Review: "Kate"

As an ever growing influx of female led assassin films following on the footsteps of Gunpowder Milkshake, Jolt and The Protege, Netflix tries it's hand again with Kate. It feels a bit on the nose, this trend as it feels as if these studios are simply making half developed films for the sake of checking of a box for diversity. Sadly, the film is largely unimaginative nor is it original as the action flick deploys flashbacks poorly to help fill in the blanks of a barren plot while also having horribly predictable plot twists. That being said, it is still a fun watch largely due to tremendous talent that is Mary Elizabeth Winstead. Ever since her debut way back in Scott Pilgrim as the lovable and mysterious Ramona Flowers, Winstead has been a stand out in films such as Birds of Prey, 10 Cloverfield Lane, Final Destination and even appearing on the hit television show Fargo. Most of her appearances have always been relegated to a co-star so it is nice to see her get her time to shine and she really excels in the action department. Even more impressive, it seems as if she did most of her stunts throughout this often times brutal action romp. The film has it's share of issues, but Winstead and the action on hand really make up for any shortcomings.

The plot follows Kate (Winstead), who is a ruthless assassin deployed in Japan tasked with the job to take out high ranking members of the Yakuza. However, when she begins to share desires of retirement to get away from the assassin life with her handler, Varrick (Woody Harrelson), on her final mission she is mysteriously slipped a very rare and potent poison giving her less then a day to live. She takes it upon herself to finish it and wipe out the Yakuza who had made a move on her life. Along the way she picks up an unlikely friend in the form of Ani (Miku Martineau).

In an unsurprising take, the films depiction of Japan and it's culture is a bit unoriginal and flawed. In Kate, the Japanese culture endlessly talks of honor and seemingly obsessed with obtaining it while also being incredibly dismissive of outsiders, especially Americans. It also feels uninspired to make the Yakuza members dressed nicely in suits with slicked back hair and carrying samurai swords. In that vein, Kate kind of feels like a relic in the action genre with it's cliched takes on characters and diverse cultures.

Looking away from the sheer lack of originality the film tackles themes of guilt, redemption and taking control of one's life. All of these themes are portrayed through the talents of Mary Elizabeth Winstead as even without words she is able to enlighten the audience of her plight, even more so through her dialogue and interactions with Ani. Kate's relationship with Ani is truly the heart of the film and where a lot of Kate's inner turmoil and growth comes from which help lift the film a bit, largely again thanks to Winstead. After this film I can only hope that Winstead gets more roles in this kind of variety. Her charisma and sheer grit through scenes invokes a bit of Sigourney Weaver from the original Alien trilogy.

Woody Harrelson does a terrific job as he usual does in his role as the surrogate father figure to Winstead's Kate. His presence throughout the film seems to ground it a bit as the bullets continue to fly and blood runs rampant throughout the streets. He also has great chemistry with his co-star in Winstead which helps considering their relationship on screen. The film is directed rather well by newcomer Cedric Nicolas-Troyan. His previous credits only include The Huntsman sequel and in this he shows that he knows how to film a brutal action sequence. His pacing throughout the film is also rather tight, albeit in the final act he had a tendency to over-rely on slow motion to add tension that was a bit jarring in the moment and slowed the pace. Overall, Winstead delivers a terrific performance in the title role in a brutal and brainless action romp that will surely entertain over the weekend.