Red Sparrow

[willywhit]

Best spy movie I've seen in awhile, plus Jennifer Lawrence naked, a lot.

[MontuckyFried]

Just watched that one last weekend. I can see how it's polarizing, but I ended up liking it a lot. I was indeed shocked to see Jennifer Lawrence playing such a mature role. She's come a long way since the Hunger Games, that's for sure. She rocked the part. In that classroom scene where she turned the tables on her attacker, my brother and I looked at each other like "Did that seriously just happen?!" Funny how many reviewers out there REALLY misinterpreted that and other scenes in the movie, completely missing the points.

Anyway, Red Sparrow gets a thumbs up from me. I actually came to make a thread about this one, but saw you did it first, Willy. Perhaps we're the only two people here who watched it? I do think this one kind of flew under the radar.

EDIT: For those who are interested in watching it, just know that I think something that threw a lot of people off was how the movie's pacing and feel is not quite like the trailers portray. The preview made it look like some sort of a high octane Bond film. In reality, it plays out very slowly, very somber, with just a few actiony scenes peppered in there. It's a long, slow film. Go in there knowing that and it might help your expectations. I loved the film, but I HATE it when previews misrepresent movies. I remember that happening to Gattaca. Fantastic movie, but there was lots of initial disappointment with moviegoers when it came out. Lots more examples like that. Stupid Hollywood. Haha.

[plugboots]

It didn't get promoted much. Good flick though. I like these badass woman-as-spy movies. I watched this not long after "Atomic Blonde" I'm psyched to see the new "Girl With the Dragon Tattoo" with Claire Foy.

[Elkhound Odin]

I read a review, from a woman, that basically painted the movie as an excuse by male movie execs to force JLaw into a role for naked sexual abuse since they are having a more difficult time doing that IRL.

My wife didn’t see that, just the opposite. Female inpowerment. She liked the movie a lot.


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[plugboots]

I read a review, from a woman, that basically painted the movie as an excuse by male movie execs to force JLaw into a role for naked sexual abuse since they are having a more difficult time doing that IRL.

My wife didn’t see that, just the opposite. Female inpowerment. She liked the movie a lot.


Sent from my iPhone using TGR Forums

JLaw talked about that, as I recall, because it came obviously after her naked pics were posted on the webz. Now I have to go and read what she said.

[MontuckyFried]

I read a review, from a woman, that basically painted the movie as an excuse by male movie execs to force JLaw into a role for naked sexual abuse since they are having a more difficult time doing that IRL.

My wife didn’t see that, just the opposite. Female inpowerment. She liked the movie a lot.

Your wife interpreted correctly. What I loved about the protagonist's role was how she started out being blatantly used and abused, but then you see the switch where she takes over the power. It was painful to watch certain scenes for sure, but the payoff is most satisfying.

[El Chupacabra]

I thought it was crap. Pacing was intended to convey a feeling of importance/weight; instead, just felt slow.

Lawrence's accent was distracting during the entire movie.

[MontuckyFried]

I thought it was crap. Pacing was intended to convey a feeling of importance/weight; instead, just felt slow.

Lawrence's accent was distracting during the entire movie.

Fake Russian accents are certainly an annoying phenomenon, but it's a common Hollywood trope for some reason: https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/FakeRussian
Personally, I'd rather have real Russian speaking actors, speaking Russian, and using subtitles, but I think I'm in the minority on that one when it comes to the general movie going public. In Lawrence's case, I'll allow it. She did great IMO and I just tried my best to ignore the whole Russians speaking English with each other but with heavy accents. Her accent was no worse than we've seen in many other popular movies.

I thought the pacing was fine, but I don't mind painfully slow movies either. But then again, as a child, I grew up loving things like Space Odyssey 2001, Solaris (1972), Dune, and other ones that might put today's more ADD-prone crowd to sleep. Haha.

[dookeyXXX]

I agree that the trailer was quite misleading.

However...

I thought it was crap. Pacing was intended to convey a feeling of importance/weight; instead, just felt slow.

Lawrence's accent was distracting during the entire movie.

I'm with Chup on this one.

Toss in Charlotte Rampling as the Russian headmistress and Joel Edgerton as the American spy and you had a trifecta of bad accents!

I just found the film to be generic (young girl turned into ruthless spy eventually turns against her trainers...Yeah, like we have never seen that story before) and plodding.

Fake Russian accents are certainly an annoying phenomenon...Personally, I'd rather have real Russian speaking actors, speaking Russian, and using subtitles, but I think I'm in the minority on that one when it comes to the general movie going public...

...but I don't mind painfully slow movies either. But then again, as a child, I grew up loving things like Space Odyssey 2001, Solaris (1972), Dune, and other ones that might put today's more ADD-prone crowd to sleep. Haha.

I am also with AFSA (at least in terms of watching films with subtitles)...I realize that having American or British or Australian actors portray Russians Is not new (look at the number of WW2-themed movies that had German characters portrayed by British or American actors speaking the Queen's English), but I am sure there are plenty of legit Russian actresses out there that could have done a much more stellar job.
And while I don't mind slow movies, Red Sparrow was not on the level of either Kubrick or Lynch.

[Flyoverland Captive]

Is this a remake of Secret Weapons?

https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0089983/

[stuckathuntermtn]

I thought it was crap. Pacing was intended to convey a feeling of importance/weight; instead, just felt slow.

Lawrence's accent was distracting during the entire movie.

The book was better. ha!

[dookeyXXX]

Is this a remake of Secret Weapons?

https://m.imdb.com/title/tt0089983/

Reading this old NYT review, it sure sounds like it!

https://www.nytimes.com/1985/03/01/a...et-spying.html

[capulin overdrive]

+1 for it being crap.

[klar]

The book was better. ha!

I agree. her character in the book is more interesting and seemed to have a lot more agency than the movie version. The whole ~sex~ aspect is portrayed quite differently. In the movie, iirc, the first guy she is supposed to seduce ends up raping her and after that she more or less manages to avoid doing ~the sex~ with gross guys for the kgb. Sex as part of her spy gig is constantly implied but doesn't actually happen, maybe the fantasy wouldn't work as well if it did?

In the book she is disgusted by the gross guys but sleeps with them anyway to get what she wants, this includes the first guy mentioned above. By the end of the third book (yes, I read all three) she is chief of the kgb spy section, reporting only to putin, whom she is also sleeping with (again, she is disgusted but puts up with it for influence and better double agent spying opportunities). she occasionally dreams of running off with the cia dude but we know it wont happen, although he repeatedly asks her to and she has the option. In the end, cia dude is beaten to death while she watches. Instead of some desperate, heroic plot twist to save him, the story ends with her walking away from that with her fellow kgb bosses to a continued high power career of ruthless spying.

I was in the middle of the third book (where events are set in current times, partially in the US, and Putin plays a major role) when the Maria Butina story started showing up everywhere. Life imitates paperback thrillers, I guess?


edit: as for movies of this general kind, this one reminded me of Salt (the one where Angelina Jolie more or less has JLaw's role), although Salt seemed more unabashedly entertainment a la James Bond without the undertones of having some kind of deeper message. Also enjoyed Atomic Blonde. Watched all of those on planes, also read most of the three red sparrow books on planes. All of the above are great for getting through a long flight without thinking a lot!

[MontuckyFried]

By the end of the third book (yes, I read all three) she is chief of the kgb spy section, reporting only to putin, whom she is also sleeping with (again, she is disgusted but puts up with it for influence and better double agent spying opportunities). she occasionally dreams of running off with the cia dude but we know it wont happen, although he repeatedly asks her to and she has the option. In the end, cia dude is beaten to death while she watches. Instead of some desperate, heroic plot twist to save him, the story ends with her walking away from that with her fellow kgb bosses to a continued high power career of ruthless spying.

I was in the middle of the third book (where events are set in current times, partially in the US, and Putin plays a major role) when the Maria Butina story started showing up everywhere. Life imitates paperback thrillers, I guess?

Makes you wonder if they're planning on following the movie up with the sequels. They certainly left it wide open for that! Sucks about that poor CIA guy, but I'm actually kind of surprised that didn't end up happening in the movie already (you know the scene I'm talking about).

As to the movie's haters, I do get it. Like I said in my first post, it really is a polarizing film for a ton of reasons. At least the varying opinions makes for some great post-movie talk, whether or not you liked it, huh?

[stuckathuntermtn]

I thought I posted this hours ago, but I guess not. Yes, there are two more books (if the 3rd one is even out yet).
And gotta love when they say being naked was so empowering. Bitch, have you seen yourself?

[MontuckyFried]

And gotta love when they say being naked was so empowering. Bitch, have you seen yourself?

Not quite sure I follow. Could you clarify what you mean?

[Mofro261]

Not quite sure I follow. Could you clarify what you mean?

pretty sure that translates as "being naked is empowering...when you are beautiful"

[stuckathuntermtn]

Not quite sure I follow. Could you clarify what you mean?

It's not really empowering when every woman already wants to be you and every guy already wants to be in you.
Not that I'm opposed. God, she's beautiful.