Anna writer-director Luc Besson is no stranger to crafting female characters kick major butt and look amazing doing it. His latest introduces the world to Sasha Luss in the title role—out now on DVD, Blu-Ray and digital download formats.
After all, this is the guy who gave us Milla Jovovich’s iconic turn as Leeloo back in 1987 with The Fifth Element, Le Femme Nikita in 1990,Mathilda (Natalie Portman) in 1994’s The Professional, Zoe Saldana’s Cataleya in 2011’s Colombiana and Scarlett Johansson’s Lucy in 2014. Where does Luss’ Anna rank on this list? That’s a discussion for another article. Let’s just say that Besson knows what he’s doing when it comes to crafting landscapes ripe for actresses to shine in well developed characters that just happen to not be someone you want to mess with for fear of losing one’s life!
Anna follows Anna Poliatova. She is an in-demand international model that takes her to wild and exotic locales vocationally. It also is a pretty nice cover for an international spy with a penchant for getting out of tough situations that would put many other operatives in the ground. Her “other job” is a secret of the highest order. Being one of the world’s most feared assassins is certainly something that, if it got out, ruin one’s life on many, many levels. The viewer knows within the first ten minutes of the film that this is going to be a thrill-packed ride filled with twists and turns from a filmmaker that is always seeking to push the action envelope to give audiences cinematic sequences that are unlike anything we’ve ever seen.
It speaks volumes to Poliatova’s talent and sheer potential that Besson gave her the title role in his latest film—that also features legend Helen Mirren (as her handler), Luke Evans and Cillian Murphy.
Overall, it largely works … for a time. Besson’s effort to stretch his filmmaking muscles does produce many jaw-dropping moments, especially the one teased in the restaurant in the Anna trailer. But at a certain point, it gets a wee bit silly and it had me wondering why Besson spent as much time on mentally choreographing action scenes when a little more attention to character development and plot seamlessness might have been in order.
But make no mistake, Luss is a find and makes a seismic splash in a film that puts a lot on her new-to-the-scene shoulders. She will grab your attention in those opening moments and not let go of your “virtual” lapels until the film’s final moments. What else is fascinating is the moments she shares with Mirren. There is no question that the British actress is beyond a legend, an icon whose work continues to impress and endear her to countless fans. When a neophyte like Luss can go toe-to-toe with an Oscar winner like Mirren, it’s easy to see what Besson saw in her and why Anna should have served as a coming out party for action cinema’s next big star.
Instead, it was met with a slew of negative reviews and never stood a chance. Hopefully with its home video release, folks will not only discover Luss and her explosive potential, but another Besson crafted female fatale that in hindsight, was way ahead of her time.
That aforementioned restaurant scene leads our look at the Anna bonus features. Anatomy of a Scene: Restaurant Fight featurette is outstanding. Want a front row seat to how a master action filmmaker achieves his greatness? It’s all there in this Anatomy of a Scene that is simply stunning in terms of scope, insight and just watching the birth of an action heroine of the highest order. Two things strike us, the unbridled enthusiasm of Luss and her willingness to go that extra mile that pays off in countless ways. The other aspect is the pure bliss that one senses from Besson watching him put this scene together. This is firmly an example of a man doing exactly what he was put on the planet to do.
We love it when below-the-line talent gets the featurette spotlight and that occurs with the Anna Blu-Ray with its look at the electric outfits. Dressing a Doll: Costumes of Anna is as compelling as it is an enriching look at the process involved in dressing the ensemble. Sure, the title character is an international model and as such, the costumer Olivier Bériot is able to flex his creative muscles in some fashion forward looks. But it is imperative that in an action flick such as Anna, those doling out the action must be able to look good but have an element of ease to it as well. Bériot triumphs in both arenas.
Unnesting a Russian Doll: Making Anna squarely puts the focus on Besson and his filmmaking team as it gives us a broadly based look at how Anna went from idea in the filmmaker’s brain to fully flushed out actioner that Besson sees as a terrific addition to his already rich resume.
One last making-of action scene featurette fills out the bonus features. Constructing the Car Chase featurette illustrates an aspect of Besson that I think has been overlooked over the years. There are some stunning vehicle chases that litter his films over the years, one of the most riveting is the one on the streets of Paris in Lucy. There’s one in Anna that will give Lucy’s a run for their money and how that is achieved is delightfully delved into with this featurette.
Film Grade: B-
Bonus Features: B