"Haywire" Review

Directed by: Steven Soderbergh
Written by: Lem Dobbs
Starring: Gina Carano, Ewan McGregor, Channing Tatum, Michael Douglas
Cinematography by: Peter Andrews (pseudonym of Soderbergh)
Produced by: Gregory Jacobs, Ryan Kavanaugh

With Steven Soderbergh, you never know what you're gonna get. He's made some studio films that have distinctly commercial and artistic sensibilities, such as the Ocean's series and Contagion. He's also made some innovative independent films that may or may not have messages to take away. Either way, you know you're going to get an interesting piece of entertainment, art, or a sly combination of both.



Haywire is no exception, providing a rare piece of solid action and intricate plot that is sure to make your typical audience smarter in the process. Although the story isn't all that unfamiliar, the plotting and non-linear take is. A contract killer, Mallory Kane, frequently hired by government agencies is betrayed and must find out why. There's a lot more complications afoot, as I'm sure you could expect. But the basic story isn't hard to follow. On a quest to extract her revenge, Kane slowly unravels a bigger conspiracy going on that is at points convoluted. But that's the only real flaw in this outstanding action film that you don't necessarily jump to categorize as such.

Newcomer Gina Carano, known as being the face of women's MMA, makes her acting debut in stunning fashion. Although her character doesn't have a lot of dramatic meat, she makes some good choices and makes a case for being a decent actress. Soderbergh is great with actors and no doubt played an invaluable part to Carano's good performance. Although some of the all stars of the cast, such as Micheal Douglas, Antonio Banderas, and the ever rising Micheal Fassbender aren't here for a particularly long period of time, they're very good when they are. As always, Soderbergh has an unmatched eye for casting characters well.

Stylistically, Soderbergh is among the best, if not the top dog, in the industry. His unique and diligent combination of music, composition, editing, and mood makes him among the most intelligent and narratively distinct modern filmmakers. One of my favorite directors, even the movies I'm disappointed in, I enjoy breaking down and watching the way he constructs his movies. In this one, the action is presented so refreshingly, actually letting us breathe on shots for a bit instead of delivering another incomprehensible sequence that has of late become the unfortunate norm for Hollywood. The fights feel real and gritty, painful and consequential. This is another shining example of why he is one of the pure masters of his craft.

I was extremely impressed with this film and the fresh take it had on a cliche ridden genre. A great cast, solid story, and fantastic direction makes this, so far, the best movie of 2012. But it's a little too early for that to mean much.

A-