Atomic Blonde
by Kurt Johnstad (screenplay), Antony Johnston (based on the Oni Press graphic novel series "The Coldest City" written by), and Sam Hart (based on the Oni Press graphic novel series "The Coldest City" illustrated by)
87Eleven
When I first started seeing the previews for Atomic Blonde (Charlize Theron IS Jason Bourne!) there was a collective question of, “Is this super male gaze-y or not? I can’t tell from these two minutes but I think I’m gonna watch the shit out of this.”
This is a spy thriller set in Berlin around the week the Berlin Wall came down in 1989. Every intelligence agency in the world has people in Berlin, and there’s a list of every spy in the world that’s floating around, and Lorraine Broughton (Theron) is sent to Berlin to find it. She meets up with the British contact in Berlin (James McAvoy) and a French intelligence agent (Sofia Boutella) and there’s chases and brutal fighting and a kind of convoluted plot involving a double agent (because of COURSE there’s a double agent).
The framing device is Lorraine getting debriefed by her boss at MI6 (Toby Jones) and a representative from the CIA (John Goodman, who is FANTASTIC).
There are a bunch of interesting elements that make up this movie. Centering the plot around the days leading up to the fall of the Berlin Wall puts the whole thing into a specific context that would be missing from a generic “late 1980s spy thriller.” The background is full of news reports of protests and demonstrations, and there are a few hints of the other forms of resistance and life under a totalitarian regime (like the rip roaring black market in East Berlin of Jordache jeans and the underground punk scene).
As with James Bond, Lorraine has some inappropriate relationships, but unlike James Bond, she doesn’t limit herself to one gender. The sex scenes between Theron and Boutella are hot, and I’m not sure how to decipher if it’s male gaze-y or just gaze-y. Discuss amongst yourselves.
Also, since it’s set in 1989, the music is all 1980s classics, sometimes in German. It’s a solid soundtrack. “99 Luftballons,” “Under Pressure,” “Major Tom” and “I Ran (so Far Away)” are just a handful of selections. If there was an Oscar for “Assembling the perfect set of songs” this would have it, hands down. There’s a complete list here.
But let’s be real: the real reason to see this movie is to watch Charlize Theron kick a bunch of dude ass. The director David Leitch, is one of the co-directors of John Wick, so he’s got a lot of experience directing violence. (Also one of Lorraine’s many pair of boots is low-heeled, which makes for WAY more believable fight scenes, thank you very much.)
The fight scenes are BRUTAL, and choreographed in a way that makes sense for a woman of Charlize’s size and stature. She’s tall and strong, but still not as big or powerful as a lot of her opponents, so she needs to use her environment and different techniques in order to win. She’s also not invincible, so she doesn’t have the upper hand all the time. She wins her fights because she’s tenacious and smart and lucky. And she collects injuries as she fights her way through Berlin. Theron did intensive training to be able to do as many of her own stunts as possible, and it shows!
There’s a fight scene on a stairwell that has the appearance of a SEVEN MINUTE ONE SHOT that goes up and down and through an apartment and into a car. I think it took me a solid two minutes before I realized it was a one-shot, and it just. Kept. Going! These are technically difficult shots to do, and exhausting for actors, especially when they’re so physical. An article in Bustle explains that there are a couple of hidden cuts (which I suspected, due to how beat up Lorraine’s face gets as the fight goes on), but still, there are a lot of long takes that are super impressive feats for everyone involved.
We love Charlize around here, and she’s great in the role. I’ve never really figured out how I feel about McAvoy, but I liked him here, even if he always looked like he smelled of stale sweat and even staler alcohol. Thank god Boutella got something else this year other than chasing after Tom Cruise for reasons no one can explain.
I mentioned that the plot is super convoluted, and a lot of it doesn’t seem to make a lot of sense. The more I think about it, the more annoyed I get. Everyone is double crossing everyone else, I don’t know what at least two of the bad guys were doing, and there are a couple of plot threads that just drift off. There are a couple of twists at the end that just made me tired, and while I knew walking in that the movie clocked in at just shy of two hours, the pacing is such that at some point I felt like I had been there forEVER and there was at least a half hour of plot left.
All in all, this was fun, if brutal. It’s a hard R rating (and if you’re also a horror wimp like me, be mindful of the trailer for Stephen King’s It you’ll probably get). If violence to a good 1980s soundtrack is what you want, this is made for you.
Atomic Blonde is in theaters now. Tickets (US) are available at Fandango and Moviefone.
I saw the movie with two friends and as we walked out I said, “Okay, so what happened?” they both just shrugged. I had to look up not one but TWO separate “Explain the ending of Atomic Blonde” articles and I still feel kind of dissatisfied.
I haven’t seen John Wick but I gather that it’s not that complicated, motivation wise. Just lots of revenge killing. With Atomic Blonde, there are a whole bunch of people who do startling things and I never really understood what was driving them.
Let alone, like, who put that gun in the ice? WHO PUT THE GUN IN THE ICE?
Also, my vote goes for “super male gaze-y” — on the one hand, I can believe that ladies would hang around their hotel rooms dressed skimpily while doing their spy-chores. On the other hand, this is Cold War Germany in the middle of winter and that’s an AWFUL lot of buildings with REALLY great central heading.
There were some moments where the nudity seemed stark or de-sexualized, like the ice bath; but the bit afterwards, where Charlize is hanging out at her mirror in the nude? Pretty gratuitous. One of the people I was with said, “I feel like half that movie was directed by a teenage boy” & I thought she was right.
This movie is all about Charlize Theron. The setup, the wardrobe, the fight scenes, the sex scenes were all for her. I couldn’t imagine another actress in this role. And I loved the 80s synth soundtrack.
I was not a fan of McAvoy in this one. He tried to chew the scenery, but just mashed it all up. He should have taken the “less is more, let Charlize shine” approach that Tom Hardy took in Fury Road. And I NEVER wanted to see Professor X in a mesh tank top.
The plot was a total cluster Fuck.
Atomic Blonde is worth a watch, but wait until it’s on Netflix.
I found this a great summer action movie; when watching action movies I prefer to let go of the plot and just go along with the ride, and this movie delivered. I particularly enjoyed, though YMMV, that Lorraine didn’t need a Tragic Backstory to be able to kick butt.
I was enjoying it until…
But Charlize looked great and kicked ass (the fight scenes were fab) so there’s that.
Sorry I tried to put spoiler tags on that but it didn’t work :/
@Aislinn – no worries, all fixed
@Erin – now I want a book that’s all “ladies doing spy chores.” That’s the kind of competence porn I’m looking for!
@Erin @SBSarah: Try reading the graphic novel The Coldest City. It’s the source material for this movie, and while Charlize Theron is terrific, the book is far more satisfying.
Saw it, loved it and planning a return viewing so I can enjoy it more.
Bought the soundtrack – if you grew up in that era, as the hubby and I did, it’s lovely to listen to. And the action scenes…
Whoa.
Plot is confusing, but definitely a movie worth watching, IMO. Add in Wonder Woman and you’ve got two strong women rocking the movie screen this summer.
I like.
😉
I saw this and flat out adored it and I’ve been dying to talk about it.
I’m still not sure if it was super male gaze-y or not, because I got the sense while watching it that Lorraine has a different relationship to her body than I’ve ever seen on screen. It is, much like her guns, a weapon. A thing. Not something she’s attached to. The opening nude scenes did have the camera pan her body… until you started to realize that this was a woman who had had the ever loving shit beaten out of her, and much like that amazing fight scene the camera made it into something brutal rather than sexy. Kind of like how quick glances are flirty but long, unblinking stares can be really unnerving. It’s an inversion, I think, but a subtle one.
I’m a big fan of Stahelski and Leitch’s work on John Wick, and I was so happy they got to carry over some of their great fight choreography work here. One of their trademarks is realism: bullets aren’t infinite so you have to reload your gun, and you’re going to get brutally beaten and tired the longer you fight. Some young guys were sitting behind me and they became audibly uncomfortable (nervous giggling at weird moments, fidgeting, one going “uh, dude, this is..”) as the one-shot scene dragged out, because between the lack of music and the sheer brutality of it it’s horrifying. It’s what I love best about their work: they’ll make their violence stylish as hell, but they don’t glorify it or romanticize it. And it’s made clear that their violent protagonists are Not Good People.
I LOVED the plot. It made my mystery and thriller loving soul very happy, and I was able to keep track of what was going on even as I was second guessing myself. The very end blew me away, and turned this into a movie that I’m going to buy. I’m still squeeing thinking about what a complicated tangle it all was.
@Erin Satie: the very familiar looking bellhop, who they only showed for a few seconds, is the one who put the gun in the ice bucket. I think he’s part of the same team as the very familiar looking guy who drove her to the airfield at the end. Sorry for being obtuse, I’m trying to avoid spoilers!
NomadiCat — you’re right, I remember the bellhop. In fact, I think this is one of the things I was chatting about after the movie & we came up with the answer and then I just lapsed back into confusion. But the bellhop never enters the room so we’re supposed to make he connection.
I definitely see what you mean about the body-as-weapon, body-as-thing and there were moments where i think that angle really worked. The fight scenes really were great; the end of that long cut in the apartment building, when they’re both so exhausted, was completely believable and amazing.
But I got really distracted at some point by how smooth and unmoving Charlize’s face was, and then I started to notice how her lips had a very slightly ducklike profile, and while that botoxed, frozen look worked for her character it tilted my perspective a little.
Sarah– “Madame Spy took out her needle and thread and began sewing the bug into the hem of her blouse. She wore nothing but an uncomfortable bra and tiny panties, just in case her enemies had her on film, and smoked a cigarette in between stitches. After a long day of stabbing people with her stiletto shoes and evading cops on busy city streets through skillful maneuvering of her extremely memorable bright red Ferrari, she did so enjoy her down time.”
@Aislinn–I heard about that, too, and was super-disappointed that that was A) a plot point, and B) the “spur” or whatever that sends Lorraine charging into the film’s climax. There’s been a lot of discussion on whether it’s a classic plot point for this type of movie (how many times has James Bond been motivated by something very similar?) or yet another case of fridging.
NomadiCat – out of curiosity, do you remember what particular bits (obv. without giving spoilers) the teenage boys were getting uncomfortable during? I’m always sort of fascinated in cinemas to try and listen out for the reactions of people to certain scenes, especially scenes involving women behaving unconventionally, or women being treated brutally or unfairly, or characters expressing feminist attitudes. (Is that creepy, lol?)
@Nomadicat- wonderful review and dissection of a movie I haven’t even seen yet! You’ve totally sold me on this one. I am much more okay with and intrigued by gratuitous violence that feels real and lived in than I am with superheroes who tear up cities for reasons. It’s why the No Mans Land section of Wonder Woman was much more exciting than the end fight scene with the Big Bad.
@ErinSatie- if you publish that story, I’ll buy!
For me, this is a case of “plot? who cares about plot? I want to see Charlize kick all the ass.”
@Aislinn & @Lara: I forgot to mention in my original squee fest, yep, that part of the movie pissed me off. @Lara, you’re right in noting the larger discussion and I think there’s an unfortunate collision of tropes there– a subversion of one, an homage to one, and a tragic adherence to a third.
@Lucy: they were explicitly uncomfortable during the staircase fight. At the top of the staircase they were visibly pleased, during the bottom of the staircase they got quiet, and then in the room they were audibly uncomfortable. I think it was a combination of how unrelenting it was, how realistic the injuries were, how brutal it was, and the lack of soundtrack throughout. Music, I think, adds a fantasy element where you can appreciate it as art and not think about what you’re actually seeing. I’m not sure their discomfort was explicitly about seeing a bunch of men trying to beat a woman to death, but I based on some of their comments as we left the theater, I do think they registered on some level that Lorraine Broughton didn’t give a damn if they thought she was sexy or not.
I went with another friend of mine and we both utterly loved it. The fight scenes -where people actually get hurt and things you don’t see coming happen – were particularly realistic.
It does have the same plot as literally every spy novel my Dad read in the 1980s, but it’s incredibly atmospheric and evocative of the time. (Except there WERE NOT enough shoulder pads. The 80s were all about shoulder pads).
I thought that Lorraine’s use of her body and FASHION as a weapon was really interesting here. The clothing was super deliberate along with everything else. She dressed variously to be conspicuous and inconspicuous and there’s even a comment about wearing the wrong outfit in one scene.
It’s really a movie about out-prepping your opponent on every level – SPY CHORES. (Hence gun in ice. Lorraine had it placed there, she knew she’d need it.)
I didn’t find the twists or allegiances confusing, except for the ultimate revelation at the end, which surprised me and I thought was cool. However, I have seen a lot of spy stuff because of my Dad and maybe I was just well prepared for this, myself.
I’d rate it a B + rather than a B-. And I thought all the performances, including McAvoy, were solid.
And in reference to the redacted spoiler – there was foreshadowing of it in reference to the character’s novice status in a game played by experts. And we see the mistake that causes it right on screen. Yes, it fits with the trope, but it also totally is part of the world and plot of this movie, it didn’t feel like punishment, except for not being vigilant enough.
I would watch solely for the soundtrack–I owned many, many of these songs (on vinyl) back in the day. But Charlize kicking ass is a great bonus.
I loved Atomic Blonde for many of the reasons already pointed out by others, such as the demonstrated consequences of fight scenes, the difficulty of figuring out who could be trusted and about what, the ultra-competence of Lorraine, and the tragic losses that happened at a time when a single day’s events could change everything (trying to avoid spoilers there).
I didn’t find the film confusing, I found it to be a mystery with a great plot twist at the end. Knowing the ending made me want to rewatch the film because a number of things became a lot clearer. So I do agree it was a challenge to follow, but not because the movie was confused about what it was doing. Instead it was because it was hiding things from the audience until the end.
That said, my partner, who often has trouble following plots, particularly because his seeming face blindness has him confusing who all the characters are, will have to see this on DVD where he can pause and rewind to keep things straight. In some ways I see the film as similar to what people report as the immersion of Dunkirk. You’re being dropped into a city where confusion is reigning and everyone has their own agenda.
@yourlibrarian – I had trouble telling faces apart as a kid and am still not as good at it as most people are, so I often have your partner’s problem – good to know there are other people who do!
And I seldom watch movies but I am so so tempted to watch this one now. Spies + convoluted plot + stylish visuals + ’80s soundtrack + Charlize Theron kicking ass and making out with variously gendered people = Althea Nip Salad.
Have not seen this movie, but I have to agree about the preview for Stephen King’s It – eek. I first saw the It preview when my husband and I saw Baby Driver (please don’t get me started on how much I hated that I movie – I ranted about it for a full 20-30 minutes to my husband afterwards). So then I went to see The Big Sick with my mom and the It preview started playing and I am like ok I am going to be brave and watch it – I have already seen it how bad could it be? I made it like 10 seconds and then I was like nope, gotta shield my eyes – Mom tell me when it is over!