• Movies

by Arcee on 01.24.12

For those of you tired of action oriented, loud spy flicks like Mission Impossible, I suggest you give Haywire by Stephen Soderbergh a try. While it does have some intense moments of action, the most interesting part of this film is the intrigue. The suspense at trying to uncover the ultimate motives that set the whole movie in motion. And really, isn't that what spy films should really be trying to achieve for the audience? Not that I don't like the Mission Impossible movies, I just want something a little more from a spy flick. And what this flick really brings to the table is intelligence.

The main focus of the story is on the mystery surrounding the betrayal of Mallory Kane (Gina Carano). Somewhere along the lines of her previous mission and her current one, someone set her up for a fall. But she is wise to the plot and escapes with her life. Now on the run from her former employer and government agents, Kane must use all her skills to clear her name and get a little revenge in the process. I know that may sound a bit cliche, but believe me, the way Soderbergh goes about revealing bits of the story is spectacular. While not heavy on the action, the plot reveals that pop up throughout the film are more than enough to hold your attention. By that same token, the fight scenes and action sequences are also good enough to stand on their own as well.

While Haywire may star relative newcomer and former Mixed Martial Arts fighter Gina Carano, she more than holds her own against an impressive ensemble cast that includes Michael Douglas, Antonio Banderas, Ewan McGregor and Michael Fassbender. You can see where her inexperience leads to some inconsistencies in her acting, but given who she is paired with and how well she performed for a vast majority of the movie, Carano does a great job and I would love to see her career go farther from here as she appears to have potential to be a good actress. If nothing else, her fighting prowess displayed in the film would make her an ideal action star. 

Haywire is everything you would expect from a Stephen Soderbergh film: intelligent, wonderfully paced and interesting enough to keep you on the edge of your seat. If you can look past the fact that there is more thought than action in this film, you will not be disappointed by the story. And watching Gina Carano breakthrough in this film is a wonderful addition as well. Beautiful and strong, she carries this film the whole way through. Personally, I know I will definitely be in the theater once agian to see Haywire in the near future.