IR Film Review: THE 355 [Universal]

The texture of a female led action film should not be considered an unbalanced affair and "The 355" proves that. From the first time this journalist heard a couple years ago around Cannes that Jessica Chastain was trying to bring kick ass women from all over the globe for a spy thriller, it was an instant sell. It spoke back to those Tom Clancy films with a bit of "Mission Impossible" on a slightly lower budget. It sounds great on paper and it is effective on screen because it doesn't pretend to be any more or any less. Some of the situations require suspension of disbelief but that was the case with most 90s action movies. The relationships, their functionality, motivations...all that makes sense. The baddie in the same way adheres to that 90s structure and is perfectly fine within that.

The casting including the back and forth between Diane Kruger and Chastain makes total sense. Penelope Cruz, even in her role though different than one might have thought, is not unexpected and still she brings heart to an already emotive cast. The only question which might have been part of the budget approval process is having a proven per se action director. Here it is Simon Kinberg whom Chastain had worked with on "Dark Phoenix". This, of course, is a better movie than that and one sees where it goes. The storytelling, the use of locations, tech, everything does fall into place. Chastain, having headlined "Zero Dark Thirty" earlier in her career has that same coolness on display and this is back to her having fun after some more intense dramatic turns.

There is weight here although her adversary is not written as well (but again that might be on purpose). Surprising though she did not think about Thirty's Katheryn Bigelow to helm (though studio politics about who is approved might be part of it). The story follows some spies from different countries having to band together when a piece of tech that could cause mass destruction gets in the open. The film is nicely executed, better acted than most similar action films in this genre and it crosses a lot of geopolitical and cultural lines while still having some cool action sequences, humor, locations, etc. "Red Notice" could take a note from this but it all comes down to timing but Chastain as the producer who shepherded this film through knew the world, her character and what she wanted to create. B-

By Tim Wassberg