THE 355

US, 2021, 123 minutes, Colour.

Jessica Chastain, Diane Kruger, Penelope Cruz, Lupita Nyong’o, Bingbing Fan, Sebastien Stan, Jason Fleming, Edgar Ramirez, John Douglas Thompson, Sylvester Groth, Jason Wong.

Directed by Simon Kinberg.

The 355 sounds like an interesting code reference. In fact, at the end of the film, it is explained that this was the number given to an anonymous agent at the time of George Washington. And she was a woman – and that was a reason for her anonymity. The women in this film begin as individual agents but band together choosing 355 as the code for their working.

It is noted that this is a feminist action film or, as some commentators say, a post-feminist action film. Be that as it may, whatever the intentions about promoting women in action starring roles, this is a female variation on James Bond films (and some reference to him in the screenplay) or some Mission Impossible adventures.

This is quite an international venture, the different nationalities of the leading actors, American Jessica Chastain, German Diane Kruger, Spanish Penelope Cruz (though her character is from Colombia), Lupita Nyong’o from Kenya, Chinese Bingbing Fan. And the supporting characters of men are also international, especially with Jason Fleming as a British Mr Big. And the locations are quite international – opening in Colombia, scenes in Washington DC, transition to Paris, a move to Morocco, and then Shanghai.

So, popular ingredients for this kind of action film. And it achieves what it set out to do, focus on the cast, focus on their action, remind us of international intrigue and espionage - not planning to be an intellectual exercise!

The Colombia opening introduces extraordinary developments in technology, huge potential for communication, huge potential for international surveillance and, more drastically, potential for international destruction. In the crisis in Colombia, the device is stolen, the Colombians behind the developments killed, and Mr Big thwarted. A Colombian guard steals the device (Edgar Ramirez) and proposes to sell to the CIA.

Enter the agents. Jessica Chastain, Mace, is tough-minded, ambitious, no slouch in martial arts. She works with her partner, Nick, Sebastien Stan. In Paris, their action is interrupted by Marie, Diane Kruger, a German agent. This leads to chases throughout Paris, through the Metro, the tunnels, the action is on. Meantime, the guard who stole the device is shot in company with his therapist, Graciealla, Penelope Cruz, who has been flown in from Colombia. Penelope Cruz turns out to be the most human and engaging of the women. The man who killed the guard and absconded with the device is then pursued by both Marie and Mace. In the meantime, Mace had gone to London to look up a former MI6 agent, Khadijah, Luptia Ngyong’o, who has all the surveillance skills needed for this kind of operation.

And then we are in Morocco, the device passed from contact to contact in the crowded streets, the women able to create all kinds of diversions and eventually get back the device. Handed over to the CIA. The women relax. A bad assumption – the CIA head is killed and the device taken by a Chinese agent!

So, although we have had international chases and intrigues, there is more, especially when an auction is set up in Shanghai as a cover to sell the device to international bidders. Quite a sumptuous affair, the women infiltrating, and some truths about the Chinese agent shifting perspectives on who the goodies and who are the baddies!

Needless to say, more action, much more action, confrontations, betrayals, and all the audience expects and more.

1. Title, the female agent in Washington’s time, anonymous, because female? 21^st-century equivalent group?
2. The range of locations, international, the opening in Colombia, time in Paris, in London, transition to Morocco, transition to Shanghai? Washington? International flavour? Musical score?
3. An espionage story, agent story, women agents? Parallels with films about male agents? Reference to James Bond? Mission impossible style thriller?
4. The opening, the cartel in Colombia, transition from drugs to technology, the raid, Elijah Clarke and his dealings, shooting the inventor, his father, the military grade, Lewis Ro Jarvis and his stealing the technology, offering it for sale, the CIA?
5. The introduction to Mace and Nick, partners for a long time, espionage work, personal relationship, posing as the honeymooning couple, the gift of the ring, the sexual relationship? In Paris, tracking Luis Rojas, beginning the deal, Marie’s intervention, taking the case, the pursuit in the streets, in the metro, the tunnels, Marie and her wits, her escape, Mace and frustration, the audience seeing Nick with Clarke, and his disappearance, thought dead?
6. Marks, CIA, supervising Mace, urging her to go out on her own? Her going to England, meeting with Khadijah, Khadijah’s lecture, technology, withdrawing from MI6, her relationship and home life, persuaded to go with Mace, taking the equipment, her skills? Finding about Marie, the information about the technology?
7. Marie, German background, relate to other and reporting him, independent, her relationship with Jonah, wanting to go out on her own, his commissioning her?
8. Luis in Paris, the visit from Graciela, therapist, the agency, the discussions, the Colombian escort, in the fish market, the shootout, Luis being killed? Graciela and her escape, the women helping her? Her background, phoning her family, concern about them?
9. The pursuit of the Colombian with the technology, the role of the women, antagonisms, guns drawn, Khadijah’s intervention, working together? The pursuit, the man escaping on the boat? Tracking him? The transition to Morocco?
10. The team work in Morocco, disguises, surveillance, Khadijah going into the men’s sauna, the fight, the variety of men and the passing of the technology? The women and their ability to create diversions? The recovery of the technology? The decision to go to Marks, the CIA present? The meeting, the disbanding of the group?
11. The aftermath, together, Marks and his being killed, Ling Mi Sheng? Transition to Shanghai? The information about the auction? Their dressing up, allowed in, Graciela and her improvising with the flirting businessmen? Khadijah and her going through the toilet up into the roof, observation, being found, coming down, working the technology? Marie and Graciela, in the audience? Macy, discovering Nick alive, his role in the auction, rogue agent, the clash, the fight?
12. The auction, Nick and his bidding for the vase, a cover?
13. Ling Mi Sheng, her father, the holding of the auction, a cover, Marks as a rogue agent, getting the technology, seeing her the powerful bidders were in coming to the auction?
14. The fight, the women taken, Nick and his confronting them, Nick and the confrontation by Elijah Clarke, his being assaulted? The taking of Ling Mi Sheng, the police, the mayhem? The television screens, the threats to Jonas and his being shot, Khadijah’s partner and his being shot, the threat to Graciela’s family, spared?
15. Ling Mi Sheng, downloading the technology, the tension of time? The women, the arsenal, the explosions, Mace climbing the wall, Graciela and the gun in the lift, the battle, the shootings? The final fight with Nick? His being shot by Graciela, Marie shot?
16. Two months later, Nick and his position in the CIA, the number of rogue agents? His house, Mace’s arrival, the confrontation, the poison, to imprison him, the other women arriving? The farewells – to be seen again or not?