When I die I want it to be just like Michael Fassbinder's Paul in "Haywire", Martial Arts Warrior Gina Carona strangles him to death between his thighs in Steve Soderburgh's action movie.
A tasty visual feast of violence in "Haywire" Soderbergh is reworking his chick outta water "The Girlfriend Experience" and like that movie, it is a little weak on plot (who did it? Everyman except Daddy) and a little lame on stuff like character and, er, motive "Mone").
Gina plays a former Marine, current Private operative, double crossed by her boss and out for revenge. She is a physical marvel, and runs, chases and kills for 90 minutes straight. Amongst those men she comes into contact are Michael Fassbinder, Michael Douglas, Ewan McGregor, Antonio Banderas and playing her daddy Bill Paxton. They are all scumbags and, again, there is a sense where like Girlfriend Experience, this is all Misogygy condemnation text.
Gina looks astounding, the violence is awesome, and it is beautiful shot. But it is an important movie which is, at its heart, lazy and unwilling to give a toss about anybody at all, either because we root or hate them.And yet… watching Gina leap tall buildings at a single bound must be worth something.
Musically, there is nothing going on except any ambivalence as to what is gonna happy next is ruined through ominous synths which give the game away before the action occurs.
Movie: B
Music: C