Beneath a woman’s striking beauty lies a secret that will unleash her indelible strength and skill to become one of the most feared assassins on the planet.

While spy fiction always makes for great cinema, it’s very difficult to find a new angle into the genre and present the audience with something fresh. But this is Luc Besson we’re talking about, a filmmaker who continues to break new ground with every new project. With Anna, the filmmaker recalls his action cinema past with films such as La Femme Nikita and Leon: The Professional and the result is something that is packed out with adrenaline and originality. Setting his story around the conflict the multiple lives that Russian spy Anna Poliatova (Sasha Luss) has to contend with and the result is something that hits you with an entirely different narrative. Besson also gives Anna an interesting retro point-of-view thanks to it’s Cold War setting, and this sets Anna apart from the current day spy films that we normally see.

Newcomer Sasha Luss finds herself with a very interesting role here as she takes on Russian spy Anna Poliatova who is coerced into the espionage life. From here her life becomes a dangerous ‘lived on the edge’ existence as she balances her undercover life as an international model with that of her more violent work as a honeypot assassin. Luss brings considerable sex appeal to the role, and she carries an elegance that reminds me of a young Sophia Loren. However, this girl also gets her hands dirty up on-screen and there are several fight scenes that really put her through paces as she has to impress her handlers and accomplish her mission in order to stay alive. Luss also takes us inside Anna’s head and she has considerable mental trauma to deal with this and this all makes things very interesting to watch as an audience member.

Standing alongside Anna as her handler and Russian spy master is Luke Evans as Alex Tchenkov, a KGB agent who becomes personally involved with Anna, and it’s a great part for Evans. Tchenkov is all business, and while the mission always comes first for him he soon has to wrestle with his emotions as he tries to keep Anna safe, and has to balance his love for her with his duties to the KGB. Along with his emotionally charged performance, Evans also brings a considerable East block cool to the character and shows off plenty of anti-hero charisma here. Cutting a cool figure onscreen, Evans makes a great foil for Luss to play off against and whether they’re fighting it out, or getting steamy in the shadows, they make a great pair up on the screen.

Finally, Cillian Murphy makes an appearance in this complicated triad as CIA case officer Leonard Miller and it’s an entirely different role, unlike anything the Irish actor has played before. Murphy’s Miller is almost the twin shadow to Evans’ Tchenkov and he’s possessed of cunning intelligence and hungry desire for revenge against the KGB. This results in plenty of adversarial actions on his behalf, and you never really know where he’s going to go as the character. I really enjoyed how twisted and complicated Murphy was as Miller and he’s a definite joy to watch up on screen.

When it comes to action and style, Anna is absolutely packed to the brim with it. As Anna takes on her targets, she becomes a killing machine and things get bloody quickly. The film’s highlight is an epic five-minute fight scene where Anna has to take on multiple adversaries and Luss handles herself with the intensity of a professional MMA fighter who is not shy of the carnage and she digs in hard. The film’s 1990s setting also gives it a very interesting stylistic look and there’s plenty of visual flair to keep you engaged with as an audience member thanks to its cross of spy action and high fashion.

If you’re seeking a cinematic rush, with plenty of glam visuals then Anna is definitely a movie you should check out, and with it’s twisting narrative and edge-of-your-seat thrills it will definitely keep you amped.

Image: Studio Canal NZ

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The final trailer has just been released, and it is absolutely gorgeous. Check it out below:

Here’s the synopsis:

Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and Laureline (Cara Delevingne) are space operatives who are governed with the protection of the space-time continuum. But the two find themselves constantly at odds because of Valerian’s wild romantic feelings for his co-pilot. When they are commanded to embark on a mission to the magnificent intergalactic metropolis of Alpha, they soon discover a sinister plot that could shake the very core of the universe and must do everything in their power to stop it.

Set to a riveting remix of Coolio’s “Gangsta’s Paradise”, the trailer showcases some gorgeous set pieces along with plenty of intriguing alien species. Rising stars Dane DeHaan and Cara Delevingne appear to have great chemistry as the heroic Valerian and Laureline, while Besson shows off some of his brilliant film-making tricks, including a very ambitious Steadicam shot.

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Plants will be an unmissable cinematic event when it is released in cinemas on July 21 in the US, and on August 10 in New Zealand and Australia.

The post Watch the final trailer for ‘Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets’ appeared first on SpicyPulp.

The first trailer has been released and it is utterly breathtaking. Check it out below:

Here’s the synopsis:

Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and Laureline (Cara Delevingne) are space operatives who are governed with the protection of the space-time continuum. But the two find themselves constantly at odds because of Valerian’s wild romantic feelings for his co-pilot. When they are commanded to embark on a mission to the magnificent intergalactic metropolis of Alpha, they soon discover a sinister plot that could shake the very core of the universe and must do everything in their power to stop it.

Adapted from the beloved graphic novel series Valerian and Laureline by French artists Pierre Christin and Jean-Claude Mézières, Besson appears to have fulfilled his own sense of boyhood wonder in bringing this story to the big screen.  While he has explored similar science fiction ideas with his work on The Fifth Element, Valerian appears to be breaking new ground for the director and is utterly gorgeous to look at. The film’s rich visuals are astounding, and all credit must be paid to the wizards at Weta Digital for their amazing work in bringing this rich science fiction world to life.

Valerian features an all-star cast that is lead by DeHaan and Delevingne, who appear to work well together on-screen reveling in their characters love/hate relationship. Noted performers including Clive Owen, Kris Wu, Ethan Hawke, John Goodman and Rihanna lead the film’s eclectic supporting cast.

Valerian and the City of a Thousand Plants is without a doubt one of 2017’s most anticipated film, and after witnessing this first trailer we can’t wait to see more. It will be released in cinemas on July 21, 2017.

The post The breathtaking trailer for ‘Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets’ is here appeared first on SpicyPulp.