Anna (2019)

"Anna" is never a particularly compelling film, but at the same time, I don't think it was trying to be. It seems to aspire to be just a bit of bloody, gritty fun, as we following a tough-as-nails female KGB agent through a series of twists, turns and action set-pieces. And honestly, in that respect, it's more-or-less a success. I was thoroughly entertained throughout the two-hour runtime, even as the film became more ridiculous and convoluted.

Model Sasha Luss stars as Anna, a young woman who is drafted into the KGB and trained to be an assassin, and works under a handler named Olga (Helen Mirren) and an officer named Alex. (Luke Evans) However, when she is found out by the CIA, she agrees to become a double-agent for the Americans, setting off a chain of treacherous events that will leave her torn between two nations, and struggling to find freedom

"Anna" is another entry in a long line of female-centric action films from troubled writer/director Luc Besson. From "La Femme Nikita" to "The Fifth Element" to "Lucy, " Besson certainly seems to love a rough and tough warrior woman. And while this may be one of his weaker efforts, it's still a decent bit of entertainment. Say what you want about the man given some icky recent accusations against him... but Besson certainly knows how to put on a show.

Luss leads the film with a surprisingly solid performance all things considered. This is only her second film, and I do think she has quite a bit of potential. I'm definitely interested to see where her career goes over the next few years. Mirren and Evans are good fun in their roles - especially Mirren, who really loses herself in her part and is barely recognizable. And supporting parts played by the likes of Cillian Murphy and Lera Abova are all very well-cast. Murphy in particular does an excellent job as a CIA agent whose relationship with Anna is interesting to say the least.

While Besson's script does rely a bit too much on old clichés, I actually think the overall narrative is a bit cleverer than people make it out to be. The film is told non-chronologically, with some scenes being revisited multiple times from different perspectives, and the story being told over a number of years that the film leaps back and forth between. It keeps you on your toes, and questioning everything you see. And as expected, Besson's visual direction is as eye-popping and kinetic as always. There are some really great stand-out scenes, and a small slew of excellent action set-pieces that will have you on the edge of your seat. A giant fight sequence set in a restaurant in particular was absolutely fantastic.

Where the film does fall a little flat is those aforementioned clichés and the fact that this feels like it's treading familiar ground a bit too much for Besson. Even though the narrative itself is cleverly assembled, that doesn't stop the film from exploiting many of the same old tropes you'd expect from a film like this. And like it or not Besson has made films like this before. And made them better. So it can at times feel a little anti-climactic in comparison to his earlier work. Finally, there's the fact that the movie is filled with some frankly bizarre timeline errors. Most notable is the fact that the bulk of the plot is set in the 1980's and 1990's... and yet people are using modern technology throughout the movie. It's kind of hard not to notice these issues from time to time.

Still, I can't help but say I had a blast watching this movie, and I could definitely see myself watching it again. It may not be the strongest movie Besson has released, but you could certainly do a lot worse. It aims to entertain, and entertain it does. And I'm giving it a solid 3.5 out of 5. (Rounding up to a 4 for MovieMistakes).

TedStixon