'The 355' film review: Chastain leads the all-star, sleek & fun spy flick
An A-list cast of today's best working actresses team up to kick all sorts of ass in the spy thriller 'The 355' (in theaters Jan. 7).
In short: International agents from across the world (Jessica Chastain, Penélope Cruz, Fan Bingbing, Diane Kruger and Lupita Nyong'o) race to get their hands on a dangerous decryption key before it falls into the wrong hands. Édgar Ramírez and Sebastian Stan also star.
Dismissing 'The 355' as just a 'girls kicking ass' action flick would be unfair to this fairly straightforward, well-executed popcorn action flick - that just happens to feature women kicking all the ass. Admittedly '355' has more in common with the pure fun of 'The Man from U.N.C.L.E.' than say a tone-driven spy drama like 'Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy.' This movie isn't trying to reinvent the wheel - and it doesn't have to because 'The 355' is actioner with more grit than one might expect.
The contrasting character dynamics forms the film's undercurrent, with each of the agents approaching the mission from incredibly different perspectives. It's funny that this flick's marketing describes Chastain's CIA agent as a 'wild card' when she's a 6 on the 'wild card' scale compared to Kruger's German character, whose total disregard for any rules always seems to take it to 11. Director, co-writer Simon Kinberg's script does a great job balancing team's deadshot aim and keen wit - while Nyong'o and Cruz might not have the body count of either Chastain or Kruger, their humanity grounds the team and quick thinking gets the team out of more than one dire situation.
Some spy flicks have focused on the pressure espionage puts on relationships while other movies have ruminated on the solitary existence of life as a spy. And rather than ignore the fact that this story features an all-female main cast, 'The 355' leans into this as a strength, rooting the film's real stakes in how (or if) the secret agents balance espionage and personal life. This is almost never addressed in any male-centered spy story, with the infrequent exceptions usually making the same statement: lone wolves sacrificing what's personal for the greater good.
Instead, 'The 355' finds its characters conflicted between doing what's right and the risk their jobs bring to their loved ones. The decryption thingamajig is a total MacGuffin. The simple, generic doomsday tech weapon keeps the plot moving along, but this script is firmly rooted in its characters. Yeah the fate of the world is in the balance, but that's almost treated as an afterthought. When the stakes matter most, the script makes clear what truly matters to these agents - and what they'll do to avenge or protect their friends and family. This makes the film feel much less abstract that say some 007 flick where Bond has to prevent the world from ending - lofty stakes the audience knows in their heart will never truly be at risk in the film ... whereas '355' finds much more personal stakes for the team.
This ensemble flick does tip its hand at times, but (as usual) being a "predictable" movie isn't necessarily a death sentence. 'The 355' just executes an entertaining actioner from start to finish. The few spots were the story does start to slow down are offset with some breezy and gritty action sequences and gives the four main agents their moments to shine. Sadly, Fan Bingbing gets the least screen time and, as a consequence, has the least to do in the film and has the least compelling arch.
Final verdict: 'The 355' is exactly as advertised - a shoot-em-up popcorn spy romp with some kick-ass fun and anchored solid performances from its stellar ensemble.
Score: 3/5
'The 355' opens in theaters Dec. 17. This film has a running time of 122 minutes and is rated PG-13 for sequences of strong violence, brief strong language, and suggestive material.
