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"Set eye lasers to kill." |
What happens when you take MMA fighter Gina Carano, a handful of veteran A-list actors, a few up-and-comers, and sometimes commercial filmmaker with an indie-film soul, Steven Soderbergh? You get this awful pun: "An art-minded action film experiment that went a little Haywire". Now that I got that out of my system...Haywire was a film conceived with the intention of making Gina Carano an 80's-style female action star who is believably capable of kicking wholesale ass. The finished product does deliver on that promise, but it may not be the action extravaganza some were hoping for.
Much like last year's Drive, Haywire is slower paced and, for lack of a better word, "artsy". In one chase sequence in particular, Soderbergh opts for minimal sound effects, black and white cinematography, and a jazz inspired score. This runs straight in the face of the typical slam-bang-pow of most action cinema. The film is full of deliberate pacing differences like this. In a movie where you know, sooner or later, someone is going to be kicked through a window, why rush things?
The slowing of the pace isn't to focus on the story though. The plot is secondary to the visual aspects of the film. If there is one weak element in Haywire, it is undoubtedly the plot. It is simplistic and predictable, but aren't most revenge movies? Just because the film is technically sound with a clear artistic bend doesn't mean is has to be intellectually heavy. The movie is about a woman seeking vengeance. People have wronged her and they will pay. I feel it's an even stronger testament to Soderbergh's talent. It's standard genre fare that is elevated through style alone. The only real downside is a few sequences bordered on the pretentious, which could alienate some viewers just hoping to watch Carano go house on Michael Douglas.
When it comes down to it the movie really succeeds because of Carano. She delivers in spectacular ways. She may not be a seasoned actress but she can put up a fight against anything with a heartbeat. During some of the slower moments you can almost feel her struggle to stay in character, which is fine given the character is a stone-cold killing machine and human emotion is something she has to pretend to feel anyway. Once she starts handing out beatings you forget about everything else, and just take it all in. It's refreshing to see an action movie with an "ass-kicking chick" and not have to pretend to believe what you're seeing. This isn't Angelina Jolie defeating 5 men at once using her ponytail. This is a trained killing machine doing her job and doing it well. She isn't really sexualized in the film either. No shots of her in various stages of undress, wielding dual .45's, and dropping bombs like "Say hello to the twins!". She is meant to be taken seriously. I chose the photo for the header of this review because I feel it encompasses that feeling. She looks like a soldier because she is.
At the end of the day this movie probably won't be popping up on any "Best of" lists, but it is thoroughly entertaining and a refreshing take on the revenge flick. January is infamous for being a dumping ground for Hollywood studios. They need to get their misfires out as soon as possible to try and get some kind of compensation for them without taking up valuable summer or fall real estate. With that being said, a film like Haywire is incredible compared to the competition. But I'm not convinced it will be one that really sticks with you long after you leave the theatre. Grade: B
The Good, The Bad, and The 'Verse



-Jeremy
jrperry@iamcinephile.com
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