Mediocre, predictable and filled with inconsistent accents.
Ballerina Dominika Egorova is recruited to 'Sparrow School,' a Russian intelligence service where she is forced to use her body as a weapon. Her first mission, targeting a C.I.A. agent, threatens to unravel the security of both nations.
With a plot like this twists and turns are naturally expected, however every one is so predictable that the tension evaporates instantly. One keeps expecting something more, but it just isn’t there. The film is also significantly too long, running at 140 minutes it could’ve easily been whittled down to 100. The performances are strong, but accents are not. Jennifer Lawrence seems to encapsulate the character, but her constantly slipping accent is a notable distraction. Joel Edgerton is good, but his character is weak. His American accent is excellent, but easier than Russian. Matthais Schoenaerts is a good antagonist, but his generic dialogue makes him seem like an archetype. Jeremy Irons and Charlotte Rampling are strong members of the supporting cast, but again Rampling’s Russian accent is weak. Irons doesn’t even attempt one.
Overall I didn’t feel like this was time wasted, as it is a stock standard action film. However, it could’ve been so much more!
2.5 Stars
Review by Benjamin Maio Mackay
Screening courtesy of Palace Nova Cinemas
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