Atomic Blonde (2017) Movie Review

Official Atomic Blonde Néon Poster

The year is 1989 and Germany is going through intense times; the Berlin wall’s fall is imminent and riots between citizens and police forces are common. Oh, did I forget to mention the political layers of interest, working in the background, underneath the rubble of this uneasy situation? I did? Fine, let me track this from the beginning…

Alternative Atomic Blonde Noir Poster

Atomic Blonde is a complex movie, perhaps a little too smart for its own good, forged by David Leitch (who previously co-directed John Wick). It is an amazingly shot movie, highly stylized and polished. The soundtrack, filled with classic hits from the 80s, helps to reinforce this groovy aspect of the film. It is vibrant and the costume design was spot on. In its simplest form, this is a spy movie in which Charlize Theron’s character has a buck load of fight scenes and everyone is after a list containing the names of special agents’ true identities (familiar plot, isn’t it?): the list is, essentially, the McGuffin of the film; a mere plot device that drives the narrative forward. The filmmakers chose a non-sequential way of telling the story and, in this particular case, it lowers the stakes of the movie, detracting value from the overall experience. The story itself is filled with twists and turns and the plot often gets messy, resulting in a more convoluted narrative.

Still of Toby Jones, John Goodman and Charlize Theron performing the interrogation scene in Atomic Blonde

Atomic Blonde, being a spy movie, is brimming with unscrupulous and questionable characters. Needless to say, James McAvoy is great as usual, starring here as the official British asset in Berlin. Sofia Boutella continues her Hollywood journey with a small role, and John Goodman and Toby Jones deliver on a more grounded perspective. The problem I had with the characters was that you could not fully understand their motivations. Even after the credits roll, some stuff was ultimately left unanswered.

Still of Charlize Theron and James McAvoy walking down the alley in Atomic Blonde

What makes this film stand out, apart from its style (how cool were those outfits, back in the day?) and the peculiar song choices, is the action scenes, by far. They are comprised of one continuous shot, without quick camera cuts; the action simply flows, in a violent way. The editing is seamless and, thanks to the attention to detail and the obvious experience in crafting hand to hand combat by Leitch, you have visceral action sequences that feel real and gritty. One specific section comes to mind, as an example, that perfectly illustrates what I Just referred: a one-shot action scene with Charlize Theron (who endured a lot of stunt work to get in shape for the title role) taking place inside a building’s stairways. However, stunning action alone, does not make for a good film.

Still of Charlize Theron performing an action scene in Atomic Blonde

Long story short, Atomic Blonde has breath taking set pieces, infused with style, but I could not help but to feel that the story was somewhat lacking, unfortunately.

Having said that, I rate this movie with a C+. But, most importantly, what do you think about Atomic Blonde? Did you like it? Feel free to jump into the comments' section down below and share your thoughts.