Hard to know exactly when French writer/director Luc Besson became a hack, certainly long before this project brought on sexual misconduct charges against him, leading to this SPY vs SPY thriller to receive something between a dumped release and a burial. Of course, there are hacks and there are hacks. Besson, a technically facile filmmaker to his fingertips, reliably puts out slick watchable product, here with a neat twist to the story and a tricky time-jumping narrative that put all the punch-lines months ahead of the set ups which he jumps back to cover for us. And the overriding twist even better as the recruitment of Russian beauty Sasha Luss for training as a Paris-based fashion model is really cover for her new life as an international double-agent assassination specialist spy. Only none of her superiors know she’s really a KGB plant, working for Moscow. Add bisexual action; John Wick levels of execution action; Hong Kong style Martial Arts acrobatic action sequences; and double-dealing backroom bargaining. But there’s no kick to the carnage; clarity but no involvement. If only Luss had a bit of chemistry with her three lovers: KGB-Luke Evans; CIA Cillian Murphy; hot haute model/gal-pal Lera Abova. Only coming alive against mean boss-lady Helen Mirren, her Ruskie controller. And thanks goodness for Mirren! Hilarious playing a cross between Maria Ouspenskaya, Lotte Lenya & Fran Lebowitz. And, to his credit, Besson knows it, giving Mirren the film’s last line.
ATTENTION MUST BE PAID: Fair to say someone had thoughts of franchise on the brain. The posters all but scream female James Bond. But with a big financial loss and Luss's career now treading water, it ain’t happening.
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