Movie: Red Sparrow
Direction: Francis Lawrence
Cast: Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Edgerton, Matthias Schoenaerts, Charlotte Rampling, Mary-Louise Parker, Jeremy Irons
Music: James Newton Howard
Cinematographer: Jo Willems
Editor: Alan Edward Bell
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Rating: ∗∗∗
What is it about: It’s a Spy-Thriller where a Prima Ballerina Dominika (Jennifer Lawrence) faces uncertainty after she suffers a treacherous injury which ends her career, what happens post that forms the crux of the story directed by Francis Lawrence.
Why it’s disappointing: This could stay put for this movie.
What to watch out for: If you’re looking for something on the lines of “Bourne” and “Ethan” then this is definitely not your movie to watch. It’s something what you call a “Slow Burn”. Red Sparrow takes its sweet time to engage things and does it right. It has a quality which can be appreciated only seen with an open mind. It doesn’t clamour events and keeps them coming smoothly. Justin Haythe’s screenplay was well laid and unfolds neatly with twists and turns. And the characters were well etched out to suit the actors respectively.
Jennifer Lawrence as Dominika Egorova, shows what an on screen dynamism is. She carries it so diligently that you can’t stop appreciating the beauty of it. Jennifer gave an amazing performance.
Joel Edgerton as Nate Nash, did a good job. Matthias Schoenaerts as Ivan Dimitrevich Egorov was a strong case and gave a great performance. Charlotte Rampling as “Matron”, was as cunning it could get.
Jeremy Irons as General Vladimir was another character who made an impact in the film.
The rest of the supporting cast was strong which completed the ensemble.
The cinematography by Jo Willems was splendid, it had a great tone and was seamless. Alan Edward Bell did a fine job in editing a slow paced thriller, keeping the intensity intact. And the score James Newton Howard was a gripping one.
Verdict: Francis Lawrence, dished out a film which is comfortable with its space and time unfolding an intense thriller. It’s quite gory, what do you expect when the premise is Russia. Definitely worth a watch.
