‘Anna’ has twists, turns and exciting action

To set expectations, “Anna” is written, directed and produced by French filmmaker Luc Besson. Besson has a particular set of skills that deliver very distinct movies, such as the “Taken” series with Liam Neeson, the “Transporter” series with Jason Statham and the “Lucy” movie (soon to be a series) with Scarlett Johansson.

By Hollywood studio standards, these movies would never see the light of day because they are so different. But, as the French say, “Vive la difference!” These movies capture our interest in spite of, or maybe because of, their uniqueness. It’s not necessarily because Besson’s low budget movies are so magnificent, it’s that they are refreshing.

This movie features Russian actress Sasha Luss as Anna Poliatova, whose striking beauty conceals her secrets and ambitions that could unleash her indelible strength and skill to become one of the world’s most feared government assassins. The story begins in 1985, where the Russian KGB captures and decapitates several CIA agents in Moscow, which as you know, is a terrible place to be beheaded.

Then, the movie fast-forwards ten years, before it flashbacks three years, then it repeatedly advances and flashes back at various increments. The time sequencing is not only confusing; it’s annoying, especially as the plot is so convoluted. Just when we think we understand the story and where it is going, we find ourselves assembling pieces to a puzzle that paint a different picture than assumed.

We first see Anna selling merchandise in a Russian outdoor marketplace. A modeling agent notices her and recruits Anna to work for him in Paris. Although high fashion seems lucrative, Anna lives in squalor, sharing a flat with a dozen other women. At this point, the settings are dismal, depressing and made us feel somewhat uncomfortable.

As a woman on her way up, the KGB then recruits Anna for very specific assignments. Alex (Luke Evans) makes her an offer she can’t refuse. He brings her to Olga (Helen Mirren), his no-nonsense commander, who notices, “You have a lot of anger, which could prove useful.” Then coldly advises Anna, “Sometimes, we reach a turning point in our lives. You have a choice, so make it quickly.”

Meanwhile, the CIA agents headed by Lenny (Cillian Murphy) are hot on the trail of this Russian spy and hope to play on her weaknesses to turn her into a double agent. The question is, under what terms and will that be worth it to either side.

Besson sends his audience into a fairly formulaic but tedious storyline of flashbacks before unleashing a series of twists, turns and exciting action. It can be very confusing, until it is not. In the third reel, Besson masterfully reveals small details, then more critical clues dribble out. The key is to be patient through the exciting car chases and creatively choreographed fight scenes, as the payoff is even better because of the way it is presented.

The supporting cast is admirable, especially Helen Mirren who is brilliant and almost unrecognizable in this role as the heartless KGB commander. Luke Evans is terrific in whatever role he plays, but it’s interesting that Mirren played Luke Evans’ mother in “The Fate of the Furious 8” (2017).

“Anna” is 119 minutes and rated R for violence, language and sexual content. It’s always uplifting to see a woman in a traditionally male lead role, especially when Sasha Luss possesses enough gravitas to thoroughly dominate the character of this reluctant assassin.

The story moves from Moscow to Paris to the Bahamas and to NYC. We don’t see a lot of “Chamber of Commerce” photo shots, but all the locales are a necessary part of the storyline. Besson movies are not technically flawless by any means. He doesn’t seem to go for perfection, he just wants to tell a story, which he does well. While the mainstream movie critics blast “Anna,” we can’t wait for “Anna Part Deux.”

Ron’s Rating: B Leigh’s Rating: B