Author: Christopher William Kinsey

Anna is no Atomic Blonde

Anna is no Atomic Blonde

Anna is going to be one of those films that develops a cult following in the years to come. It’s certainly not one that’s impressed at the box office and it hasn’t been showered with kind words by influential critics. That’s a shame and an oversight. Luc Besson’s latest movie deserved a little more attention.

It’s far from a masterpiece and this isn’t a fanboy review. There is also an argument there’s nothing entirely new here. Beeson’s best film, La Femme Nikita, is effectively given a modern makeover, albeit with a Cold War take. This has led to comparisons with Atomic Blonde (another underrated film) but they are different beasts.

Atomic Blonde’s Lorraine Broughton, played by Charlize Theron, is a fully-formed MI6 agent sent to Berlin to find a double agent. There are hints of backstory and an noticeable attempt to appear flash and cool. It’s based on a graphic novel and compared to Anna the characters do feel like something pulled from the pages of a comic book. This isn’t a bad thing, it just isn’t a Luc Besson thing.

The fight sequences between the two movies take different approaches too. Atomic Blonde’s only become clear when viewed as a whole. In the early phases of the film, the action combat lacks impact, appears substandard. The final fight is so slick, clever and dynamic its as if director David Leitch found an extra set of gears.

It could be a clever trick: set the bar low, then blow them away.

Beeson’s build is more character focused. Like La Femme Nikita, violence is thrown at the viewer early on, this adds to a visceral feel. The movie is about Anna’s journey from a person who has nothing, no choices, to becoming a primed assassin. Each action sequence matches the state of her development perfectly.

Anna does subtle time jumps, back and forth, laying the breadcrumbs for everything that follows. With this being a Hollywood friendly version of the Nikita framework, nothing is unforeseen and all ambiguity explained. Beeson even reuses a closing scene from La Femme Nikita with two of Anna’s acquaintances sat at a table wondering where she is. Unlike the former film, an extra fifteen minutes is added to fully explain.

Both movies have a strong supporting cast. James McAvoy is a zany support to Theron’s blonde of the picture’s title and Cillian Murphy channels his best Michael Keaton in every scene he shares with Sasha Luss. She plays a good Anna, a woman with a singular drive – freedom. Based on this performance, she should be free to choose her next role.

A Week is a Long Time in Politics, A Year is a Short Time in Writing

A Week is a Long Time in Politics, A Year is a Short Time in Writing

After a sabbatical, the time has come to relaunch The Kinswah Reflective. Relaunch is too grandiose a term when we’re not even refreshing the header section or changing the font. Maybe a discrete stepping out of the shadows is a more fitting term.

The title of this post plays on the old saying about a week in politics. At this point everyone takes a sharp intake of breath. They think: He’s going to mention the “B” word. I won’t. Well, not today. There’s much been said already and closer to the time, perhaps a rant on these pages wouldn’t go a miss. It’s also a handy way to cut the potential readers in half.

It’d be a great return if right now there was something tangible to show for the absence. Like a book deal or hosting a new football chat platform after years of stellar articles. Alas, I come empty-handed. The time not spent writing here hasn’t been wasted. Foundations have been laid elsewhere, and if all things go to plan (which would be a first), 2020 should see some fruits of that labour.

I did score a win in a short story competition which was also compiled into an anthology available on the Kindle store. This would usually be the opening to shamelessly plug a title but I can’t recommend a story I’ve not read myself. This poses the question: once an author cuts the apron strings with the work, does he ever check in with his creation? It’s also true that I’ve never read books released under my pen name, which makes research for sequels difficult.

It was strange to think after years of sports writing not a word has been said about Manchester City’s domestic treble in these pages, the rise of heavyweight boxing, the decline of Formula 1, or the best the small and silver screen have served up.

So much to write, so little time.