Red Sparrow (2018)

[baumer]

Discuss

[baumer]

I'll write a bit more later,but I really enjoyed this.

 

8.5/10

[DeeCee]

I liked it as well. It’s a real slow burn and I liked how they always kept you guessing about who was manipulating who. 

 

 

[baumer]

The torture scene was hard to watch.  Man that would hurt getting your skin excoriated. 

[Green245]

This is a good movie. It was better than I expected. I didn't find it too long as I had read in several mainstream reviews. Critics are being overly harsh. This movie was very entertaining.

 

The Good- Very good storyline. The acting was superb. Nice cold war theme in the modern era. Very realistic fighting by movie standards with blood, bruises, injuries, etc. Fascinating mind control teachings which made you think. Very sexual. Excellent surprise ending.

 

The Bad- Although I thought it really added to the movie, some people may not like the gore and blood (there's lots of it!). The movie really marketed nudity as its selling point. But JL is only nude in one scene (that was a surprise!). Finally, you have to be smart, its possible to get lost in the espionage storytelling. This to me was NOT a "women empowerment" movie. Some may find that good. Others bad.

 

Grade-B. I would recommend this picture. I thought it was very good.

Edited March 3, 2018 by Green245

[WrathOfHan]

Eh, it's fine. Jennifer Lawrence gives another outstanding performance here, and I'm very surprised by what Francis Lawrence was able to do directing-wise. Unfortunately, the story is a bit dry, and even though the conclusion is fun, the 40 or so minutes preceding it aren't quite engaging. I'd like to see the sequel get made (which is a longshot unless OS saves it), but on its own, Red Sparrow is a solid but unspectacular watch. 7/10 | B-

[Dreamstar74]

 

[filmlover]

It's not one of the best or most innovative spy movies I've ever seen, but I enjoyed this well enough and can't say I was ever bored. Jennifer Lawrence is easily the best thing about the movie (giving her most interesting work since American Hustle IMO, although the other actors do well in their parts too) and the main reason to see it. B-

[baumer]

Did anyone else like Charlotte Rampling?  I thought she was outstanding!

[filmlover]

10 minutes ago, baumer said:

Did anyone else like Charlotte Rampling?  I thought she was outstanding!

She was very good as always but everyone else aside from Joel Edgerton pretty much played second fiddle to JLaw in this.

[Jonwo]

I do agree it's a 7-8/10 movie but I enjoyed it although the torture scenes were tough to watch, 

14 hours ago, baumer said:

Did anyone else like Charlotte Rampling?  I thought she was outstanding!

She's an underrated actress, she was great in 45 Years a few years back. 

[DeeCee]

I find it slightly out of place when characters who in the movie are really speaking Russian but for the audience they speak English but they speak English with a Russian accent.

[Avatree]

14 minutes ago, DeeCee said:

I find it slightly out of place when characters who in the movie are really speaking Russian but for the audience they speak English but they speak English with a Russian accent.

agreed, either give them their normal accents as per films like Valkyrie, or you know, just do it properly and get actors who are from that country and do it in the correct language

[Valonqar]

That's why I appreciate Tarantino. He makes them speak the language and puts subtitles. And people flock to see it anyway. What he did with Inglorious Bastards was glorious. Not of German and French, none of fake accent + English crap. 

 

@filmlover

 

She was very good as always but everyone else aside from Joel Edgerton pretty much played second fiddle to JLaw in this.

 

Yeah, it's a classic star vehicle where only the star matters. I hope she does more star vehicles like Leo that always give strong roles to supporting cast. 

Edited March 5, 2018 by Valonqar

[K1stpierre]

Intense thriller, Jennifer Lawrence clearly steals the show with superb acting. Some very intense/disturbing scenes. Some flaws in plot and script but overall a very satisfyng film (have to resee as end was a bit confusing). Overall a strong A-, 8.5/10 

[baumer]

I don't quite understand how she set him up so perfectly either.  

[K1stpierre]

7 minutes ago, baumer said:

I don't quite understand how she set him up so perfectly either.  

I mean, I get some of it and how she did it, but it just seems unrealistic she’d plant it so perfectly and also that they’d just believe her and not see through it.

[Avatree]

I wasn't completely sold on the twist ending either. Why would they believe her given they've doubted her all the time?

 

I just saw this and was impressed at what it does for such a mainstream expensive movie. Not surprised at all that it's bombing. Couple of people in my screening walked out, I think the marketing is slightly deceiving. It's no "Black Widow" movie as people at one point were calling it. It's not a jennifer lawrence action movie.

 

I dont agree with criticisms of it being inconsistent in tone, you can't just have grim nastiness in every scene. It sets it up pretty clearly when her first action is bludgeoning the two dancers, then as soon as she is in the training camp she's raped and abused. 

 

It was really nasty and brutal, very visceral. Once Jlaw & Joel kill the agent in his apartment, the shot of Joel Edgerton's back made me very close to actually throwing up, which is not something I can recall ever experiencing in a cinema before. I don't go seeking out bloody films or horror movies but even so, it's an achievement. 

 

I am a bit iffy on some of the plot but didn't detract too much. I am mostly impressed and pleased that Lawrence (director Lawrence) was able to take $70 million and make a violent movie with proper torture. Guess he wont get that chance again though.

[Deja23]

Yeah...I didn’t like this much. Lots of violence, which is fine, but didn’t really keep me engaged. I liked Jennifer Lawrence’s portrayal and the twist at the end, but that’s about it. Every thing else seemed to have surface level blandness. I really liked Annihilation and Blade Runner 2049 and didn’t feel bored during those, but found this pretty boring. It seemed to be setting up a sequel with her now a top officer, so maybe that’ll be more interesting if they decide to make it. C+

[Esgalnor]

Quote

I mean, I get some of it and how she did it, but it just seems unrealistic she’d plant it so perfectly and also that they’d just believe her and not see through it.

I'd say they just thougt, that she didn't want to tell them his name because of family relationship, they had to value her even more after that, because they believed, it was really him. I think that it was pretty smart by her and I was really surprised. Nic move, Dominika.