Directed by Francis Lawrence
Starring – Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Edgerton, Charlotte Rampling
The Plot – A young Russian intelligence officer (Lawrence) is assigned to seduce a first-tour CIA agent (Edgerton) who handles the CIA’s most sensitive penetration of Russian intelligence. The two young officers collide in a charged atmosphere of trade-craft, deception, and inevitably forbidden passion that threatens not just their lives but the lives of others as well.
Rated R for strong violence, torture, sexual content, adult language and some graphic nudity
THE POSITIVES
– Jennifer Lawrence easily steals the show, committing her body and essence to the role of Dominika in spades. Not only does Jennifer take a physical toll with her body throughout the film, but she also stays nearly perfect in her consistency to the Russian accent. As one of the best actresses of her time, Lawrence exemplifies much pain and sorrow in a single stone cold glance that supplants a wall above this burning fire deep.
– The adult material in the film was very surprising. This is a film that isn’t afraid to get its hands dirty in the violence and sexual nature of the screenplay, and I commend it for using the most of its coveted rating.
– Exceptional on-site photography by Jo Willems that properly authenticates the gloomy environmental feeling behind this post-Cold War Russia.
– My favorite parts of this film is definitely during the first forty minutes or so. While there, we get an intriguing and educational lesson behind the training of spies, and the biggest leap in depiction for the eventual transformation that Dominika will take.
– This film will constantly keep you guessing. As you start to see the motions being put in place for the concluding third act, Lawrence’s film has no qualms about throwing a wrench in what could easily fall into conventional territory. You may think you know where this one is headed, and I promise you that you don’t.
– While female audiences shouldn’t come to see this film to be empowered, I do feel that the honest depiction of a male dominated world and the capabilities of adapting to it are channeled wonderfully by this main character. This gives ‘Red Sparrow’ a kind of unapologetic and honest outline that other films won’t approach because of a politically correct society that we currently live in.
THE NEGATIVES
– On the other side of those twists, there are far too many of them in such a short period of time. Twists should be used as a much-needed shot of adrenaline to the scenes that are collapsing, but the overabundance of them that are used here riddle the logic to this finale and will take you completely out of the protagonist’s conflict.
– At 134 minutes, this film is FAR too long. In my opinion, there’s probably a tight, cerebral 105 minute screenplay inside of screenwriter Justin Haythe’s bloated script that repeats itself far too often. One extra cutting room meeting could’ve done wonders in keeping the sizzle on the steak and keep the second half pacing from frequently plodding.
– One scene involving floppy discs is clearly catered to creating manufactured tension that simply isn’t there. The film is set in modern day, so why the need for floppy discs in an age of hard drives and cd’s I couldn’t tell you, but my opinion is to prolong a heist scene that would otherwise fly-by without much emphasis. To me, it doesn’t hold up in modern day logic, and wastes away one of the most important scenes of the film.
– This is NOT the film that was advertised, and I feel that’s more of a negative than a positive in this scenario. Considering so much of the trailer felt like an action thriller, Francis’s film is so dry in between visual sight gags that it could easily throw in a chase scene or two to supplant something of variety to what we’re being fed.
6/10