When you hear information about a new movie from someone, it’s a good idea to listen carefully. When someone mentioned Atomic Blonde and told that it was directed by David Leitch I thought he said David Lynch. Now you have to understand that I am not someone who loves the work of Lynch, so I didn’t want to see the film anymore. Fortunately, I later heard that there was a connection with one of my favorite action films of the last couple of years, John Wick, and when I read more about the film, my mistake became clear. I’m glad that I saw the movie in the cinema, because for fans of action it is an unmissable title.
Lorraine Broughton (Charlize Theron) is a British secret agent in the eighties, who comes back from a mission and is debriefed. She has just come from Berlin, where she had the assignment to look for a list of all spies and agents after the murder of a colleague. Information that is extremely sensitive to the security services everywhere. Berlin, during a time when the wall is still standing, is a dangerous place for a secret agent and you have to be able to stand your ground to survive. She gets help from David Percival (James McAvoy), who is living like a king in East Berlin and asks Lorraine to help him smuggle a former Stasi agent across the border. She comes into contact with agents from various other countries, and not everyone is friendly and she can’t trust anyone.
If you had to explain Atomic Blonde, it’s a Jason Bourne / John Wick / Bond-like action movie, only with a woman in the lead, Salt but even better. The 80s vibe is great and for fans of tightly choreographed action there is a lot to enjoy. The highlight is a fight that lasts seven minutes (thanks to clever editing) and does not seem to end. When you think it is over it surprises you with more action and this scene alone is reason enough to see the film. Charlize Theron is convincing as a secret agent, but James McAvoy also clearly enjoys his role. Some people criticize the story for being difficult to follow, but I did not experienced that myself. There was constant tension, Lorraine slowly tried to get the necessary information while the viewer is also treated to a lot of spectacle. Wonderful.
