3 Short Paragraphs: The Rhythm Section

2020, Reed Morano (I Think We're Alone Now) -- download

What would it be like to lose most of your family, instantly, forever, and through the actions of Evil Men? Utterly devastating, of course, completely soul breaking, especially if you were to learn that these men were still walking around. Especially when you are weighed down by the fact you should have been with your family, but made excuses to not be. It would break most.

Stephanie Patrick (Blake Lively, The Shallows) should have been on the flight with her family, when the flight was downed by a bomb, killing all onboard. As her soul collapsed, she became a drug addled prostitute, until she is approached by a journalist who has information about the man who bombed the flight. She tries to take action herself, and confront the bomber, which only ends up getting the journalist killed. Not long after the journalist's murder, she finds herself led to a disgraced British intelligence agent (Jude Law, Sherlock Holmes), who trains her and sets her up to track down those her caused her grief.

Unlike other movies, where the object of revenge spends months, or years training, to become the agent of justice, the "training montage" (for lack of a better term) is rather brief, rather muddied, very subdued. "B" (Law) knows he cannot take a soft college girl turned addict into a proper agent, but he provides her just enough so he can manipulate her into doing the work he cannot. It is this grim note that defines the movie, giving barely a passing nod to the Bourne movies that so obviously inspired it. This movie is not about the inexplicably capable revenge seeker, but more about how grief can break you, but also help you steel yourself into doing normally unthinkable acts. Lively plays Stephanie sincerely and emotionally, but it felt like the rest of the movie wanted her to be a sexy Women With Guns trope, which ultimately, the conflicting tones, led to an unsatisfying movie.