A lost young woman becomes an elite model by day, a KGB assassin by night. It’s Besson-by-numbers in this straightforward Europacorp espionage/action thriller, lifting bits from La Femme Nikita and in so doing aping the recent Red Sparrow. Decent setpieces, some lazy tech-related anachronisms, and reliable character actors slumming.
Tag: luc besson
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets (2017, dir. Luc Besson)
Two elite agents work to uncover a dark secret at the heart of a gigantic space station. Clunkily-scripted and unevenly-acted but undeniably spectacular and well-designed SF fantasy; a $200m auteur piece, for good or ill, and all the better for its distinctiveness.
Another view? Here’s Lemonsquirtle’s thoughts.
The Fifth Element (1997, dir. Luc Besson)
A New York cabbie teams up with an alien to save the planet from invaders. A delirious delight, The Fifth Element isn’t for everyone, but its over-the-top camp and stunning design work makes it an ideal double bill with Mike Hodges’ Flash Gordon.
Lucy (2014, dir. Luc Besson)
Brisk, breathless SF/action mashup of Limitless, 2001: A Space Odyssey, and Besson’s own La Femme Nikita plus a dozen other sources to make something daffy, hugely enjoyable, and totally nonsensical.
255 Review 