KATE

US, 2021, 106 minutes, Colour.

Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Woody Harrelson, Miku Patricia Martineau, Jun Kunimura, Michiel Huisman.

Directed by Cedric Nicolas-Troyan.

In more recent decades, there have been films about female assassins, like La Femme Nikita American version with Bridget Fonda,. And, given the popularity of superhero movies, audiences can begin to take female assassins for granted, especially the two sisters, the women and their training, in Marvels Black Widow.

This action thriller is in that vein – which means asking the audience to put some of the values in abeyance as well is to test their tolerance for grim sequences, a touch of the gruesome, a touch of blood and gore.

This film doesn’t waste any time, showing us Kate, a more than vigourous Mary Elizabeth Winstead who is both attractive and unattractive in herself and her work. But, in the episode, she fails to reach her target, alarming the teenage niece of the target.

And the setting is Japan (though some filming in Thailand). The target was a wealthy gangster boss travelling with his entourage. The hit was in Osaka – and some attractive and fine views of the city. The action transfers to Tokyo, again some fine views but, this time, going into the various neighbourhoods and the touch of the sinister.

But, who is Kate? She is a survivor, a young girl, victim of violence, and taken on by a mastermind, master-organiser, Varick (played by Woody Harrelson in his familiar style). Kate discusses matters with Varick who is a kind of father-figure. She exercises. She trains. She has a steady of a with a rifle. She is handy with knives.

In a moment of relaxation, she buys a new dress, dresses glamorously, goes to a bar, encounters a young man and goes home with him. But, like the old captain DOA drama of 1949, she is poisoned (this time with radiation) and determines to find who was responsible.

Kate is nothing if not determined and thorough, getting medication from the pharmacy to sustain her through her deteriorating condition. She tracks down the young man, gets help from his girlfriend, confirms that the gangster chief is after her. She also tracks down the niece, spirited leave disagreeable, get information from her, gets some of the thugs to come to rescue – with some expected mayhem sequences, a bit more than expected.

Despite her condition, she pursues her quest, getting the help of the niece, finding the gangster – and the Revelation of some twists (which, by this time, we were probably expecting). And, what is the role of Varrick and Mark

And, just as the film seems to end, with Kate’s succumbing, she revives there is another substantial part of the film to go. It’s as if there was in the filmmakers mind, there was to be a Kate 2, and now here it is as an epilogue, new alliances, new deceits and twists,

With all the grim stuff, Kate is ultimately for the fans only.

1. Title? Focus on Kate? Her background, training? Assassin? Employment, jobs? The final crisis, 24 hours – and the epilogue?
2. The Japanese settings, Osaka, Tokyo, filmed in Hawaii and Thailand? Cities and visitors? Neighbourhoods, nightlife? Suburbs? Homes? Offices? The musical score?
3. The tradition of assassin films? Female assassins? The John Wick tradition? Outside the range of the law? Companies and assassins? Laws unto themselves?
4. Kate, her age, experience, the flashbacks, tragedy in her life, Varrick and his care for her, the details of training, her tests, unloaded guns, knives? Her skills? Seeing her with Varrick, his commissioning her?
5. The case in Osaka, taking position, the targets, out of the car, the shot, the girl and her grief? The effect?
6. Transition to Tokyo, Kate with Varrick, keeping in training? The new task? Vengeance on her?
7. The episode out on the town, buying the dress, the encounter at the bar, going to the apartment, the identity of the lover, her returning to get the information, the woman helping her?
8. Her being poisoned, radioactivity, the visible consequences, the pharmacy, getting the injections and tablets? Keeping her going? The shot, going amiss? Varrick and his response?
9. The drama of the quest, Kate and her ingenuity, information from the lover, finding the young girl, taking her, conflict, getting information, tying her up, in the toilet, her getting free? The phone calls, the connections, delegation of authority, the gangs in the streets, the fights and the shootouts? The information about the official taking her father’s place? The apartment, security, the boyfriend, the fight? In the car, the shootings? The bonding with the girl, admiration, not telling her the truth about her father’s death? Going to the family house, the boss, dignity and honour, yet a gangster? The meeting with Kate? The talk about avenging?
10. The discovery of the truth about Varrick, confrontation with Kate, the girl shooting her?
11. The fight in the house, the confrontation, the boss and his delicate, his death? Kate and Varrick and the confrontation? Her being shot?
12. The 30 minute epilogue, like Kate II, her revival, the move to vengeance, Kate and the confrontation with Varrick? Kate’s future? The girl?