I'm a bit bemused reading some of the comments for "Red Sparrow" heralding it as a deviation from the usual movies to reach theatres these days in the age of franchises, brands, remakes and reboots. I mean, in that respect it is, but, otherwise, it's derivative of the many spy thrillers to come before it. The sort of supposedly-smart, star and character-driven project studios used to make more of, one could say. From James Bond to "Atomic Blonde" (2017) or, gasp, Black Widow from the MCU, but with less action and more sex... perhaps, more graphic violence, too. I also don't sympathize with those bemoaning this variation as confusing; if anything, I think it relatively straightforward. Indeed, the twists are thoroughly--probably too much so--explained, and the results are plodding. It's more akin to keeping up with an episode of the "Hunger Games" series (three of which included the same director as this movie and, of course, all star Jennifer Lawrence) rather than, say, an espionage narrative from John le Carré. Too easy and not worth it beyond the sexual and violent exploitation.

One aspect of the spy games intrigued me, though: the dancing. Lawrence's character is a ballet dancer before becoming a spy. There's a couple overlaps in these careers. Both are performative and both are often related to sex, which itself is a sort of performance act here. There are actors playing actors, and the game involves deciphering where the allegiance of these double agents lie as they dance around the truth. Many spy movies invite such a reading, but the inclusion of ballet here makes it more explicit.