ATOMIC BLONDE: Charlize Theron Is An Action Movie Star
At first glance, David Leitch‘s latest action flick looked like a female version of his very successful John Wick franchise. It had the same style, similar leading character, and from the trailers, a similar story. If it were the case, Atomic Blonde would have stopped the progression done to women in film instead of riding with the tide. Therefore, I am happy to announce to you that Atomic Blonde isn’t an exact copy of John Wick, and while it isn’t as good, there are still excellent elements that help redeem this spy thriller.
After her mission, Lorraine (Charlize Theron) is being interrogated by agents. She must recall her most recent mission, set in 1980’s Berlin, as she is called upon to team up with David Percival (James McAvoy) as they try to find “the list.”
Bright As Fire, Cool As Ice
Visually, Atomic Blonde‘s flashy neon-drenched film is one of the best looking movies of the year. It’s brightly colored set pieces and exquisite cinematography works wonders. It follows suits with David Leitch‘s other artistic action films such as John Wick. Like John Wick, everything from the streets of Berlin to the hotel rooms seems like works of art worthy of being hung in a museum.
Leitch and his cinematographer Jonathan Sela make the world of Atomic Blonde as effortlessly colorful and chic while playing on modern ’80s style. With his film as a canvas, Leitch makes plenty of artistic choices as the film progresses, and it’s a treat to watch. He even goes to the length to carefully place blood splatters on the wall as our badass heroine shoots bad guys right in the head.
Just like with his style, Leitch takes his action very seriously. He never takes the easy way out, opting for long shots rather than quickly edited sequences. It helps that the actors and stunt doubles follow some very tight choreography. Different elements need to work together for these sequences to really pop. And when it’s blended with the movie’s neon visuals, Atomic Blonde‘s action sequences sparkle. The best example comes during the staircase action sequence, which is one of the best action scenes in 2017. What makes it memorable is that it encompasses everything that is right with the film, from the stunning cinematography to Theron‘s own stunt work.
A Forced Soundtrack With An Even Messier Structure
In spite of that excellent staircase sequence, Atomic Blonde‘s story structure fails to bring stakes to Theron‘s character and her action. A lot of the time, the film cuts back to her character sitting in a room being interrogated, which cancels any doubts of her dying along the way. Although she gets brutally beaten at some points, there’s always that awareness in the back of your mind that you know she’ll get out alive. While that doesn’t completely render the action mute, it definitely makes an impact on your level of stress.
Like Edgar Wright did so effortlessly a while back, David Leitch is unable to artistically infuse his ’80s pop-hit soundtrack to his style. Throughout the film, there’s never a moment where the songs feel genuine to the story, the atmosphere, or the style. Leitch will either crank a song that feels too on-the-nose or a German cover of an ’80s hit (just to remind its audience that we’re in Berlin). It seems just like a brainless decision that is inspired by the era of the film rather than the style of the film.
Badass Women In 2017
What ultimately saves this movie is Charlize Theron‘s involvement. She doesn’t shy away from doing her own action scenes, much like her male counterparts in the genre. She proves with this and Mad Max: Fury Road that she’s ready to be a badass action movie star. You can see her passion and her devotion shine through in her performance; with the advancement of women in film this year, Theron should get added to the list. We always knew that she had the acting chops, but now, we’re confident that she’s got the punches as well.
And it’s time that we start having more women starring in action movies. Wonder Woman proved that there is a market for it, while Gadot and Theron show that women are capable of delivering edge-of-our seat action. In particular, Atomic Blonde emphasizes that badass women shouldn’t only be for the blockbuster scene but also for the indie scene. There are some genuinely good aspects in Atomic Blonde, but to think that it could’ve been better, now, that’s the real disappointment.
Atomic Blonde: Conclusion
If there is any headline that should come out of 2017 concerning movies, it is the betterment of the portrayal of women in films. Although this film will surely not be anywhere near my best of the year list, on its own, it’s a fun action flick that is rescued by amazing work from Charlize Theron. In the future, I sincerely hope that it becomes a franchise, and if it were to happen, like her cousin John Wick, the next installment could certainly improve upon the potential of Atomic Blonde. Surely, potential is not what’s missing here.
What are your thoughts on Atomic Blonde? Do you see advancement in how women are portrayed in film this year?
Atomic Blonde will be released August 9th in the UK and was released on July 28th in the US. For other release dates, click here.
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