Red Sparrow - movie review

Red Sparrow

Plot: 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.
Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Edgerton, Matthias Schoenaerts
Director: Francis Lawrence
Certificate: 15 (strong bloody violence, gore, sexual violence, sex, very strong language)
Runtime: 2hrs 20 mins
Release Date: Thursday 1st March 2018

Red Sparrow. Black Widow. Whilst the two may share a similar name (colour followed by creature) and both happen to be Russian employed spies with a previous history in ballet, the tonal disparities could not be more different. Black Widow is stooped in the realm of superhero sci-fi whereas Dominika Egorova (it just rolls right off the tongue) is far more grounded in a terrifying reality. Red Sparrow is the newest edgy spy thriller to hit Hollywood and there's no denying that it goes to places some movies daren't visit but that may ultimately cost the movie from universal appreciation.

"Every Playboy bunny with her bleach blonde hair." Yes, I just quoted Nickleback. Deal with it.

From the get-go, Red Sparrow proved itself to be a visceral experience that wouldn't shy away from all sorts of violence in a stunning ballet sequence that culminates in a moment that will have the entire audience wincing and gasping in pain. There are plenty of other moments in Red Sparrow where Francis Lawrence (no relation to Jennifer) forgoes predetermined blockbuster guidelines with horrific torture sequences and scenes of sexual violence that I think, if you aren't expecting them nor can you attach to the film itself, will probably seem excessive. Personally, these intense interactions as Charlotte Rampling declares that the soon-to-be Sparrows' flesh "belongs to the state" whilst Jennifer Lawrence bares everything for all to see, served a purpose in the development of Lawrence's character to rise up against the state that controls her. Most of this has to do with Lawrence's dominating performance. This is her film through and through and with this and Aronofsky's mother! under her belt, it's good to see Lawrence willing to take risks in her chosen features. Thanks also to the clever writing for Dominika, Lawrence is able to strike a balance between the glamorous side of spy work whilst also not being afraid to get her hands bloody and dirty. It's the opening third of this movie that had me most invested. After her unfortunate accident, Dominika is lured into dark underworld of Russian espionage where she witness a murder that she shouldn't have and so, is coerced into the Sparrow programme. There, she hones her manipulation skills and faces every conceivable threat imaginable so as to prepare her for the future. It's this portion that gripped and pulled me into this world. Lawrence (Francis) directs these scenes with such intensity and does a brilliant job at introducing us to the seedy underbelly of the Russian government. Therefore, it is with regret that I must inform you all that as marvellous as the opening third of Red Sparrow may be, as soon as Lawrence (Jennifer) departs from the Sparrow programme, proceedings grind to an extreme halt. Red Sparrow is just shy of being a two and a half hour movie and to say that it is a needlessly long running time is an understatement. Egorova begins surveillance on an American agent (Edgerton) who appears to be in contact with a Russian mole. From that moment on, Red Sparrow morphs from being an interesting and hardcore take on Soviet Police Academy to almost every other formulaic spy movie of the past decade just with a violent flare. There's a few twists to be found lurking in some corners but many of them are easy to unravel if you've seen films of this genre before.

I suddenly have the urge to go swimming.

FACT: To prepare for the role, Jennifer Lawrence did ballet and practiced a Russian accent for four months, spending three hours a day working with the Hollywood ballet instructor Kurt Froman. She said it was difficult because she had never wanted to dance ballet.

As hinted at in the trailers, J. Law and Edgerton begin to form a relationship that is more than platonic and this provides a point for our lead to question her loyalties and flip back and forth between which side she'll stand with. Whilst a compelling prospect, the answers to many of these mysteries are directly hinted at early on so you begin to see through many façades put on by characters almost instantly. There is also a pointless scene featuring a heist, involving Mary Louise Parker, that goes on for far longer than it should have and ultimately serves no overall purpose to the film. However, it's these manipulations and double crosses that result in the film stalling. The film keeps swimming in circles with cross after cross that it never actually progresses anywhere. Edgerton conspires with Lawrence, there's of bit of hanky panky, someone betrays their loyalties, a cheeky torture sequence and then we're back to our regular scheduled conspiring session. The film also suffers in what storyline it wants to focus on and when it's appropriate to do so. The clearest example of this lack of coherence is in the opening scene. As we are treated to Jennifer Lawrence's stunning ballet routine, Edgerton and the CIA continually cut in to establish their role in the film but yet, instead of the two stories running in tandem until their eventual convergence, it feels like two separate movies playing at once with the cinema projector accidentally skipping between pre-programmed films. Luckily, despite some major narrative flaws, Red Sparrow has a decent share of great supporting performances. Joel Edgerton is impressive as the American agent attempting to lure Dominika from the dark, and even though his character is a replica of almost every generic American agent put on screen, Edgerton's charisma and dedication to the role make him a valuable inclusion. But it's Matthias Schoenaerts that might swipe the film from under everybody including Jennifer Lawrence. Schoenaerts plays Lawrence's shady uncle in the Russian ministry of defence and adds an unexpected amount of depth and layers to what could have otherwise been an uninspired Russian official that wouldn't go amiss in an 80s Bond movie. He adds an overwhelming sense of intrigue to the role and keeps you guessing as to what his true intentions are.

Cold showers are the worst.

Red Sparrow is like the current state of the Call Of Duty franchise. It's billed to you as something that is going to change the game forever and the first few missions fulfil that promise. Then, that originality disappears and you're left with a pale imitation of thousand of films/games that have come before it. It may be bolstered by excellent performances (especially from Lawrence and Schoenaerts) but Red Sparrow is nothing more than a basic spy thriller that I'm unlikely to feel the need to watch again.

My Verdict: 6.5/10

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