Charlize Theron absolutely owns Atomic Blonde, both upping her own action game as one of our most exciting big screen action heroes, and elevating the borderline “seen it before” spy/espionage sandbox which the film plays in.
John Wick co-director David Leitch (along with writer Kurt Johnstad and action team 87eleven) is no slouch, and laid all the framework for Theron to slam dunk… but this is a star vehicle in every sense of the word. And that’s a great thing.
Mad Max: Fury Road was nothing short of a sensation, and easily ranks among my favorite films of the 21st century. Mad genius George Miller was the mastermind there, but with Emperator Furiosa, Miller and Theron created an action hero for a whole new era and in one single film re-framed the way we saw Academy Award winner Theron. It isn’t that she hadn’t done action before, what with Aeon Flux, The Italian Job, and Hancock all already under her belt, but Fury Road simply changed the game and her character was a big part of that. Believe it or not, Atomic Blonde’s Lorraine Broughton sets the standard even higher for just what Theron is capable of from an action perspective. This isn’t to compare those two films in any other way than to place them both firmly in the “action” genre, which is where they both have earned a seat at the table.
Atomic Blonde sends special agent Lorraine Broughton into the hornet’s nest that is Berlin in 1989 just as the Berlin Wall is about to come down. As the film humorously notes right up front, this is NOT the story of the wall coming down, but rather a “chase the macguffin” spy thriller using the chaos of the end of the wall as a wonderful backdrop to up the stakes for our characters. There’s a watch that contains within it all the information of all the secret agents operating in Berlin. And Broughton must retrieve it upon connecting with MI-6 contact Percival (James McAvoy). There’s also a framing device where Theron is being interrogated by both MI-6 (Toby Jones) and the CIA (Jon Goodman) as she relays the events of the film back to them. So we are jumping back and forth in time, skipping from one side of the wall to the other, suspecting everyone, and generally having a great time doing it. The espionage stuff has all been done before… but never by Theron, and with this much style layered on top. And that is key to the entire film. It’s a star vehicle through and through, and that is important in an era where IP reigns over star power in Hollywood. Atomic Blonde’s espionage is enjoyable stuff which lags occasionally and becomes challenging to follow for some stretches. But none of that matters when the lush 1980s lighting, costume design, set design, and score wash over you and Theron herself swaggers in and out of every scene with her cool as ice self.
And then there’s the action. It’s the action work that Leitch, 87eleven, and Theron have collaborated on to bring to this film which truly sets it apart and makes it something special. It’s only the day after the world premiere as I write this and much has already been said online about the bravura single-take action scene that takes place on, in, and around a staircase. Theron performs the sequence herself, with her body being hurled against walls and down stairs and feeling a lot like something out of John Wick only Broughton is slightly more human than the baba yaga. It truly is a jaw dropping sequence that refuses to cut or relent. What’s even better about that scene, however, is that it is immediately followed by a thrilling car chase. And preceded by an escape from a building using rope ala Die Hard. My point is that the staircase scene is truly one for the ages, but that the action throughout the film is top notch, and it’s Theron who sells it all and makes you cheer.
The film is also adds a layer of sexuality to the often cold and cool spy proceedings, with Charlize Theron getting to play up her sex appeal in a way that is equal parts exciting and deadly. There’s no question that Broughton is able to enjoy her sexuality in Atomic Blonde, but it also becomes another tool in her arsenal, further giving her the edge over her rivals.
Based on a graphic novel called The Coldest City by Antony Johnston, there’s apparently plenty of material out there to make a franchise out of Broughton’s adventures, and with Theron in the lead, this would be a very welcomed series. Leitch did not coast on the acclaim of John Wick, but rather seized the opportunity to bring his skill set to a new property and infuse it with the magic he is able to create with his talents. That he collaborated marvelously with Charlize Theron to create a stylish and killer film is essential. And the importance of Broughton as a character can’t be understated at this point in time. Sure, it’s refreshing to see Theron simply be a movie star and carry a movie completely on her shoulders with her name as the brand. But this also brings the country a new female action hero who’s more capable than all the men in the film, never lacks agency or confidence, and who will get the job done. We desperately need these kinds of characters right now, and to have the behind the scenes work prove to us that Theron herself is every bit the badass in real life that Broughton was on screen only elevates the film and expands on the timeliness of Atomic Blonde for today’s representationally starved audiences.
Atomic Blonde is aptly titled, and will thrill audiences with the action and style it brings to the big screen. And even if some of the espionage elements feel like we’ve seen them before, Leitch is there to say “not like this… not like this”.
And I’m Out.