ANNA

France, 2019, 118 minutes, Colour.

Sasha Luss, Helen Mirren, Luke Evans, Cillian Murphy, Lara Abova, Eric Godon.

Directed by Luc Besson.

Over many decades, French writer-director Luc Besson has made a number of action films. In the 1990s, he created a female agent, La Femme Nikita. He also made a film about Joan of Arc as well as producing a great number of action shows like the Transporter series. He had various excursions into science fiction, science-fantasy, The Fifth Element, Valerian and the Thousand Planets.

With this film he returns to the tough female agent. Anna is played by Russian actress, Sasha Luss. There is an international supporting cast led by Helen Mirren as her control in the KGB, Helen Mirren relishing the severe operative, making huge demands on her agents. On the Russian side there is Luke Evans. On the American side, the CIA, there is Cillian Murphy.

The main aspect of the impact of the film is the construction of the screenplay. It continually moves backwards and forwards, giving explanations, further revealing details of plot, many of which are quite expected. As the audience puts together the pieces of Anna’s career, we see how she was recruited by the KGB, trained, under contract, tested very severely, under minute surveillance, sent to Paris as a model, but also as an assassin, observed by the CIA.

As the film progresses, with the moving to and fro in time eras, there are quite a lot of twists, agents, double agents, double double agents. While these aspects are quite interesting and entertaining, there are very grim fights, weapons, martial arts tactics, a high death count. Very much a Luc Besson film.

1. The films of Luc Besson, action films, espionage films, mysterious female leads? This film in that tradition?
2. The international settings, Moscow, Paris, Spain, the touch of the exotic, the mysterious? The musical score?
3. The time structure of the film, going backwards and forwards, revealing more and more information, the twists and the double agents?
4. Anna, her background in Russia, the introduction, at the stall, persuaded to become a model, going to Paris, her career and success, her murdering the businessman? The flashbacks and the flash forwards, her background, recruiting, interviews with Olga, proving herself, persuaded to become a killer, the training? Recruited by Alex, her relationship with him? Lenny Miller, the CIA, cat and mouse? Each side observing Anna, Olga and her continued surveillance, Alex, Lenny, her being trapped, the capacity for manipulation?
5. Anna, training, ability with weapons, the contract, her jobs, the timing, the restaurant and Olga waiting five minutes, the attack, the mission, her fighting, killing, getting more commissions? The film interspersed with these fight scenes?
6. Anna, fashion, her capacity as a model, the fashion shoots, the critical photographer and her turning on him? Friendship with Maude, the sexual relationship, out with her? Anna using her as cover? The holiday together?
7. Olga, her control, personality, her limp? Ever-present? Using Alex? The KGB chief, Anna playing chess? In the American pressure, her killing him, the escape?
8. The mistake on the mission, the issue of her watch, the delay, the Americans pressure on her, Lenny and his personality, his relationship with Anna, at the resort, at the end?
9. Olga, shrewdness, turning Anna back again, her taking the place of the chief? The irony of Anna taping Olga, and Olga admiring this?
10. The finale, Alex and Lenny, the meeting in Paris, the setup, Anna and her eluding them?
11. The blend of espionage, perspectives on the KGB, on the CIA, and the introduction of the violent assassinations and fight sequences?