Dominika Egorov (Lawrence) is a Russian Spy trained as a ‘sparrow’ or an operative who has been taught to use her femininity as a weapon. But after she is initially charged to seduce CIA case officer Nathanial Nash (Joel Edgerton), Dominika begins to fall in love with him and considers becoming a double agent.

Director Francis Lawrence (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay, Constantine) takes audiences inside a dark and dangerous landscape of political intrigue and vicious spy action with Red Sparrow. Adapted from the best-selling novel by Justin Matthews, Red Sparrow is a gripping portrayal of current-day espionage. Lawrence doesn’t shy away from any of it, and captures the murky waters that these operatives and operations are carried out in. While some will find it uncomfortable to watch, it’s one of the more realistic portrayal of professional espionage ever captured on screen and he also brings his unique eye for design and a good dose of Russian cultural appropriation into the film as well.

Jennifer Lawrence has long been lauded as one of the best young actresses working today. She’s never been afraid of a challenge, but her role as Dominika Egorov is her most grown-up role to date. In Red Sparrow hers is the almost anti-coming-of-age story as very early on her world shatters and she is forced to accept a new one. It’s in these early moments that we also see Dominika’s true character. She’s a survivor, a calculating machine and a person who is prone to certain psychopathic tendencies. While there is a definite innocence to her character do not be fooled….she knows the game that she’s playing. Lawrence again gives herself completely to her character and engages in some pretty intense behaviour on-screen. She pushes herself both physically and mentally with this role and it really shows through.

Standing next to her is Joel Edgerton as Nathaniel ‘Nate’ Nash, an American CIA case officer who blows a big operation and is given one last chance to make contact with his source. His is a fascinating character as he is viewed as a degenerate with a passion for liquor and fast woman, but his actions instead show a man who is incredibly smart and calculating in his approach to his work. It’s in Nate’s character that we see one of the film’s most recurring themes: No one is who they appear to be. Everyone is playing everyone and this is exactly what we see with Nate. Edgerton also shares a great chemistry with Lawrence and it’s a romance that sizzles with a strong sexual undercurrent and almost a test of their skills between one another. They make a great match on screen together and I’d love to see them work together again.

I can’t also look past Matthias Schoenaerts as the incredibly creepy Ivan Egorov, Dominika’s uncle who places her in the Sparrow School and moulds her into a lethal operative. There’s a calm sense of sadism about Ivan. While he might have the behaviour and courtesy of a politician he is also a man who is willing to eliminate any problem that he deems unacceptable, and in the most brutal way possible. His interactions with Lawrence are a source of interest and I was very pleased with what he did with the role.

Red Sparrow also has considerable style. It’s cinematography, costuming and musical score imply great elegance and evoke the classic noir style of filmmaking that we have long aligned with the work of the spy genre. Cinematographer Jo Willems captures the considerable dark beauty of the former Eastern Bloc in considerable style and incorporates a pallette of slate greys, crisp blacks and bold crimson red into his design aesthetic. Then there’s costume designer Trish Summerville who really gets to do something special with the film, especially Dominka’s vast wardrobe changes as she walks through the world as a sparrow.

Let’s also make the distinction that Red Sparrow is not a PG film and that it is a very intense watch. A dangerous sexuality runs through it as Dominika is subject to a world of powerful men who can take anything from a woman they want. Dominika falls into this world, and while initially victimized by it, draws on her sexuality as a weapon and soon becomes a master seducer who can take what she wants from any man. While these moments are certainly shocking to watch, and can at times be extremely uncomfortable, they are in keeping with the spirit and energy of the film. Red Sparrow also gets extremely violent at times, especially it’s brutal interrogation scenes, but again this is in keeping with the film’s elevated and dangerous espionage world.

The twists are also worth praising and I could count at least five times when I jumped out of my seat in shock. While jump scares get me every time it has been a long time since a thriller made me jump. Lawrence knows how to calculate pressure and intensity in his film and you’re guaranteed to never see the ending coming. It took me completely by surprise and is a real fitting end to this intense cinematic experience.

Red Sparrow is one of the more shocking and intense spy films that I’ve seen in a while and it’s definitely Jennifer Lawrence’s most adult performance to date. For the right audience, who are not afraid of a bit of grit and are looking for something a little bit more shocking, it’s a thriller that definitely delivers.

Image: 20th Century Fox

The post ‘Red Sparrow’ – Review appeared first on SpicyPulp.

Check it out below:

Here’s the synopsis:

Dominika Egorov (Lawrence) is a Russian Spy trained as a ‘sparrow’ or an operative who has been taught to use her femininity as a weapon. But after she is initially charged to seduce CIA case officer Nathanial Nash (Joel Edgerton), Dominika begins to fall in love with him and considers becoming a double agent. 

The new trailer throws audiences right into the thick of the action, as Lawrence’s Dominika is transformed from innocent ingenue to that of a master seductress and merciless assassin. Lawrence looks particularly intense in the film and her gradual lack of emotion as it is stripped away by her brutal training regime really shows up in the footage.

It’s also pretty damn clear that Red Sparrow is going to get damn messy! Director Francis Lawrence is not shying away from the film’s brutal aspects, including the merciless training ground known as the Sparrow School! Here violence is a way of life, and it’s clear that Dominika will have to utilise all of her considerable willpower to survive both it and the dark intentions of her Government handlers.

Joel Edgerton makes a great match alongside Lawrence as the intelligent and suave Nathanial Nash, an American CIA officer who is trying to turn defectors within Russia, and who quickly falls for Dominika and her charms and seeks to help her find a way out.

Then there’s the sinister and dark presence of Matthias Schoenaerts as Ivan Dimitrevich Egorov, Dominika’s uncle who inducts her into the Sparrow School, and who is willing to do unthinkable things to her in order to make her his perfect assassin.

Check out my thoughts below on the new trailer and what Red Sparrow has me excited to see:

Red Sparrow is an absolute must watch and will be released in cinemas on March 1.

The post Jennifer Lawrence is a dangerous creature in ‘Red Sparrow’ appeared first on SpicyPulp.

Check it out below:

Here’s the synopsis:

Dominika Egorov (Lawrence) is a Russian Spy trained as a ‘sparrow’ or an operative who has been taught to use her femininity as a weapon. But after she is initially charged to seduce CIA case officer Nathanial Nash (Joel Edgerton), Dominika begins to fall in love with him and considers becoming a double agent. 

Adapted from the bestseller by former CIA operative Jason Matthews, director Francis Lawrence appears to have crafted a dangerous and high stakes thriller. Both Lawrence and Egerton are two of the best stars working in Hollywood today and together on screen they make for a very intriguing couple.

Lawrence looks incredibly intense as the beautiful, but dangerous Dominika Egorov, who understands how to get inside a man’s head and use him to her own advantage. While the hot and steamy subject matter will surely see Lawrence show some skin, she’ll also carve her way through a bunch of bad guys with a very solid spy skill set.

Red Sparrow is one thriller to definitely keep an eye on and will be released in cinemas March 1, 2018 in New Zealand and Australia and on March 2, 2018 in the US and UK.

The post Jennifer Lawrence is seductively deadly in ‘Red Sparrow’ appeared first on SpicyPulp.