The 355
This is a film about nasty, smart, attractive women that should be seen by nasty, smart, attractive women!
To begin with, this film reminded me of Batman, Spider-Man and Superman being played by women. I can only ask movie reviewers who criticize this film to have the courage to recommend that the new James Bond movie have a woman in the lead role.
This movie has four women from different countries functioning as spies to try to recover a secret mechanical device that can be used by mercenaries to threaten the world. Overcoming differences to function as a team, you watch them put their lives on the line as their quest takes them to Paris, Northern Africa and Shanghai.
Quite frankly, I don’t remotely care that the movie has been slammed for being “a generic and forgettable action picture.” To the contrary, Jessica Chastain, Penèlope Cruz, Diane Kruger, and Lupita Nyong’o are as fascinating as Daniel Craig’s James Bond at every turn.
On top of that, Ms. Chastain has been nominated twice for Oscars as both Ms. Cruz and Ms. Nyong’o are previous winners. That is living proof that there is startling talent on display in this picture.
Our four heroines end up in a number of physical battles as they try to tell enemies from friends, and that includes the role embraced by Bingbing Fan. Ms. Chastain is left struggling to determine if her former lover, played by Sebastian Stan, is a con artist while Ms. Cruz is emotionally overwhelmed as she tries to secure the safety of her family in Columbia.
As repeatedly demonstrated by both Ms. Kruger and Ms. Nyong’o, these women are hard nose combatants who repeatedly take a licking but keep on ticking. For whatever weaknesses the film may have, I think most of you will have a damned pleasant time watching it.
