Review of Atomic Blonde (2017) by Reel Life R — 08 Aug 2017

Atomic Blonde - Music and mood get as much out of this recycled spy story as possible, but it never gets north of average.

I've mentioned scores and soundtracks in so many of my reviews lately that I was going to try to back away from the topic for a while. And then Atomic Blonde plays some of my favorite 80's tunes throughout. What's a boy to do? It felt like I was watching a music video the whole time. By that I mean I was tapping my toes, but not really connecting with the story.

If I thought Emma Watson looked bored in The Circle earlier this year, Charlize Theron was absolutely catatonic in this one. Maybe she was just trying to focus on her English accent, something I've never bought from her in any of her films.

All too often she is attacked by two guys at once, but one of them is essentially just waiting his turn to get beaten up, not actually engaging. They also attempt to do the stitched editing a la Birdman during these scenes, but fail miserably. The cuts are so noticeable that I'm left wondering why they were even trying to disguise them. Would it really detract from the scene to cut away to a different angle or take? One attempt is a transition from an exterior shot to an interior, but someone forgot to tell the hairdresser. Much like plot holes in other movies, you're just creating your own inconsistencies. Stop outsmarting yourself!

James McAvoy of course kills it in his seedy supporting role, but I'm impressed yet again by Sofia Boutella. While she wasn't given a lot to do as the titular character in The Mummy, she still brought what she could to that role. She's given much more to work with in this movie, and ends up out-performing the lead. I hope her opportunities keep coming.

A little Jane Bond, a little Joan Wick, but there's nothing really original here. Once again it's the overall vibe and the performances by the supporting cast that make the final score higher than it would have been otherwise. At least I'll have a new soundtrack for Spotify.