In the 1985 a bunch of guys are picked up by Soviet security forces, the head of one of them is shipped to the CIA. 5 Years later a pretty girl in Russia is discovered by a model scout, taken to Paris where she turns into a big time model. She's introduced to a Russian partner of the modelling agency, starts a relationship with him and one day executes him. 3 years earlier she was poor in Russia involved with some abusive husband. For the heck of it she applies to the navy. One day her husband and his crew decide to rob a rich guy, but the robbery goes wrong. When she arrives at home desperate a guy is waiting for her at home. He recruits her for the KGB after she tries to kill herself out of hopelessness. But this guy offers some glimps of hope. A 5 year (huh?) stint in the KGB and freedom afterward.
3 years later after the killing of the Russian guy she's questioned, not buy French police but by an American CIA guys. He lets her go.
6 months earlier we are told she gets trained and does well. Some lady who runs operations reluctantly accepts her. Anna's first major assignment is to kill some guy in a restaurant in 5 minutes. As she approaches the guy she realizes she's got no ammo in her gun. Now she has to fight scores, and I mean, scores of bad guys. Outside the lady and her recruiter wait for her. They give her an extra minute, but she doesn't make it in time. Still, she's forgiven for her delay. And for her next mission she given a bunch of files to learn.
At this point we learn that mission was actually to kill the Russian guy and how the KGB set it all so she would be found by this model scout to unwittingly set up her cover as a model. After this succesful operation she meets the KGB boss.
She's tired and frustrated with both her jobs. She's involved with her recruiter and with a fellow model as part of her cover. But for no good reason she wants out.
One night her mission is to play a prostitute hired by some German guy and she has to get all sorts of stuff from him and then kill him. Again she doesn't complete her mission but has to go back and finish things up. Then she gets a much desired vacation.
She keeps modelling and killing. And one day plays chess with the KGB boss and then suddenly shoots him.
Well, then there's a revelation. During that German guy mission she was confronted by the CIA guy. They have been all over her of course. He offers her a job. She accepts after he agrees to have her work for a measly year and then give her a new life in Hawaii. She gets involved with this guy as well. Her mission for the Americans is to kill the KGB boss because he was the one who eliminated all those US agents in the intro and the American was in charge at the time so he wants his revenge. Anna of course completes the mission, but again, things don't go smooth. She doesn't make it to the rendezvous with the American so he thinks the Russians have her. He gets a text one day from her to meet her in Paris. Once in Paris the American runs into Anna's KGB recruiter who is also there waiting for her. Anna arrives, kisses both guys, and makes a deal with both for her freedom. They reluctantly agree, but there are more twists and turns.
Anna is your usual Luc Besson action movie. There's a lot to like here and some things that don't convince. The concept is an interesting one--and KGB vs CIA spies always makes for a good topic. Sasha Luss is cute and the restaurant fight scene is pretty outstanding. There's also a car chase scene. For once, all the main performances are strong, which is unusual in a Besson movie. Even Cillian Murphy who for some has never convinced me does an outstanding job here. Luke Evans's work is always solid. But as often with Besson movies, sound production is awful. The fight scenes and car chase scenes sound terrible. Then there's the way the story is told. Anna's training and most of her KGB work is quickly glossed over. And yet we are told she lives like a slave who yearns for nothing more than freedom. What kind of KGB/CIA agent works for 5 year or 1 year anyway? So her main motivation for her actions doesn't work at all and it's also the main element of the story. So things are shaky in that regard. As a result, for a good chunk of this movie, there is no development, nothing is at stake. Then suddenly we get all the twists, turns, and surprises and all loose ends are tied up. It's never quite satisfying when the audience is tricked or cheated this way, even when it's done with the best of intentions. The way Besson and Anna put it, this is about Anna as a Matryoshka doll, trying to discover who she really is on the inside. Fine, but they should have found a better way to convey this. With a tighter editing and more focus on action this would have been a better movie. Still as it is, it's very thrilling and entertaining and the great performances make Anna work.
3 years later after the killing of the Russian guy she's questioned, not buy French police but by an American CIA guys. He lets her go.
6 months earlier we are told she gets trained and does well. Some lady who runs operations reluctantly accepts her. Anna's first major assignment is to kill some guy in a restaurant in 5 minutes. As she approaches the guy she realizes she's got no ammo in her gun. Now she has to fight scores, and I mean, scores of bad guys. Outside the lady and her recruiter wait for her. They give her an extra minute, but she doesn't make it in time. Still, she's forgiven for her delay. And for her next mission she given a bunch of files to learn.
At this point we learn that mission was actually to kill the Russian guy and how the KGB set it all so she would be found by this model scout to unwittingly set up her cover as a model. After this succesful operation she meets the KGB boss.
She's tired and frustrated with both her jobs. She's involved with her recruiter and with a fellow model as part of her cover. But for no good reason she wants out.
One night her mission is to play a prostitute hired by some German guy and she has to get all sorts of stuff from him and then kill him. Again she doesn't complete her mission but has to go back and finish things up. Then she gets a much desired vacation.
She keeps modelling and killing. And one day plays chess with the KGB boss and then suddenly shoots him.
Well, then there's a revelation. During that German guy mission she was confronted by the CIA guy. They have been all over her of course. He offers her a job. She accepts after he agrees to have her work for a measly year and then give her a new life in Hawaii. She gets involved with this guy as well. Her mission for the Americans is to kill the KGB boss because he was the one who eliminated all those US agents in the intro and the American was in charge at the time so he wants his revenge. Anna of course completes the mission, but again, things don't go smooth. She doesn't make it to the rendezvous with the American so he thinks the Russians have her. He gets a text one day from her to meet her in Paris. Once in Paris the American runs into Anna's KGB recruiter who is also there waiting for her. Anna arrives, kisses both guys, and makes a deal with both for her freedom. They reluctantly agree, but there are more twists and turns.
Anna is your usual Luc Besson action movie. There's a lot to like here and some things that don't convince. The concept is an interesting one--and KGB vs CIA spies always makes for a good topic. Sasha Luss is cute and the restaurant fight scene is pretty outstanding. There's also a car chase scene. For once, all the main performances are strong, which is unusual in a Besson movie. Even Cillian Murphy who for some has never convinced me does an outstanding job here. Luke Evans's work is always solid. But as often with Besson movies, sound production is awful. The fight scenes and car chase scenes sound terrible. Then there's the way the story is told. Anna's training and most of her KGB work is quickly glossed over. And yet we are told she lives like a slave who yearns for nothing more than freedom. What kind of KGB/CIA agent works for 5 year or 1 year anyway? So her main motivation for her actions doesn't work at all and it's also the main element of the story. So things are shaky in that regard. As a result, for a good chunk of this movie, there is no development, nothing is at stake. Then suddenly we get all the twists, turns, and surprises and all loose ends are tied up. It's never quite satisfying when the audience is tricked or cheated this way, even when it's done with the best of intentions. The way Besson and Anna put it, this is about Anna as a Matryoshka doll, trying to discover who she really is on the inside. Fine, but they should have found a better way to convey this. With a tighter editing and more focus on action this would have been a better movie. Still as it is, it's very thrilling and entertaining and the great performances make Anna work.