Red Sparrow is a 2018 spy-thriller film directed by Francis Lawrence who worked with Jennifer Lawrence (the star here) on a couple of the Hunger Games movies, but this is a very different beast. Jennifer Lawrence plays Dominika Egorova (in, it has to be said, a not entirely convincing Russian accent), and Joel Edgerton, Matthias Schoenarts and Charlotte Rampling star as the film's secondary characters. This one is a pretty big departure from what Lawrence has done in the past, although it has to be said that she's making some pretty bold career choices. I'm not the first one to say that, and for a good reason: it's true. After last year's Mother! it appeared as if she was trying purposefully trying to appear in more "mature" films, and believe me, it doesn't get much more mature than Red Sparrow. The film plays out like one of those schlocky exploitation from the seventies, in that there's sexual violence, sex, violence, torture, and all manner o
The Hitman's Bodyguard is an action-comedy film directed by Patrick Hughes (The Expendables 3), and stars Samuel L. Jackson as a hitman who makes a bargain with Interpol to help in the arrest of a Belarusian dicator, and Ryan Reynolds as the bodyguard hired to protect him. It turns out that the two have a reason to dislike each-other, and the film explores the relationship between the two men as they travel to The Hague, and figure out how to work together.
I've seen a lot of bad reviews for this film, and I think a lot of the reasons are valid. However, I don't think those reasons make The Hitman's Bodyguard absolutely terrible, they just make it worse than it could have been. The main problem with the film is that the story is ridiculous, but not in a way that's necessarily forgivable. The overall plot is fine, but when it starts getting into the backstory of the characters, it gets a little convoluted and doesn't really make a lot of sense.
However, Ryan Reynolds and Samuel L. Jackson are fine as their characters. There isn't much depth to their performances, and they are very much playing themselves, but the two have enough personality and chemistry between them to carry the film. I found myself laughing a couple of times at the jokes they made, but there are a lot of other performances in the film that just don't reach the mark.
I do think it's partly because of the script, but Gary Oldman gives a pretty poor performance as Vladislav Dukhovich, the Belarusian dictator. On top of that, the tone of his scenes are very different to the rest. While most of the film is stylish and comedic, his are far too serious in nature to feel like they fit in. Selma Hayek as Sonia Kincaid, the hitman's wife, is incredibly irritating, and her character seemed cruel and cocky. She's supposed to be funny and likeable, but the way her character was written doesn't really work. Hayek did the best with the material she was given, but no amount of skill could make her scenes enjoyable. Luckily, these two characters are rarely in the film, so it's easy to forget about them for the most part.
Some of the action scenes are very well-choreographed and fun (particularly one in which Ryan Reynold's character is being chased by thugs through a series of shops and restaurants), and we do grow to care about the two leads as the film progresses. It's just enough to keep you interested for the duration of it.
On the whole, this film is just fine, and nothing more. If you're a fan of either Samuel L. Jackson or Ryan Reynolds, you'll most likely find something to enjoy in this film, but there's nothing in it that really merits repeated viewings. My prediction is that the majority of people who watch it won't think about it much after they leave the cinema, or recommend it to any friends. The best that can be said about the film is that it's suitable to pass the time, but for very little else.
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