Movie Review: Ava (R - 96 Minutes)

 

In continuing to check out new streaming options, Ava dropped on Netflix this weekend. 

Ava is a recovering addict who is recently feeling less fulfilled by her job as international assassin.  She’s starting to chitchat with her targets just before offing them, something her bosses are finding annoying.  Her mentor and boss recommends she take some time off so she heads home to Boston to reconnect with her family after not seeing them for eight years.  Family squabbles and attempted assassinations ensue.

Ava had left eight years earlier after her father lied to her mother about an affair and deflected the accusation by shifting the situation to stating Ava had stolen money for drugs from her mother.  Upset that her mother took her father’s side over hers Ava immediately left, joined the army, got clean, and then was recruited by Duke, her mentor, into a high-level collection of assassins. Hearing that her father has passed is the reason she heads home, only to find her sister is now with her former fiancé and is now pregnant.  The former fiancé is back to gambling and her mother has mastered side shade and throws barely veiled insults her way constantly. Unable to explain to any of them exactly why she left, she instead feels guilty.  Of course, her company takes this opportunity to fire her and sends a hitman to ‘cancel’ her.

The movie is directed by Tate Taylor, who also did Ma, The Girl on the Train, Get on Up, and The Help.  The movie promises to be an action thriller but is actually a character study.  It is a tough balance, and I am not entirely sure this movie was successful.  The action sequences that are present are fantastic so I did find myself wanting even more of them.  The story is familiar (Peppermint, Columbiana, all the versions of La Femme Nikita, Alias, Long Kiss Goodnight, etc.) and needed a little something extra to rise above other ‘hitman with a conscious’ movies.

Jessica Chastain is certainly capable as Ava and does great in the hand to hand combat sequences. I also thought she was great in the family scenes as someone who has worked hard to be completely blank but is still affected by these people and their opinions of her. The blankness did make it hard to connect with the character - despite the massive amounts of external character development.  I thought she was good, but I couldn’t help myself from wondering what the movie would have been like with someone else in the role, or if she was less blank and more firey.  

John Malkovich plays Duke, Ava’s mentor, recruiter, and father figure.  He is genuinely only interested in doing what is best for Ava and ensuring she is okay, despite the fact that he is John Malkovich and so you continually wait for him to be the bad guy.

Colin Farrell is the actual bad guy, Duke’s other protégé named Simon.  He has worked his way to the top of the company and is the one who determines that Ava is too much of a loose cannon.  There’s an interesting aspect in his character where he keeps taking business meetings at his house during family gatherings and has recruited his oldest daughter, Camille, into the company as the next hired killer – I wanted a little more from that storyline. Also, I sometimes forget how watchable Farrell is and he’s particularly good as a creepy bad guy. 

Jess Weixler plays Ava’s sister Judy who is good but does not have a ton to do except for be angry at Ava for leaving eight years ago with no explanation and leaving her to deal with their mother’s bitterness and father’s death. Common plays Michael, Judy’s fiancé and Ava’s ex.  Again, not much for him to do but remind Ava of who she used to be and what she gave up. 

Geena Davis plays Bobbi, Ava’s mother and is exceptional as she throws little insults at Ava nearly constantly. She is especially good in the one scene where she and Ava play cards and clear the air.  Of course, because I just re-watched Long Kiss Goodnight last weekend, once I learned Geena Davis was playing her mother, this seemed like a natural setup for a Long Kiss Goodnight sequel. I mean, her daughter is an assassin – clearly the perfect vehicle for Charly Baltimore to step back into the game and eliminate some fools.  Oh well, I guess we have to keep waiting for that.

Ioan Gruffudd shows up as the character-establishing victim in the front of the movie and Joan Chen plays a crime boss to establish previous character for Ava. 

Overall, the movie is certainly entertaining.  Again – this is that weird situation where I was perfectly happy with it watching it at home on Netflix. If I had seen this in the theater, would I have liked it as much?

6 out of 10 – Also, it finishes a bit open-ended, I am curious if they have future plans with Ava.