Even if Red Sparrow sometimes gets carried away with its globe-trotting narrative and twist-filled script, Lawrence's knack for tonal control and meticulous composition creates a consistent, distinct experience. But the film's enigmatic nature starts with Jennifer Lawrence, playing a character who is herself an enigma. As Dominika, Lawrence never once reveals her cards. Her poker face is impeccable from the moment she's forced into this harrowing life to the final moments when her con is finally revealed. But even as her true intentions are discovered just before the clock strikes midnight, it's impossible to know how she feels about any of this. Before the accident, we just barely get a glimpse at the ordinary woman Dominika is purported to be. In a way, she's a variation of the Hitchcockian everyman, sucked into a situation where she seems to have no agency or control. But instead, Lawrence's fiercely intelligent protagonist finds a way to seize her own slice of power, fighting her way to the top without ever making a wrong move.
It's a testament to Lawrence's skill as an actress that Dominika feels so thoroughly unpredictable, never losing her composure for even a second. She's the star of the show here, but the supporting cast is also filled with respected character actors of a high caliber. Joel Edgerton remains a favorite of mine, and he hits the right notes throughout the film as a smart but somewhat naive spy. Matthias Schoenaerts, Mary-Louise Parker, and Jeremy Irons are equally impressive, each adding something specific to the ensemble. But in this chilly world of spies and deception, the actors are merely tools for what Francis Lawrence and screenwriter Justin Haythe are trying to achieve. They're going for full-blown melodramatic suspense here, like sexy Hitchcock without the constraints of the Hays Code. Newton Howard's score swoons and simmers at precisely the right moments, and the film's additional classical music gives it an effective dramatic flair. Red Sparrow has also drawn comparisons to the work of Paul Verhoeven, and while I haven't seen enough of his films to agree or disagree, I will say that I was constantly reminded of Elle, Verhoeven's controversial 2016 rape thriller that deals with another mysterious, complex woman.
Red Sparrow is undeniably an imperfect film- a tad long, occasionally convoluted, and maybe even a little too self-serious for its own good. But there's no denying that this kind of taut spy drama is right up my alley, and Francis Lawrence demonstrates extraordinary talent in this arena. The film takes its time, allowing the intensity and mystery to build to a fever pitch. Guiding it to success is the movie star at its center, who continues to show a willingness to experiment and push herself in new directions. Red Sparrow is a rich, violent portrait of modern Russia, and if it does somehow manage to become a franchise, it has nicely carved out its own space in the spy genre. Bond brings the classic thrills, the Kingsmen have all the fun, Bourne delivers the punching, and Dominika Egorova is here to leave you guessing. I'm down for more punishing, gleefully twisty adventures.
THE FINAL GRADE: B+ (7.6/10)
Images courtesy of 20th Century Fox
This is a compliment.
After delving into Biblical symbolism and anarchic surrealism in Darren Aronofsky's incredible mother!, Jennifer Lawrence takes another plunge into darkness with Red Sparrow, an adaptation of the first novel in a series by Jason Matthews. She may be re-teaming with director Francis Lawrence (the last three Hunger Games movies), but this time around, the material at hand contributes to what is very much an R-rated affair. More Hitchcock than 007, this complex and suspenseful look at spycraft in modern Russia is a nasty, grim thriller that skips the big action setpieces in favor of intricate tension and good, old-fashioned brutality. Overlong at a staggering 140 minutes? Absolutely. But with a tremendous star performance from Lawrence and a sense of intrigue that never dissipates, Red Sparrow is a delightfully intense treat.
Dominika Egorova (Jennifer Lawrence) is one of the most talented ballerinas in Russia, a star performer who manages to pay for her mother's medical expenses by dancing in a prestigious ballet. Nate Nash is an American spy on duty in Russia, seeking data from an informant who talks to him and only him. When we meet these two characters, they have no connection to each other. But after a bravura opening sequence, one that cuts between Dominika and Nash with seamless grace, it's clear that their fates are intertwined in a significant way. Dominika's leg is permanently damaged in what's initially considered to be a freak ballet accident, while Nash ends up in trouble after panicking in front of Russian cops on a routine check. The talented Egorova will likely never dance again, thus making her unable to pay for her mother's treatment; Nash is grounded by the CIA, limited only to one specific mission.
Dominika's life goes from bad to worse when her uncle, Russian intelligence expert Vanya Egorov (Matthias Schoenaerts), re-enters the picture. After giving her the information on who really ended her ballet career, Vanya implores Dominika to take on a task for her country. While he ensures her that she won't be in any danger, that turns out to not be the case. Eventually, Dominika finds herself training to become a sparrow, an agent prepared to use seduction and manipulation in the art of espionage. Her first major assignment from Vanya, General Korchnoi (Jeremy Irons), and President Putin himself- there's a traitor in the Russian government, and she needs to snuff them out. But as Dominika crosses paths with Nash, the American begins to think that she can be turned. What is the endgame here? Who's playing who? Who can be trusted?
As I said before, it's THAT kind of spy movie. Don't expect any large-scale action, or even a sequence resembling the stairwell fight in David Leitch's Atomic Blonde. When Red Sparrow does dip into extreme violence, it's often of the stomach-churning variety, including grueling torture, shocking murders, and stunningly straight-forward, blunt force combat. In a way, that makes it all the more effective. In the aftermath of the film's most nauseating moment (a scene that relies on implied nastiness more than explicit content), there's a knife fight that is so precisely coordinated that it knocked my socks off. But even if it's labeled as a thriller, these moments of virtuoso viciousness are few and far between. "Uneasy" is the best way to describe the feeling that Francis Lawrence creates throughout this film, a sense of razor-wire tension that could boil over into something awful at any moment.
Lawrence is an atmospheric director, and Red Sparrow's cold, unforgiving style is expertly carried out through Jo Willem's icy cinematography and the pitch-perfect score by James Newton Howard. Even if Red Sparrow sometimes gets carried away with its globe-trotting narrative and twist-filled script, Lawrence's knack for tonal control and meticulous composition creates a consistent, distinct experience. But the film's enigmatic nature starts with Jennifer Lawrence, playing a character who is herself an enigma. As Dominika, Lawrence never once reveals her cards. Her poker face is impeccable from the moment she's forced into this harrowing life to the final moments when her con is finally revealed. But even as her true intentions are discovered just before the clock strikes midnight, it's impossible to know how she feels about any of this. Before the accident, we just barely get a glimpse at the ordinary woman Dominika is purported to be. In a way, she's a variation of the Hitchcockian everyman, sucked into a situation where she seems to have no agency or control. But instead, Lawrence's fiercely intelligent protagonist finds a way to seize her own slice of power, fighting her way to the top without ever making a wrong move.
It's a testament to Lawrence's skill as an actress that Dominika feels so thoroughly unpredictable, never losing her composure for even a second. She's the star of the show here, but the supporting cast is also filled with respected character actors of a high caliber. Joel Edgerton remains a favorite of mine, and he hits the right notes throughout the film as a smart but somewhat naive spy. Matthias Schoenaerts, Mary-Louise Parker, and Jeremy Irons are equally impressive, each adding something specific to the ensemble. But in this chilly world of spies and deception, the actors are merely tools for what Francis Lawrence and screenwriter Justin Haythe are trying to achieve. They're going for full-blown melodramatic suspense here, like sexy Hitchcock without the constraints of the Hays Code. Newton Howard's score swoons and simmers at precisely the right moments, and the film's additional classical music gives it an effective dramatic flair. Red Sparrow has also drawn comparisons to the work of Paul Verhoeven, and while I haven't seen enough of his films to agree or disagree, I will say that I was constantly reminded of Elle, Verhoeven's controversial 2016 rape thriller that deals with another mysterious, complex woman.
Red Sparrow is undeniably an imperfect film- a tad long, occasionally convoluted, and maybe even a little too self-serious for its own good. But there's no denying that this kind of taut spy drama is right up my alley, and Francis Lawrence demonstrates extraordinary talent in this arena. The film takes its time, allowing the intensity and mystery to build to a fever pitch. Guiding it to success is the movie star at its center, who continues to show a willingness to experiment and push herself in new directions. Red Sparrow is a rich, violent portrait of modern Russia, and if it does somehow manage to become a franchise, it has nicely carved out its own space in the spy genre. Bond brings the classic thrills, the Kingsmen have all the fun, Bourne delivers the punching, and Dominika Egorova is here to leave you guessing. I'm down for more punishing, gleefully twisty adventures.
THE FINAL GRADE: B+ (7.6/10)
Images courtesy of 20th Century Fox
Comments
Post a Comment