I just tore myself away from reading about American neo-nazi rallies and imminent nuclear threats on twitter so forgive me if a film lousy with scenes of a woman LITERALLY SMASHING PEOPLE TO BITS get my emphatic approval, but there it is. Atomic Blonde is the tonic we are all looking for in this armageddon summer.
Based on the graphic novel "The Coldest City", The plot uses a flashback device to tell the story of MI6 Agent Lorraine Broughton being interrogated in the present to tell her (admittedly quite convoluted) tale of international spies chasing a cache of information before it falls into the hands of the KGB. To locate us in this evocative moment in Berlin 1989, just days before the Berlin wall falls, a montage of grimy street scenes, graffiti and the eerily prescient Ronald Regan quote "We don’t mistrust each other because we’re armed; we’re armed because we mistrust each other” co-mingles with the ever-perfect strains of New Order's Blue Monday. The film doesn't so much begin as LAUNCH, gliding along Peter Hook's darkly perfect bassline into a moody, blue atmosphere of intrigue.
Filmmaker David Leitch is an established stunt-director-turned-filmmaker with barely a director credit to his name (he is said to have been responsible for "some scenes" in John Wick) but holy hell does this guy have chops. Armed with a phenomenal cinematographer (Jonathan Sela) this movie is a mic drop of style and swagger. They wash the screen in dark blue and garish pink and make each frame jump off the screen like a painting. Neon is employed in a sexy, seedy way not perfected like this since Miami Vice. The set design throughout is really sensational and evocative - you can tell that for the Production Designer, it was a labor of love. It's a stunning-looking film from top to tail - a complete eyeball massage of perfect shots - at times I had to catch my breath.
The soundtrack is impeccable and used with gusto. I am obviously the bullseye demographic for this film since the whole thing was like my own personalized Pandora channel of 80s new wave, pop and post punk delights: Depeche Mode, The Clash, Bauhaus - by the time they got to Siouxie and the Banshees I was practically giddy. Sprinkle in Public Enemy and a fight scene specifically choreographed to George Michael's Father Figure my eyes were rolling back in my head. I get that it's gimmicky to use popular music instead of scoring a film these days but I'll stand by it in this case - it feels entirely fresh, it's an integral part of the overall effect here and it works.
And we haven't even got to the best part. The trailer for this film made you thirsty for maximum Charlize Theron and we are not disappointed. Post- Mad Max: Fury Road, Theron has become the punk priestess of pissed off female action stars. A combination of impossibly smouldering good looks with Oscar-winning acting chops: an intoxicating combination. Now that she's added "extremely talented martial arts fighter" to her arsenal, she seems immortal. Training vigorously for months, Charlize showed an uncanny aptitude for MMA brawling. Leitch even re-designed the shooting plan when the team realized that she could soundly complete up to 30 moves in succession (her dance background probably helped). As a result, she completes every stunt that insurance will allow. Does it really matter? Hell yes. Technically speaking, the team is free to explore the action in long takes, luxuriating in the ballet of martial arts that makes it such a compelling fight style, without all of the cop-out cutting and pasting that is usually required to "create" these scenes in post. There's no movie magic here, just a bad-ass 41 year-old amazon beating the living shit out of bad guys with her bare hands, lamps, corkscrews, chairs and anything else she needs to grab to get the job done.
If you've heard anything about this film, you've heard about the 12 minute "single take" (there are actually a few seams but whatever) fight scene and it will go down as one of the finest of its kind. The scene took four days to complete and it's no wonder. Every second of the 12 minutes demanded tight precision and choreography on the part of the camera, the crew and the multiple characters on screen. To watch Theron grind through this encounter in wide shots - to actually SEE HER FIGHT - is incredibly edifying on every level. It is the one instance in the film when the filmmaker chooses to drop the soundtrack and just hear the sound of groans and bones crunching. When all is said and done and Theron growls "Am I a bitch now?" - it's worth the price of admission.
Theron really carries the film, effortlessly serving up runway-shaming glamour with monochromatic costuming that is jaw-droppingly perfect. It's hard not to compare this film to the Bond franchise in this regard because they both worship at the altar of perfect tailoring worn by perfect bodies. It stands to reason that this spy, however, is a LOT more fun to dress.
I suppose it's time to mention her male co-star James McAvoy (and I will devote precisely the same amount of ink to him as we do to female co-stars in Bond films.) He's good. Impish to the point of being one-dimensional, but they have good chemistry (lots of rat-a-tat-tat back and forth that's reminiscent of Mr. and Mrs. Smith) and he's an actor with the talent to play opposite a master like her. Did I mention the female love interest? (maybe "love" is too strong a word). Not originally included in the graphic novel, Lorraine's affair with French spy Delphine (Sofia Boutella) was changed from a male relationship to female one to change things up. Just like in a Bond film, they tangle, tussle and tumble without getting sappy. How refreshing.
I realize that I sound like I've been gushing, so let me be clear: This is not a perfect film. The plot is a bit wonky near the end, some of the dialogue is cheeseball and the stakes are thin on the ground. I still loved it unrepentantly. Now let's address the violence. I know it's not for everyone - it's not for me, most of the time. I tend to fall asleep in action films because my eyes glaze over during the relentless, repetitive macho displays of aggression and ridiculous editing gymnastics. For this one, as violent as it is (and it is) I was on the edge of my seat and felt energized afterward. I'm no psychologist, but it stands to reason that the world is a dark place these days and we need some outlets to let the steam out of the kettle. It checks every box.
Go. Sit Back. Let the Atomic Blonde kick the shit out of people so you don't have to.
Consider it a prescription from Dr. Mama.