Atomic Blonde loses punch in 2nd half
Film review by Katie Walsh, of Tribune News Service
The 80s are back, baby the fashions, the tunes, the Russian spies.
The Cold War is so hot right now, and action thriller Atomic Blonde is here to capitalize on that moment. Charlize Theron stars as the titular blonde in this violently stylish spy flick, doing her own version of John Wick as a taciturn secret agent with a very impressive set of skills. Directed by former stunt man and Wick co-director David Leitch, Atomic Blonde is a cool bit of eye candy with incredible stunts and a killer soundtrack, even though it falters on the story itself.
Atomic Blonde, adapted by Kurt Johnstad from the graphic novel The Coldest City by Antony Johnston, is a harmonious marriage of material and star. Theron is perfect for the role as the frigid, butt-kicking MI-6 agent Lorraine Broughton, dispatched to Berlin for a dangerous mission in the shadow of the falling Berlin Wall in November 1989.
Though the film claims its not the story of the Berlin Wall, it couldnt be the story that it is without it. It offers a frenzied political backdrop, a ticking clock, and a robust sense of energy and urgency to Atomic Blonde.
Lorraine has been sent to Berlin to retrieve a microfilm with a list of foreign agents working in the region. It was taken from the body of a dead British agent by the KGB operative who murdered him, and could now be for sale to the highest bidder. Lorraine is to connect with British agent Percival (James McAvoy), who has gone native in the underground club culture of East Berlin, and secure the list at all costs. Along the way, there are complications that take the form of tricky Russian agents, compromised identities, sexy French spies (Sofia Boutella) and a colleague gone rogue.
Atomic Blonde is a film about the power to be found in crafting images and telling stories. Its self-consciously a movie about the movies. Take, for instance, a scene where Lorraine makes mince meat of a Russian henchmans face behind the screen of a movie theater playing Andrei Tarkovskys Stalker. Eventually, she bursts right through the screen, in the ultimate fourth-wall break.
Leitch pays tribute to Tarkovskys signature long takes with a brutal, insane fight scene, filmed in one, long, unbroken shot extending over at least 10 minutes. It goes up and down stairwells, in and out of apartments, into cars crashing and reversing down streets. Its a remarkable feat of fight choreography, performance by Theron, and physical endurance on the part of the camera operator. Its also the one fight not sound-tracked to an 80s pop hit, just heavy breathing and crunching bones.
Unfortunately, Atomic Blonde fumbles its own tale. After a brisk, efficient, cool first hour, all New Wave tunes and sexy neon lighting, the second hour drags into dullness. The narrative momentum is squandered and lost, and none of the coldly delivered speeches pack any dramatic punch. A plot twist is telegraphed too early, bungled and then over-explained, while another goes by without any context whatsoever.
Its a shame, because Atomic Blonde is a visual cinematic delight. Its not that its all style, no substance. But it doesnt seem to know what to do with its substance, and ultimately, Atomic Blonde becomes a film thats all dressed up with just nowhere to go.
ATOMIC BLONDE 2.5 out of 4 stars Rating: R for sequences of strong violence, language throughout, and some sexuality/nudity. Cast: Charlize Theron, James McAvoy, John Goodman, Toby Jones, Sofia Boutella, Eddie Marsan Director: David Leitch Running time: 1 hour, 55 minutes