We’ve seen this film. In recent years, it’s been called Atomic Blonde and Anna and Red Sparrow. But, let’s face it, Luc Besson made La Femme Nikita some thirty years before he made Anna; it’s the same film. It’s all the same film: an emotionally distant highly trained deadly supermodel assassin is having he past catch up with her. Ava is the same formula, 2020 style.
To be fair, Jessica Chastain is a great choice for this role; I find her emotionally distant even when she isn’t. So, nice casting there, folks.
It’s not that Ava (Chastain) necessarily likes to toy with her victims; she strikes the viewer as somebody who truly wants to enhance her knowledge base. Before she officially earns her paycheck, Ava likes to ask the bullet recipient if he knows why he’s been gifted in such a manner. I’d say it’s fascinating, but who wouldn’t know why they’re being assassinated? Does the attempt ever come out of left field? Do you see, say, Lincoln or MLK, Jr. as guys who say, “Whoa! Whoa! Whoa! What did I do?” And they weren’t even motivated by greed.
So I’m guessing Ava actually knows they know; she just wants to play this psychological game with them. Well, hey, I guess I was wrong; she does toy with her victims. And toy she does. And, seriously, if you’re gonna kill me, please just kill me. There’s no point in the “Twenty Questions” bullshit. I’m never going to think Trump was a anything but a dumpster fire, and I’m never going to forgive you for electing or attempting to reelect him. You’ll be wrong in mind when I die, and you’ll be wrong still long, long, long after that.
After this particular pre-credits hit, Ava gets summoned home, where her mom (Geena Davis, who had this role 24 years ago in The Long Kiss Goodnight) is in the hospital with plot construction disease. It’s been eight years since Ava hooked up with mom and her sister (Jess Weixler) and Common, the fella sis stole when Ava left to go kill people.
The other players in this drama are all heavies: Ava’s handler (John Malkovich), Ava’s handler’s handler (Colin Farrell), and the woman who owns 
Common’s law properties (Joan Chen). One half of this plot is about the false façade “I don’t even know you” side of Ava, while the other is full of puncture wounds. If Jessica Chastain were your sister, and you didn’t see her in eight years, and you found out that in that time she became a highly-paid international assassin, would you really be all that surprised?
Ava seemed a typical entry into this genre; this plot seemed standard and Jessica Chastain is neither the best femme fatale ever, nor the worst. Did we really need this film again? I don’t know. I’ve seen it a bunch now and -I’m sorry, but- they’re all sort-of up blurring in my mind into an amalgam of one woman who is both so super hot and icy cold that the fronts have met in my hippocampus and it’s started raining in my amygdala. If this is your thing, Ava will probably not prove and embarrassment, but there really isn’t much need for this film.
Ava’s path proved increasingly narrow
As she straddled the arc of an arrow
An assassin mystique
Proving highly unique
As an Anna Red Atomic Blonde Sparrow
Rated R, 96 Minutes
Director: Tate Taylor
Writer: Matthew Newton
Genre: The one where you assume Luc Besson is the director right up to the point where you wonder why there isn’t a Parisian car chase
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: People who dig hot female assassins
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: I’m guessing real life hot female assassins are sick of getting stereotyped
