Reviewed by Victor Rebikoff.
Director: Francis Lawrence, 20TH Century Fox, MA, 140 Minutes.
This lengthy spy thriller from Francis Lawrence the director of three of ‘The Hunger Games’ movies is a return to the cold war thrillers of the 80’s and sees him reteaming again with the leading actor Jennifer Lawrence – no relation.
Unlike her exhilarating heroine portrayal in ‘Hunger Games’ Lawrence opens her performance in this brutally violent production as Russian ballerina Dominika Egorova before breaking her leg and then being recruited as a spy at the behest of her uncle.
As her uncle Vanya (Matthew Schoenaerts – ‘Disorder’) is with Russian Intelligence he blackmails Dominika into becoming a spy by attending the Red Sparrow School to ensure he pays the medical bills for her bedridden mother Nina (Joely Richardson – ‘Fallen’).
At this spy school Dominika must adhere to the strict requirements of the ruthless Matron (Charlotte Rampling – ‘45 Years’) whose primary mission is to ensure both male and female recruits use their minds and bodies as weapons of seduction.
Having completed her training, Dominika is transformed into a femme fatale tasked with tracking down CIA agent Nate Nash (Aussie actor Joel Edgerton – ‘The Gift’) with whom she later enters into a sexual relationship.
Even after Egorova is told by Russian General Korchnoi (Jeremy Irons – ‘Assassin’s Creed’) of the existence of a Russian mole this does not stop Nate attempting to convince her to become a double agent and work for the CIA.
What transpires once Egorova reports the sensitive information to her superior Zakharov (Ciaran Hinds – ‘Silence’), which comes as a complete surprise – is an exchange of spies between the Russians and Americans resulting in Egorova being rewarded.
Francis Lawrence’s adaptation to the screen of Jason Mathews’ 2013 novel (a former CIA operative himself) has resulted in a complicated storyline coupled with an excessive number of brutal scenes that take far too long to reach their conclusion.
Although many of Jennifer Lawrence’s movies are enjoyable experiences some may regard her powerful performance as a Russian spy in ‘Red Sparrow’ as moderately entertaining appearing more often as a sex object subjected to male-dominated exploitation.
Despite this, some enjoyment can be derived from the stunning settings shot in Hungary and Slovakia not to mention the performances of Rampling, Irons and the Australian Edgerton.
Red Sparrow is being televised on Channel 7 flix at 8.30pm on Friday 28 August
Vic’s Verdict: 3 Stars
