Oh, you shouldn't think of her as being a woman. No, that would be a mistake.

Haywire

(2011)

Typically cool (as in, distancing) approach from Soderbergh to his first attempt at an actioner.

It's replete with his usual tricksiness in respect of time (flashbacks within flashbacks) which can indicate a lack of confidence in the material (the flawed The Limey - which I like, and this is also written by Lem Dobbs) or be the icing on the cake (Out of Sight, still his best film by some distance). There's also an imposing David Holmes score (too much for one of the people I saw this with).

Soderbergh takes his time between the clearly choreographed action sequences, such that for a 90 minute film it feels on the long side. Mixed martial artist star Gina Carano isn't going to win any acting awards, but she's a more natural screen presence than many of the non-thesps who've become action icons. And the support from the likes of Douglas, Fassbender and Banderas is solid.

Enjoyable, and when the action kicks in the tension is well-sustained. But the plot itself isn't strong enough to support Soderbergh's more indie sensibilities

***

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Now In Full Color, with a Happier Ending

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