Ava (2020)

 Score: 3 / 5

Marketed as another thrill-a-minute action movie with spies and assassins for Jessica Chastain to shoot her way through, Ava was a slight disappointment. Not because of the movie itself -- I quite enjoyed it -- but because it wasn't another Atomic Blonde. I've said it before and I'll say it again, but sometimes marketing tactics can really ruin a movie, and this one set us up for an experience totally beyond the scope or purpose of Tate Taylor's latest flick.

In the vein of so many before it, Ava concerns its titular character, a former soldier and recovering addict now working as an assassin. We see her in action right away and notice that, for all her cunning and murderous efficiency, she has a remarkable moral streak. She asks her target if he knows why someone wants him dead, apparently needing some kind of confession or at least acknowledgment before dealing out death. That's not the way a lethal killer should do business, and she's being observed; we correctly suspect that her tenure is nearing an end. Jessica Chastain handles the character beautifully, as usual, and proves that she's as capable in action scenes as she is in high drama.

In fact, part of the reason I so enjoyed this movie is in its focus on Ava's character and relationships. The fighting is nice and all, but the movie soars when Ava faces off against people who are significant to her. Her hospitalized mother (Geena Davis), her sister Judy (Jess Weixler), and Michael (Common), Ava's ex who is now engaged to Judy, feature in only a few scenes but manage to carry immense dramatic weight. John Malkovich plays Duke, Ava's handler and self-professed father figure, who is forced to try and defend her behavior and reputation to his superior, Simon (Colin Farrell).

Actually, the plot is frustratingly straightforward and makes the most sense if you think about genre and not about logic or realism. But the thematic strength of how the film handles addiction is fascinating. Most of the characters are either addicts or recovering, and several times I was struck by the parallels to criminality. These assassins seem to crave risk and secrecy and murder in a way that keeps them trapped in a cycle; it is telling that Ava and Duke met in the military. Even Simon, who appears to be quite wealthy and well-adjusted socially, harbors nasty violent tendencies. Nothing about considering crime in terms of addiction is new, but the actors and director here are making a movie about real people that is thrilling and mysterious and sad. Too often it's the other way around, and the addicts are just used for the plot.

Come for Chastain being badass and looking amazing. Stay for Davis and the rest of the cast doing lovely things. Don't expect much, or expect to be frustrated or disappointed.