Coming to theatres with a hearty punch of style and attitude, Atomic Blonde really knocked my socks off. Fully embracing it's late 80's setting as it infuses itself in an art-deco, neon infused aesthetic, this film was a rocking blast from beginning to end with some of the best executed action sequences I've seen in awhile.
MI-6 agent Lorraine Broughton (played by Charlize Theron) is sent to East Berlin to seek out the killer of a fellow agent and retrieve a stolen wristwatch that had a piece of microfilm inside that contained a list of all the active double agents. She is paired with undercover Berlin spy David Percival (played by James McAvoy) to try and recover the item. Almost upon arrival, Lorraine also finds herself having to dodge KGB agents that want her dead as well as the mysterious French spy Delphine Lasalle (played by Sophia Boutella). As her investigation progresses, she realizes the previous agent was betrayed by a traitor in their midst and has to smoke them out lest she wind up dead as well.
The film was directed by David Leitch from a script by Kurt Johnstad, based on the graphic novel by Antony Johnston and Sam Hart. The filmmakers of this clearly took a lot of inspiration from the graphic novel format in the way they framed their shots and the color palette of the film. It really visually recalled the style of that without going overboard. One of the biggest visual elements is the use of neon, which I noticed throughout the film in really unique ways that really brought the time period to life, as well as the stencil spraypaint aesthetic to the opening credits.
More than anything, this film will likely be remembered for it's action sequences and it has a few great ones. There is an early one where Charlize Theron takes on five goons with a garden hose as her weapon of choice, managing to take them all out before swinging out the window on it to make her escape. There is also a much bigger fight scene towards the end as Lorraine takes on several assassins targeting her and an asset, known as Spyglass (played by Eddie Marsan) that she is trying to get out of East Berlin. The fight takes place in the stairwell of an apartment building as Lorraine takes on the assassins, using whatever she can get her hands on to fight them off. This spills over into an apartment as she goes toe to toe with one assassin that just will not die before continuing down the stairwell and out into the street in one impressively long fluid shot. The fight just goes on and on as Lorraine uses everything, including a hot plate and the barrel of an empty rifle, to try and take these guys out. It's a brutal and violent fight sequence unlike anything I've seen since Patricia Arquette went toe to toe with James Gandolfini in True Romance.
The performances in the film are great. Charlize Theron owns the film as the fierce Lorraine who is willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done. She really gives the film her all and it shows on screen. Theron also brings something new to the screen with her character. She's not just a female Bond or something, but felt very much like a genuinely unique character who you always sense is holding something back. James McAvoy is equally fantastic as Percival, a spy who has probably been operating undercover for too long in East Berlin and whose allegiances have shifted to basically whatever benefits him best. You can tell McAvoy is having a blast with the part and he's a joy to watch.
The soundtrack to the film is impressive as well with one great 80's song after another, almost making the film a jukebox musical of sorts. The film makes some eclectic choices to set some of it's action sequences including an amusing use of "I Ran (So Far Away)" by Flock of Seagulls during a car chase. The film also includes the best use of David Bowie's "Cat People (Putting out the Fire)" since Inglorious Basterds. Bowie's collaboration with Queen, "Under Pressure" is used to great effect as well. "Blue Monday" by New Order also turns up in several forms throughout the film, making it a recurring theme of sorts.
Atomic Blonde is one of the best action movies I've seen in quite awhile. With a compelling plot, some incredible fight scenes to match and style to spare, this is also one of the more unique ones. It also has a great sense of humor that I really appreciated making sure the audience doesn't take it all too seriously, which is something I've always appreciated in a movie.
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