THE BEEKEEPER : Tuesday 23rd January 2024.

I saw the MA15+ Rated 'THE BEEKEEPER' at my local multiplex earlier this week, and this American action thriller film is Co-Produced and Directed by David Ayer, whose prior feature film making credits take in the likes of his Directing debut in 2005 with 'Harsh Times' then 'Street Kings' in 2008, 'End of Watch' in 2012, 'Fury' in 2014, 'Suicide Squad' in 2016 and 'Bright' in 2017. This film was released in the US and here in Australia from the 11th January, has garnered generally positive critical reviews, and has so far grossed US$79M. 

The film opens up in rural Massachusetts and the rather grand looking country home of Eloise Parker (Phylicia Rashad), a retired schoolteacher who lives by herself, but she has a tenant in her barn, a man named Adam Clay (Jason Statham, who also Co-Produces here) who leads a quiet life as a beekeeper and who harvests the honey religiously. On this particular day, Clay is returning from another barn with a rogue hive he has bagged, and stops for a brief conversation with Eloise - thanking her for looking after him. 

She invites him in for dinner that evening. Later that same day, Eloise falls victim to a phishing scam and is robbed of over US$2M which belongs to a children's charity organisation she manages, and all of her life savings from several bank accounts. Devastated, she takes her own life with a pistol.

After Clay finds her body, he is immediately arrested by FBI agent Verona Parker (Emmy Raver-Lampman), Eloise’s daughter. After Eloise's death is ruled a suicide, Clay is released. Verona later tells Clay that the group that robbed Eloise has been on the FBI's radar for a while, but is almost impossible to track down, and even harder to get an indictment. She is pessimistic that they will ever be brought to justice even if they are found. Wanting justice for Eloise, Clay re-establishes contact with the Beekeepers, a mystery organisation, to find the scammers responsible.

Clay is later provided with an address for the scammers: a call centre known as UDG, run by Mickey Garnett (David Witts). Clay goes into UDG's building armed with two jerry cans of petrol, and after easily fending off the employees and taking down a handful of Garnett's men, blows up the building. Garnett informs his boss, technology executive Derek Danforth (Josh Hutcherson). Danforth orders Garnett to track down and kill Clay. 

Garnett and his thugs by chance locate Clay at Eloise's place and follow him to his barn, but not before shooting up his six beehives. There, Clay quickly kills them all except for Garnett, whose four fingers of his right hand he cuts off with a band saw before releasing him. Garnett in a panic and nursing his injured hand, calls Danforth while stopped at a bridge, informing him that Clay is just a beekeeper. Clay, having followed Garnett, kills him while Danforth listens over the phone, and then warns Danforth that he is coming after him.

Danforth talks with Wallace Westwyld (Jeremy Irons) about Clay. Wallace, the former head of the CIA, is currently running security for Danforth Enterprises at the request of Derek's mother, Jessica (Jemma Redgrave), and does everything in his power to keep Danforth out of trouble, out of prison and out of the spotlight. Concerned, Wallace contacts the Director Howard of the CIA (Minnie Driver) in the hope of stopping Clay. The Director contacts the Beekeepers, and learns that Clay has since retired from the organisation. However, a Beekeeper is sent to kill Clay, who catches up with him while he is refuelling his car at a petrol station. Following a vicious fight, Clay burns the agent to death, causing the petrol station to explode in the process. In the aftermath, the Beekeepers inform Director Howard who in turn informs Westwyld that they will remain neutral and not pursue Clay.

In the meantime, Verona and her partner, Matt Wiley (Bobby Naderi), have been closely following the trail of destruction left behind at the crime scenes. They determine that Clay’s next target must be the Nine Points Center in Boston, which is the central hub for all of Danforth's call centres around the world, including UDG. After informing FBI Deputy Director Prigg (Don Gilet) that Clay is a Beekeeper, they receive full funding without hesitation.

Wallace meanwhile coordinates a group of ex-special forces personnel, telling them that the Beekeepers are a clandestine organisation tasked with keeping the USA safe and that they operate above and beyond governmental jurisdiction. To have any chance at stopping Clay, he orders the group to secure the inside of the Nine Points Building, while the FBI places their own SWAT team around the perimeter. Despite the special forces’ leader's insistence that the employees should be removed from the building first, Danforth tells them to keep working. This allows Clay to quickly defeat the FBI SWAT team in close quarter hand to hand combat, and infiltrate the building, taking down the manager, who reveals to Clay and the FBI, after having multiple staples plugged into his hands and forehead, that Derek Danforth is his boss.

Verona advises FBI Deputy Director Prigg that Derek Danforth actually runs both companies and that both are owned by Danforth Enterprises, which is used by several US government agencies, including their own. Verona also brings up the point that not only will Clay attempt to kill Derek, but he may also kill Jessica, who just so happens to be the President of the USA, using the Queenslayer analogy from the science of beekeeping. Prigg gives them a blank cheque to take whatever steps and use all necessary resources to prevent Clay from finalising his mission, and then signs off to inform the President. 

Wallace, upset that Clay has again evaded being taken out, suggests that Danforth stay with his mother for the time being for his own protection and taking advantage of the Secret Service presence at her beachside residence over the coming weekend. Wallace hires a group of mercenaries, who with Danforth, all congregate at the President's beachside retreat for the weekend where she is hosting a lavish party. Close by to the entrance to the President’s residence, Clay climbs aboard the underside of a truck, switching places with a Secret Service agent in order to blend in at the party. Once inside the house, Verona notices Clay, who by this time has dispensed with his Secret Service gear and is more appropriately dressed, but as he is about to be shot at close range by one of Wallace's hired mercenaries, he activates several bombs he planted on Secret Service trucks as a distraction in order to track down Danforth in hiding in the house.

Inside the house, Prigg tells Jessica about her son's multi-billion dollar scam operations. Danforth reminds his mother that during her Presidential campaign, that she lagged behind in the polls in fifteen out of twenty key counties and needed funding to keep her campaign afloat. He used a CIA programme to locate wealthy financial targets and scam them out of their money. Jessica decides that if and when Clay approaches, she will tell him and the world the truth about her sons use of the programme. Enraged, Danforth kills Prigg and takes his mother hostage. Clay in the meantime fights his way to the President's office taking out anyone who stands in his way. He eventually reaches her office by blowing the door open, and is quickly followed by Verona and the rest of the FBI agents. Verona tries to discourage Clay from killing Jessica and Danforth, who attempts to kill his mother, but Clay shoots his in the head first killing him outright. Clay then jumps out of a nearby window. Verona having a clear shot of Clay as he heads across the garden, but she decides not to shoot him. They give a parting nod to each other and he flees the scene and swims away into the ocean with the aid of the scuba gear he had buried in the sand on the beach close by. 

With 'The Beekeeper' Jason Statham's Adam Clay does what he absolutely does best and that is wipe out the bad guys in all manner of inventive and creative ways, and ratcheting the body count up to the nth degree. David Ayer knows how to lay on the action spectacle, and does so with aplomb, but in the end the script is hardly going to win any literary awards, and the plot in run-o-the-mill and leave your brain at the door type stuff. That said, if you get past all the bee puns, including several references to 'protecting the hive', seeing Statham kick butt relentlessly and violently backed up by a strong supporting cast, and liked the premise of 'John Wick', 'Taken' and 'The Kingsmen' franchises, then this movie is for you, and you won't be disappointed. 

'The Beekeeper' merits three claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a potential five claps.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

THE FLASH : Tuesday 13th June 2023.

I saw the M Rated 'THE FLASH' at an early screening this week two days ahead of its official worldwide release. This much hyped and eagerly awaited American Superhero film is based on the DC Comics character of the same name. It is intended to be the thirteenth instalment in the DC Extended Universe (DCEU) and is Directed by Andy Muschietti whose previous feature film making credits take in his debut with 2013's 'Mama', then the Stephen King novel adaptation of 'It' in 2017 and 'It Chapter Two' in 2019. This film is released in the US this week also, following multiple delays caused by Director changes, the COVID-19 pandemic, and post-production setbacks. It had a production budget of about US$220M, and has garnered mixed or average reviews.

The film opens up with a Barry Allen (Ezra Miller) late for work and hurriedly walking into his local cafe to collect his usually pre-prepared breakfast from the obliging female assistant working the counter, but on this day she is off sick and so his breakfast has not been prepared. He painstakingly looks at his watch and gives the young male assistant his order who would rather pass the time of day chatting than prep up his morning sustenance. Barry's phone rings and it is Batman's trusted butler and assistant Alfred (Jeremy Irons) demanding that he is urgently needed in Gotham City to attend a robbery at a hospital where the thieves have made off with a suitcase containing vials of a deadly virus. While waiting for his order Barry reluctantly asks whether Batman can attend to the scene or Wonder Woman even, but both are it seems indisposed. Barry makes his exit to the bathroom and appears out in the street as The Flash. What follows is The Flash's superspeed run to Gotham City to attend to the hospital that has seen a huge sinkhole appear immediately outside and the entire wing of the hospital about to come crashing down into it. Of course high up in the hospital tower is a suite containing several new born babies, a nurse and a therapy dog who all go crashing out the plate glass window as the side of the building begins to topple. But, with The Flash on the scene he is able to save all the babies, the nurse and the dog and bring them to safety on the ground. 

In the meantime the Batman (Ben Affleck) has arrived on his Batbike and is chasing down the villains through the streets of Gotham, amongst much vehicular carnage, the exchange of rapid gunfire, mortars and burning rubber. Eventually, Batman brings the last villain to heel while dangling off a bridge with the villain holding onto Batman by his fingertips and Alfred blurting down the phone to not allow the case of virus vials to fall into the river. Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) appears and using her lasso of truth hauls Batman and the villain to safety. Job done, the city saved and the three part ways with The Flash returning to the cafe just a few minutes later for the assistant to hand over his custom made breakfast. 

Barry then goes to work and is chastised by his boss for being late - a perpetual habit it seems. Later, as The Flash, Barry revisits his childhood home where he fondly remembers his parents Nora (Maribel Verdu) and Henry (Ron Livingstone). Nora sends Henry out to the local supermarket to buy an extra can of tomatoes for a special pasta sauce she is making. With the young Barry upstairs in his bedroom, he sees his father return and hears his mother scream out. Rushing down to the kitchen, Barry sees his mother slumped against the kitchen cabinet with a knife sticking out of her stomach and his father holding the knife yelling out for Barry to call 911. However, Henry is accused of her murder and imprisoned, with the trial set for tomorrow. Barry speaks with Henry over the phone, with Henry telling his son that the court case is a foregone conclusion and that all the odds are firmly stacked against him, just before the phone call is cut off automatically.

Racked with emotional turmoil, Barry inadvertently runs at such a speed that he travels back in time, and upon returning to the present day has a conversation with Bruce Wayne about it, saying that he can change the past and save his mother and father, and that he could do likewise for Bruce and save his parents too. But Bruce explains that if you mess with the past you can cause untold damage to the future, and to drop the idea. At that Bruce jumps back into his Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 and drives off. Despite Bruce's warnings The Flash goes back to the time of Nora's death, and changes the outcome so that she lives.

When The Flash attempts to get back to the present-day, he winds up in an alternate 2013 where Nora is alive. Barry greets his parents warmly and settles down for dinner over a bowl of pasta, but through the kitchen window he sees his past self approaching the house. He quickly dashes outside and intercepts his younger self. After explaining the realities of time travel to a bewildered younger Barry, he realises he is in the day of the lab accident that bestowed upon Barry his powers - 29th September. And so the older Barry takes the younger Barry to the Central City Police Department where he helps give his younger self his powers during a freak storm in which a lightning bolt strikes the side of the building through a window and smashing a mix of chemical bottles spilling all over him, but in the process, the older Barry looses his powers. Older Barry attempts to train younger Barry in the use of his powers but has trouble doing so, as his younger self is a lot more impetuous. Later with the pair out in the city, they learn via TV news broadcasts, of General Zod’s (Michael Shannon) invasion on Earth. And so the two Barry’s go to Wayne Manor in the hopes of locating Batman, as the pair need all the help they can get if they are to save our little green planet from destruction.

Entering the somewhat run down and neglected Wayne Manor, they find an alternate version of Bruce Wayne (Michael Keaton) who has long since given up on crime fighting since Gotham has become one of the safest cities in the country. However, explaining the predicament the two Barry's now find themselves in, they convince him to help them find Superman who is being held captive in a Russian base high up in the Arctic Circle. 

Upon gaining entry to the base they eventually find the massive steel sphere that Superman is encased in. Instead though of finding Superman, they find his cousin Kara Zor-El (Sasha Calle) who is physically weakened and mentally drained, but they rescue her anyway. After doing so and escaping through the roof of the base, Kara quickly recovers her powers when exposed to the sun's solar energy, and she almost single handedly dispenses with the small army of Russian soldiers guarding the base. The older Barry asks Bruce to help him get his powers back by recreating the accident that bestowed him those powers in the first place. The first attempt fails and nearly kills Barry prompting Kara aka Supergirl, to fly Barry into the storm and get struck by lightning which has the desired effect.

Supergirl and Batman join the two Barry's in attempting to defeat Zod, who by now has begun the process of destroying Earth. During the battle with Zod, Supergirl learns that Zod killed the infant Kal-El when his pod got knocked off course. She is naturally enraged. Just as Supergirl overpowers Zod and seemingly gains the upper hand, Zod manages to kill her and take a sample of her blood which he will use to revitalise the dying planet Krypton. Batman meanwhile sacrifices himself to save the Barry's.

The younger Barry insists he travel back in time to save them both and does so multiple times but keeps failing, each time becoming a slightly darker unhinged version of himself, and as the time continuum becomes increasingly fragmented. The older Barry tries to reason with the dark Flash but his attempts prove futile in the Speed Force as the multiverse begins to implode, but not before older Barry has visions of alternate Supermen (Christopher Reeve, Adam West, George Reeves and Nicolas Cage). A future version of Dark Flash then arrives to kill his younger self, so saving the multiverse and restoring the equilibrium. 

In the aftermath, Barry fixes the timeline and reconciles himself with his mother's death. Back in the present day new evidence is provided in Henry's court case so earning him his freedom. Outside the court house Barry is met by his former girlfriend, Iris West (Kiersey Clemons) who asks him out on date at which he quickly responds with a resounding yes, after which Bruce Wayne pulls up in his Vision Mercedes-Maybach 6 who is not the Ben Affleck version of the character, but the George Clooney version. If you sit in your seat right until the end credits have rolled, you'll see a scene in which Barry is assisting a very drunken Arthur Curry (Jason Momoa) while telling him of his recent experiences. 

'The Flash' is arguably one of the best DCEU big screen adaptations to date and Director Andy Muschietti has proved himself more than capable in helming a cinematic extravaganza such as this. The action sequences are exactly what we have all come to expect from a Superhero movie, and the CGI rendering whilst not perfect is passable. Ezra Miller is well cast in the role of dual Barry Allen's/The Flash and seeing Michael Keaton reprise his role as Batman for the first time in thirty years is a real trip down memory lane, whilst nods to former Batmen and Supermen also adds to the nostalgia, but is probably there more for the fan service than to add any weight to the plot lines. There are moments of real humour and emotion interspersed between the action set pieces that help elevate this final instalment in the DCEU, before new joint CEO's James Gunn and Peter Safran's new franchise - the DCU rolls out, above many of the also-rans that have gone before. The final act is long and drawn out however, and overly repetitive, and just how many more films do we need to have in this genre that feature a multiverse for Chrissakes - after all we've had two in the last two weeks, plus a whole bunch more in recent years. Nonetheless, 'The Flash' is certainly worth the price of your movie ticket. 

'The Flash' merits four claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps. 

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

HOUSE OF GUCCI : Tuesday 4th January 2022.

I saw the MA15+ Rated 'HOUSE OF GUCCI' at my local multiplex earlier this week, and this is an American biographical crime drama film Directed by Ridley Scott in his second film release this year following 'The Last Duel' released in Australia at the end of October. This film is based on the 2001 book 'The House of Gucci : A Sensational Story of Murder, Madness, Glamour, and Greed' by Sara Gay Forden. The World Premiere screening of 'House of Gucci' was held at London's Leicester Square in early November 2021, was theatrically released in the US in late November 2021 and here in Australia on New Years Day. The film has received mixed reviews from critics, and it has so far grossed US$127M from a production budget of US$75M.

The film is inspired by the shocking true story of the family behind the Italian fashion empire, Gucci, and opens up in 1978 in Milan, where we see Patrizia Reggiani (Lady Gaga) working as an office manager for her fathers small but nonetheless successful trucking company. At a birthday party, Patrizia meets Maurizio Gucci (Adam Driver), an unassuming law student and heir to a 50% stake in the Gucci fashion house through his father Rodolfo (Jeremy Irons). In time Maurizio introduces Patrizia to his father, who in turn warns his son not to consider marrying the woman as he sees her as a social climber and only after his money, warning him that he will disinherit him if he goes ahead with a marriage. 

Ultimately Maurizio has little or no interest in the Gucci empire, and marries Patrizia anyway. Rodolfo kicks his son out of the family home and he lands a job at his now father-in-laws trucking business, where he says that he has never been happier. Patrizia later falls pregnant, and she sees this as a means for Rodolfo and Maurizio to reconcile their differences. She inadvertently tells Maurizio's uncle Aldo (Al Pacino) that she is pregnant. Aldo is delighted by the news and takes the couple under his wing, inviting them to New York. Aldo introduces Patrizia to his unintelligent and 'stupid' son Paolo (an unrecognisable Jared Leto), who aspires to be a Gucci designer despite his complete lack of talent. 

Thanks to Aldo, Maurizio and a terminally ill Rodolfo reconcile after being told the happy news that he is now a grandfather to their daughter Alessandra, shortly before Rodolfo's death. Rodolfo writes Maurizio back into his will, but fails to sign the necessary document transferring the Gucci shares to him before he dies. Patrizia fakes Rodolfo's signature, giving Maurizio a 50% share of Gucci.

Patrizia begins to hatch a scheme to obtain a controlling interest in Gucci by acquiring some of Aldo and Paolo's shares (the two hold the other 50% stake). She sees an ad on the TV for Giuseppina 'Pina' Auriemma (Salma Hayek), a psychic, whom she contacts for advice and guidance. She begins to manipulate Maurizio, who has little real interest in Gucci, into taking a more active role within the company. Paolo acquires proof that Aldo has been evading taxes in the US and so gives the proof to Patrizia in exchange for her promise that he will be allowed to design his own line, under the Gucci name. 

Aldo is later arrested by the IRS and sentenced to a year and a day in prison. Patrizia lies to the Italian Police and tells them that Paolo is not authorised to use the Gucci trademark, and so during a fashion show where Paolo is showcasing his collection the Police storm in and halt the show by force. Patrizia and Maurizio ask Paolo to sell them his shares, but he rebuffs them and cuts all contact between them.

Italian Police raid Maurizio's house and attempt to arrest Maurizio for forging Rodolfo's signature. He evades them by riding over to the border with Switzerland on his motorbike and has Patrizia and Alessandra join them a few days later. In the meantime Maurizio has renewed acquaintances with his old friend Paola Franchi (Camille Cottin). An argument later erupts between Maurizio and Patrizia, and Maurizio decides that he is tired of his wife's influence over himself, as well as the company. 

He orders his wife and daughter to return to Italy and begins an affair with Paola, which Pina has apparently sensed. When Maurizio's business plans begin to impact the company negatively he seeks assistance from equity company Investcorp, through which he hatches a plan to acquire shares of the company from a now-impoverished Paolo. Aldo is released from prison and Paolo tells his father what he has done. Aldo is incensed. When Investcorp offers to buy Aldo out, he refuses until Maurizio reveals himself as the deal's instigator. Completely dejected and betrayed, Aldo reluctantly sells the shares and cuts all ties with Maurizio.

Patrizia tries to reconcile with Maurizio, but he is not interested in the slightest. Later, he asks Patrizia for a divorce through his long-time assistant Domenico De Sole (Jack Houston), which Patrizia angrily refuses. Maurizio is looking to revitalise the brand image of Gucci and so recruits (almost as a last resort because every other 'name' had turned them down) up-and-coming designer Tom Ford (Reeve Carney). Ford's collections are well received at his launch fashion show and prove successful, but Maurizio has so thoroughly mismanaged the company's finances that Investcorp's leaders feel compelled to buy him out, offering him US$150M and replacing him with Ford and De Sole. Patrizia becomes so angered with Maurizio that she asks Pina to help her kill him. Pina puts Patrizia in contact with some hitmen 'from Sicily' and a few days later, the hit-men shoot Maurizio to death in broad daylight outside his office. 

Afterwards we see Patrizia and Alessandra knocking on the door of Maurizio's residence, for it to be answered by Paola. The pair share a tearful embrace, and then Patrizia orders Paola out of her home, immediately. In the closing scene we fast track two years, and in a courtroom the Judge presides of Patrizia, Pina and the two hitmen. The Judge asks a question of Patrizia Reggiani, who replies, 'my name is Patrizia Gucci'. Just before the end credits roll, the screen reveals that Aldo Gucci died of prostate cancer in 1990; Paolo Gucci died almost penniless in London in 1995; Patrizia was sentenced to twenty-nine years in prison, and Pina and the hitman and getaway driver received sentences of 25 years or more for the murder. Gucci is fully purchased by Investcorp who turn the business around and make it into the fashion empire it still is to this day, while no Gucci family members remain at the business today.  

'House of Gucci' reminded me in some small ways of the 1980's American TV soap opera series 'Dynasty' and 'Dallas' and seeing all those rich folk squabble and squander their millions of dollars and scheme their way in and out of each others business, more often that not with dire consequences. This is Lady Gaga's film make no mistake and for her portrayal of Patrizia there has to be an Oscar nod in there I'm sure, while Al Pacino as Aldo and Adam Driver as Maurizio also make compelling performances. As for the unrecognisable Jared Leto as Paolo, his performance is so over the top camp and impish that it's no wonder he was prepared to go full undercover so as not to be recognised! This is a highly entertaining film about love and loss, backstabbing and betrayal, money and murder all delivered neatly with the full gloss and panache that is Ridley Scott's trademark, who at the age of eighty-four is still churning out movies that command your attention, are engaging and have something to say. At two hours 37 minutes this film is over-lengthy at the mid-section before stumbling towards the finish line, but that said, 'House of Gucci' is nonetheless an enjoyable, sharply dressed romp of fashion and greed that ultimately brought the House of Gucci down, but not out. 

'House of Gucci' merits three claps of the Odeon Online clapperboard from a possible five claps. 

-Steve, at Odeon Online-

RED SPARROW : Tuesday 6th March 2018.

'RED SPARROW' which I saw this week, here sees Francis Lawrence Directing this American spy thriller based on the 2013 book of the same name by former CIA operative Jason Matthews. Francis Lawrence is no stranger to big screen spectacle having Directed, amongst others, 'Constantine' with Keanu Reeves, 'I Am Legend' with Will Smith, 'The Hunger Games : Catching Fire' with Jennifer Lawrence and 'The Hunger Games : Mokingjay Parts 1 and 2' also with Jennifer Lawrence. Here he teams up with his namesake Jennifer Lawrence once again with the film going on general release around the world just over a week ago having cost US$69M, and having garnered mixed and average Reviews at best so far. The film has so far grossed US$55M in Box Office receipts.

The film centres around Russian and American espionage, the central figure of which is Dominika Egorova (Jennifer Lawrence) a former prima ballerina forced into an uncertain future as a result of an injury that brings her chosen career to an abrupt halt. She lives with her ailing mother Nina (Joely Richardson) in a very modest apartment which is funded, together with her mothers medical expenses, by the ballet company for whom Dominika dances.

After corrective surgery to her lower leg, and feeling spent, she is approached by her Uncle Ivan (Matthias Schoenaerts) who works for the Russian Secret Service. He tasks her with seducing Russian Politician Dimitri Ustinov (Kristof Konrad) and switching his mobile phone with an identical state provided one, in exchange for which she can continue living in her apartment with her mother and all medical expenses covered, when this line of charity runs dry from the ballet company. Dominika must follow a fairly simple set of instructions, which she does. This leads to her being raped by Ustinov in her hotel room, but this is cut short by a garrotte around Ustinov's neck delivered at the hands of Simyonov (Sergej Onopko) slicing his throat open and killing him. After making a quick escape on motorcycle, Ivan reveals to Dominika that he had always intended to kill Ustinov and that she performed her job very well. But, Russian Intelligence rule that there can be no witnesses to such acts, and so she has a choice to make - either be executed, or begin a new career with Russian Intelligence.

Meanwhile Nate Nash (Joel Edgerton) is a CIA operative working in Moscow. While meeting with a Russian asset (codenamed Marble) at night in Gorky Park, their meeting is interrupted by a random drive-by Police car. To protect his asset from detection, Nash creates a diversion in order that they can both evade capture and questioning. After a foot chase through the streets of downturn Moscow, Nash narrowly escapes, and is sent packing back to the US to explain his actions, and to be grounded. Nash spent three years nurturing his relationship and building up trust with Marble who has now gone underground and contact lost. As a result, Nash is reassigned to Budapest to reconnect with Marble.

In the meantime Dominika is packed off to 'Sparrow School' having made the correct decision. Here young men and woman are trained to seduce their targets using physical, mental and emotional cues to do so. Dominika excels at her studies largely at the hands of the 'Matron' - the Head of Sparrow School (Charlotte Rampling), although rebels at some of the elements of her training, including stripping naked in front of her classmates, and her willingness to being raped by a fellow trainee. Despite this she shows promise and is singled out by General Vladimir Korchnoi (Jeremy Irons) overseen by Colonel Zacharov (Ciaran Hinds) and assigned to Budapest to seek out Nate Nash, gain his confidence by whatever means necessary, and learn the identity of his asset.

In Budapest, Dominika shacks up with Marta (Thekla Reuten) and quickly makes contact with Nash at a local swimming pool where Nash regularly swims laps for his afternoon exercise. Nash works out pretty quickly that she is a Russian Intelligence operative, and she reveals her true identity to him and that she is wanting to gain the identity of his asset. One day while Marta is out, Dominika takes the opportunity to snoop through her bedroom. She uncovers a notebook in which is recorded the name of Stephanie Boucher (Mary-Louise Parker), a Chief-of-Staff for a US Senator and a sum of US$250,000, whom Marta is working with to gather information from.

Later, following a surprise visit from her Uncle Ivan, Dominika reveals her plan to secure secrets from Boucher, which is overheard by Marta who believes that she is trying to take control over her planned assignment. A few days later, Marta winds up very dead in her bathtub at home - her tortured mutilated murdered body laying blood soaked for Dominika to discover. Simyonov creeps up behind Dominika and reveals that he killed Marta as a warning not to divulge Russian secrets.

Dominika offers her services to Nash to work with the CIA as a double agent. She sees through Marta's planed assignment with Boucher and sets up a covert meeting in a London hotel room where several disks containing sensitive information will be exchanged for US$250,000 in cash, all the while monitored covertly by Nash and his team. The meeting goes off well, Boucher leaves the hotel room with her swag bag of cash, but is spooked by CIA operatives who move in too quickly and without the command, and is killed outright when she steps into the road and is mown down by a passing truck.

Dominika's Russian handler sees that the mission has been compromised, and she is whisked away quickly to Heathrow, then back to Russia where she is interrogated and tortured for seemingly compromising Boucher. She repeatedly denies this, and is subject to more beatings and torture. Ivan enters the room to deliver an ultimatum, but Dominika convinces her Uncle that her interrogation will give her credibility with the CIA, and as such she should be allowed to return to the field to complete her assignment. She returns to Budapest, and meets with Nash stating her desire to defect to the US with her mother.

Nash and Dominika spend the night together. The next morning Dominika awakens alone in bed, but with muffled sounds coming from the next room. She investigates to find Nash bound to a chair with Simyonov standing over him, demanding the identity of Marble or suffer the consequences at his torturous hands. Simyonov unravels and array of sharp instruments of torture. Dominika goes along with the ruse to show support of Simyonov and takes part in the torture, lulling him into  false sense of security, before she administers a crashing blow to his temple sending him reeling backwards. In the ensuing scuffle, Nash is able to free himself but by now Simyonov is on his feet slashing wildly away with a surgical blade at them both. Ultimately Dominika gains the upper hand and after repeatedly stabbing Simyonov administers the final blow with a blade into his neck.

Later, Dominika comes round in a hospital bed, with her wounds dressed. She ventures out of her private room to take stock of her location, and is greeted by General Korchnoi who reveals to her that he is in fact the mole, codenamed Marble. He explains that his anger and frustration by the deep rooted and ongoing corruptness of Russia led him to becoming a secret double agent. He further adds that she should reveal his identity to her Uncle, Ivan, and that her outing such a high ranking official will gain her instant promotion and set her up for a high profile career in Russian Intelligence, as well as continuing the work with the CIA that they are both secretly engaged in too. Back on Russian soil, Dominika makes contact with her superiors and advises them who the mole is, but instead of outing Korchnoi, she frames her Uncle Ivan instead who ultimately dies with a bullet to the head during a prisoner exchange overseen by Nash and the CIA. Dominika gains her reward of promotion and the recognition that goes with it, and returns home to care for her mother in the same apartment.

'Red Sparrow' joins the ranks of Russian/American international espionage thrillers that we see all too often, and in some cases done better. This offering does stand up on its own two feet, but be prepared to pay attention throughout as the plot twists and turns every which way and you'll need to concentrate on who's side who is on, why and when. The film is graphic in its violence and sexual violence and seems to rely all too heavily on putting the Jennifer Lawrence character through just about every degradation possible from torture through interrogation through rape (twice and almost a third time) through multiple beatings in between and bearing witness to some pretty grisly murders. The film at 140 minutes is also too long for the subject matter and could have been easily paired back to two hours without the padding and a little more straightforwardness. Despite this the films redeeming points are its cast, and this is Lawrence like we have never seen her before as she bares all (literally) to join the ranks of Angelina Jolie ('Salt') and Charlize Theron ('Atomic Blonde') as an action heroine, joined by an ensemble cast of fine acting talent that help levitate the film above a by the numbers offering. This is potentially the first film in a franchise of three, as author Jason Matthews has penned two further novels in the series. We'll see if the lessons learned from this first film transfer to any subsequent follow-up.

-Steve, at Odeon Online-