The Rhythm Section
As we now have to wait a good half year longer for EON's production of NO TIME TO DIE, we do have an opportunity in the meantime to check out another EON production, that failed to score in the theatres, even before the current Corona Crisis. The Rhythm Section, a spy thriller directed by Reed Morano, based on a novel by Mark Burnell, starring Blake Lively and Jude Law. The film tells a story of a young woman, who tries to get revenge after her entire family is killed in a plane crash.
Blake Lively as Stephanie Patrick
3 Years after having lost her entire family, the life of Stephanie Patrick is one of deep depression, prostitution, substance abuse and addiction, when a journalist finds her in a brothel and tells her the plane crash that killed her family was an act of terrorism, covered up by the government. Although she at first does not believe him, she visits his apartment and is dumbfounded by the immense research all pointing fingers everywhere. The journalist tells her the plane was brought down by a bomb made by a man called Reza. Stephanie, in a dazed rage, gets herself a gun and tries to kill Reza at the University cafeteria where he attends courses, but she fails. When she returns to the journalist's home, she finds him to be killed.
Blake Lively and Jude Law
This sets off a series of events that lead quickly from one to the next, trying to engage the viewer in an engagement that never really works. You see, in a time where we have had films like ATOMIC BLONDE and PEPPERMINT, THE RHYTHM SECTION either tries too hard to be much more realistic than the aforementioned films or it simply fails to engage you. Personally, I don't think it is the actors' fault, as Blake Lively and Jude Law are quite good in their roles. But for a person who wants this kind of revenge, it quickly becomes apparent that Stephanie Patrick is NOT a killing machine. As a matter of fact, the only thing she seems to be good at is failing to kill anyone.
Blake Lively and Sterling K. Brown
I also find it quite strange that one would cast Blake Lively, who in her own blonde look is a stunning beauty, only to subsequently make her look very plain janey, not at all gorgeous, but at best average. The direction is also moving along briskly and the music plays effectively along with the story, of which I do not want to give away too much now. You see, although this film was not reviewed well, I do think it has some merit. Might that be, perhaps, in the fact that the main character is a strong woman, who takes her life back in her own hands in a storyline that could have used some spicing up? Is it possible that in this character, producer Barbara Broccoli saw an interesting person that could possibly headline a good film? I think that is very likely but then I also don't see why there is the need for Stephanie Patrick to have gone off into deep depression, substance abuse, addiction and prostitution at the beginning of the film. Blake Lively does not come off as a believable prostitute, not even in a later scene where she impersonates one.
Blake Lively
I think a lot of decisions were made in the storyline to condense it down to a manageable 2 hour film but at present, due to a lot of time jumps in order to bring it down to that running length, parts of the story are not clear. Also, with a star like BLAKE LIVELY, you definitely want the main character to look stunning and Stephanie Patrick is not that at all. If you compare her here with how she looks in THE SHALLOWS, that last film is a Godsend. She is gorgeous in that film. We then ultimately remain with a film that does not entirely fulfill any promises, except that it does not get boring. And yes, at the end of the film, you do smile when Stephanie..... aww shucks, I would have almost spoiled it all! Go see it! It may not be PEPPERMINT, but it still is interesting.
The Rhythm Section was produced by Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson, the producers of the James Bond films.
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