Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Joel Edgerton, Matthias Schoenaerts, Charlotte Rampling, Mary-Louise Parker, Jeremy Irons, Ciarán Hinds, Joely Richardson
OUR RATING: ★★☆☆☆
Story:
Spy thriller directed by Francis Lawrence. Red Sparrow centers on Dominika Egorova (Jennifer Lawrence), a devoted daughter and a prima ballerina determined to protect her mother at all costs. When she suffers a career-ending injury, Dominika and her mother are facing a bleak and uncertain future. She finds herself manipulated into becoming the newest recruit for Sparrow School, a secret intelligence service that trains exceptional young people like her to use their bodies and minds as weapons. After enduring the perverse and sadistic training process, she emerges as the most dangerous Sparrow the program has ever produced. But her first mission, targeting a CIA agent, Nathaniel Nash (Joel Edgerton), threatens not just each other’s lives but of others as well.
Our Favorite Quote:
'In my experience, the proud are the first to fall.' Matron (Red Sparrow) Share on X
Best Quotes
Dominika Egorova: Mama.
Nina Egorova: What is it?
Dominika Egorova: I have to go away for a while.
Man: [to Dominika] Take off your dress.
Dominika Egorova: I was told to take a man to a hotel. They said that he was an enemy of the state and in exchange my mother would get the doctor she needed. Instead they cut his throat. There could be no witnesses, so they gave me a choice, “Die or become a Sparrow.”
Dominika Egorova: I saw something I was not supposed to. They gave me a choice, “Die or become a Sparrow.”
Matron: The Cold War did not end. It shattered into a thousand dangerous pieces. The West has grown weak. Drunk on shopping and social media. Torn apart by hatred between the races. And as a result, the world is in chaos. Only Russia is willing to make the sacrifices required for victory. For there to be peace we must once again place ourselves at the head of nations. From this day forward, you will become Sparrows. Weapons in a global struggle for power. You have been selected because of your beauty. Because of your strength, and in some cases because of your vulnerability.
Matron: Katya, Viktor, come here, please. Here, we deal in psychological manipulation. You’ll be trained to determine a target’s weakness, to exploit that weakness through seduction, and to extract information. Take off your clothes. Your body belongs to the state. Since your birth, the state nourished it. Now the state asks something in return. You must learn to sacrifice for a higher purpose. To push yourself beyond all limitation, and forget the sentimental morality with which you were raised. Or is it pride? In my experience, the proud are the first to fall.
Matron: Every human being is a puzzle of need. You must become the missing piece, and they will tell you anything.
Vanya Egorov: [to Dominika] You have a gift, you know how to survive. This is what you were meant to do.
Vanya Egorov: [to Dominika] There is a traitor in the government. His last known contact is an American. Get close to him.
Vanya Egorov: [to Dominika] You have a gift, you see through people.
Vanya Egorov: You’re always one step ahead.
Dominika Egorova: You’re right.
Nathaniel Nash: When I was in Moscow I heard about a program. Young officer trained to seduce and manipulate, to use their bodies, to use everything. Called them Sparrows, that’s what she is.
Marty Gable: [to Nash] She’s is out of your league.
Nathaniel Nash: I thought I saw you in the pool yesterday.
Dominika Egorova: Are we going to become friends?
Nathaniel Nash: Is that what you want?
Nathaniel Nash: [referring to Dominika] She’s a sparrow.
Nathaniel Nash: [to Dominika] You only matter because of what you can do for them. Work with me and make these men pay.
Korchnoi: [to Dominika] You are better at this than any of us. Your only problem is you have a soul.
Marty Gable: [referring to Dominika] We can’t trust a word that comes out of her mouth.
Nathaniel Nash: There’s something else we’re not seeing.
Vanya Egorov: [to Korchnoi, referring to Dominika] If she’s compromised she will be eliminated.
Nina Egorova: [to Dominika] What have you done?
Nathaniel Nash: [to Dominika] Take your life back.
Nathaniel Nash: You belong to them, they will never let you go.
Dominika Egorova: I’ll find a way.
Vanya Egorov: Great family I have.
Vanya Egorov: You killed me.
Dominika Egorova: Didn’t I do well, Uncle?
Trailer:
Look for:
Pain as a truth serum is not always successful.
She carries all the spyware pedigree.
Just saw a new wrinkle in the torture bag.
Exploit whoever. Exploit whatever.
Lost of twists and turns unraveled into a logical finish.
No intermission needed.
Expectations:
Action
Sex
Intrigue
An intermission