Director Francis Lawrence is probably best known for his work on the blockbuster “Hunger Games” franchise. Helming the final three movies of the dystopian series gave him quality time with the film’s shining lead actor, Jennifer Lawrence. Realizing what an amazing talent she was, Francis Lawrence was determined to allow the spirited JLaw to spread her wings even further. Just a few short years later the pair reunites for an espionage thriller based on a novel written by Jason Matthews. The fact that Matthews is a former Central Intelligence Agency operative, brings an intriguing sense of realism to The Red Sparrow.
When ballerina Dominika Egorova (Jennifer Lawrence) suffers a devastating injury while performing, it is her uncle who sees opportunity and seizes it. Vanya Egorov (Matthias Schoenaerts), a high level government operative, brings the somewhat naive Dominika under the fold where she ends up training in the Sparrow School, where agents learn how to use seduction and other forms of manipulation as effective tools for spycraft. Uncovering the identity of a Russian “mole” working with a CIA agent Nate Nash (Joel Edgerton) is the mission at hand, but in a movie about trickery and deception, be assured that there is more going on than is seen at first glance.
Francis Lawrence brings with him a very talented cast starting with Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Edgerton and Matthias Schoenaerts. Charlotte Rampling, Ciarán Hinds and Jeremy Irons are a few others that give The Red Sparrow a solid foundation from a performance perspective. In order for this type of movie to work, the acting must be first-rate, and it is. Jennifer Lawrence gives an admirable performance by displaying a varied rage of emotions throughout. From this one strong root, everyone else feeds off of her and blossoms. The comfort and chemistry between Francis Lawrence and Jennifer Lawrence (no relation, by the way) is the guiding light that leads the way for others. Last year’s Mother! (2017) and now her role here, goes to show that she is willing to step out of the box that others had previously placed her in, and give fans a more mature look at Jennifer.
While the pace may seem slow and a bit tedious at times, it’s that methodical intrigue and grit that will make this movie enjoyable by the time all is said and done. The plot is cleverly developed in a way to not reveal too much too soon. And even when you THINK you know, you don’t know. This is an aspect that is missing from many of today’s movies. I won’t go as far as to say that it gives a retro feel, but Francis Lawrence tries to make sure that audiences will be given something that they can call entertaining. With a 139 minute runtime, you might assume that you’re in for something that feels drawn out. By the end though, you should feel very satisfied. Red Sparrow is a very good mystery thriller that should be enjoyed in theaters starting March 2nd.
