BUFFALO, N.Y. — Apparently, Luc Besson (Lucy) really likes directing supermodels in action roles.
He seems to find ones that are certainly up to the physicality required, even if, at least in the case instant, they seem bit light on the thespian requirements. Such is the case with Sasha Luss (Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets). She meets all of the pulchritudinous supermodel requirements, and seems charming enough in her eponymous role as Anna, an assassin and superspy for the Soviet Union (the film is set in a time when there was still a Soviet Union).
Unfortunately, her acting skills really aren’t quite up to the task.
Like supermodels do, Anna spends most of her time in the film looking vaguely angry. Oh, Luss isn’t by any stretch of the imagination awful, she just needs to improve her acting quite a bit. She on screen with the likes of Helen Mirren (Red, The Leisure Seeker) and Luke Evans (Beauty and the Beast, The Girl on the Train), so the deficits end up being pretty glaring.
See, she's trying to act.
Now, providing you, gentle reader, with a synopsis is a bit of a challenge, because this film jumps around rather mercilessly in its timeline; going back and forth over the same series of events, expanding the viewers understanding each time. Suffice it to say that Anna is a rootless young woman living in Moscow who once had very good prospects but squandered them. In an effort to get away from her abusive criminal boyfriend, she applies to join the Russian Navy, and so comes to the attention of KGB recruiter Alex Tchenkov (Evans). She’s recruited with the promise of being free after five years, trained to excellent effect, and is given a test mission by KGB higher-up Olga (Mirren).
Yep, believe it or not, that's Helen Mirren.
Although the desk is stacked severely against her, she successfully completes the mission. She then finds out that she’ll be free when the KGB is done with her; the term “free” having a certain ominous subtext. So, Anna is sent to infiltrate a Parisian fashion model studio and do whatever the KGB asks. Murder and mayhem ensue.
Luss’s slightly stoic acting style isn’t the sole problem this film has. While it has a reasonably complex plot, as do many espionage thrillers, Besson unwraps the layers of his story by performing narrative calisthenics up and down his timeline.
While he is careful to label exactly where in the story’s multi-year arc as the scenes change, there are a lot of chronological changes and the whole thing sometimes borders on the temporally bewildering. Add to this, the fact that major on-screen action points are not explained nor give real context immediately. In short, watching this film is by no stretch of the imagination intellectually relaxing.
The filmgoer must pay rapt attention.
Still, Anna is very entertaining and sexy thriller, as we’ve come to expect from this director. As far as his choice of lead actors is concerned, this reviewer wishes he would have picked someone a bit more seasoned. However, if Luss can sharpen her acting chops a good bit, then her next film should be phenomenal.
Anna is directed by Luc Besson and stars Sasha Luss, Luke Evans, Cillian Murphy, Helen Mirren, and Alexander Petrov. It's rated-R for strong violence, language, and some sexual content and runs 119 minutes.
Through all of its acrobatic violence and international mayhem, can’t quite achieve more than 3 out of 5 stars.
Anna doesn’t strike this reviewer as a woman to be toyed with, and that’s appropriate, ‘cause our next two films concern…yep…toys. (In TV we call that a segue.)
In Toy Story 4, we learn how Woody (Tom Hanks, Saving Private Ryan, Splash) and his gang of toys has moved on from Andy to a new child, Bonnie (Madeleine McGraw, Ant Man and the Wasp, Pacific Rim: Uprising). Now, on orientation day in Kindergarten, Bonnie has fashioned a new doll out of art supplies and some stuff from the trash, including a plastic spork.
Some Sporks are just made that way.
Of course, being a beloved toy, Forky (To the Stars, Love Simon) comes to life, but can’t deal with being a toy and tries to hurl himself back into the trash. (Yeah, it seems a little dark.) Woody, Buzz (Big Trouble, The Santa Clause) and the gang go to rescue him. This is one excellent film. Five out of five boxes of popcorn. The plot and characters are touching and genuine and funny. The animation is incredibly life like and the voice cast is nothing short of superb. Go see this movie!
But be advised, it gets a little intense. It should come as no surprise that Toy Story 4 is rated-G. It is directed by Josh Cooley and stars the voices of Tom Hanks, Tim Allen, Annie Potts, Tony Hale, Keegan-Michael Key, Jordan Peele, Madeleine McGraw, Christina Hendricks, Keanu Reeves, Ally Maki, Jay Hernandez, Lori Alan, and Joan Cusack.
And our next toy-based film is from the “Just can’t leave well enough alone department”
A high-tech version of Chucky is back in Child’s Play. I haven’t seen it yet. I usually like slasher films, and this does have the funny and lovely Aubrey Plaza (Ingrid Goes West, Mike and Dave Need Wedding Dates).
See, it's a film franchise that will not die!
The voice of the evil doll? Why that’s Luke Skywalker…err, Mark Hamill (Sorry, this reviewer can sometimes get them confused.)
Child’s Play isn’t for kids. This 2019 iteration of the Child's Play franchise is directed by Lars Klevberg (Polaroid) and stars Aubrey Plaza, Gabriel Bateman,Brian Tyree Henry and Mark Hamill. It’s rated R for bloody horror violence, and language throughout. It is directed by And it’s all Wi-Fi based! This reviewer hasn't seen it yet, but likes the concept of technology gone murderously awry. After all, Hollywoods been banging that drum since Frankenstein.