Charlize Theron is so kickass in this heist action movie, she gives James Bond a run for his money.
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From the one-armed Furiosa in Mad Max: Fury Road to MI6 spy Lorraine Broughton, Charlize Theron is a no-nonsense, action-powered actress who effortlessly brings a badass femme fatale-like character to the big screen with grit and skill like no other.
Theron plays an MI6 spy who was sent on a mission to Berlin in the late 1980s, just before the fall of the Berlin Wall to investigate the death of a colleague and to retrieve highly-sensitive information from the Soviet Union that contains names of double agents. There, she congregates with another spy, David Percival (James McAvoy) to assist each other in completing their mission. The pair isn’t exactly the most collaborative duo, each hiding a different motive on the side. “Trust no one,” she learned.
During one of the missions in Berlin, she gets involved in a relationship with a French operative (Sofia Boutella) who in turn developed some sort of feelings for her. Throughout her life-threatening mission, she must stay alive and decide who of her fellow spies are worth trusting and who would potentially double-cross her.
Before we get to the great action, let’s talk about the story... Atomic Blonde sets out to be a spy action-thriller, and with most spy movies, we are expecting some sort of plot twists along the way. In that sense, Atomic Blonde definitely gave us not just one or two plot twists, there are far too many introduced in the 2-hour film. It makes it difficult for the actual suspense of the drama and revelation to materialise. In addition, for viewers who may not be knowledgable about the Berlin Wall, there were a few references to the Cold War, which may be a tad confusing.
While it isn’t your typical espionage tale like 007 or the Bourne series, Atomic Blonde has a different edge that stands out amongst its big-title competitors. For one, the jaw-dropping action sequences are probably one of the best fight scenes we’ve seen this year. The ‘Stairway fight’ is a stunning 10-minute long-shot of Theron fighting with big, burly men armed with guns. You can see the kind of energy she takes for each punch to look convincing. The camerawork we’re looking at is incredible - cringeworthy (for the raw visuals of gore and violence) yet so brilliant. To top it all, there’s no beat-like background music to heighten its suspense, but a raw, atmospheric sound with magnified Foley work to enhance its well-thought-out choreography. To put it simply, it’s movie magic!
The film doesn’t rely much on the high stakes explosions or overdone car-flipping cat-and-mouse chases but instead focuses on the close-contact combat sequences, finely choreographed to a T.
Perhaps another major highlight of the film is the intimate relationship between Boutella and Theron. Yes, they had sex, and yes, that’s probably the cause of the R-21 rating. Theron said in interviews that she felt her character treated romantic relationships the same as any heterosexual relationships - she didn’t care if the other party was a lady or a man. Their relationship brings a sense of vulnerability and dependence to Broughton, who otherwise seen as a cold and emotionless agent.
In all, head to the theatres to watch Charlize Theron as the next iconic female action star. If you think she was awesome in Mad Max, then you’re in for a huge treat. The film may not be a gripping tale of espionage, nor a story to be fascinated with, but if we’re talking action and violence, there’s plenty to look forward to.
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