Ava stars Jessica “I’m the motherfucker who found this place” Chastain as the titular character, an assassin who is ruffling feathers by straying from protocol. When she takes some time off to tackle some long overdue family business, her boss, whom John Malkovich plays, does his best to have her back, but can he protect her?
Ava is the movie that answers the question, “What if La Femme Nikita mashed up with John Wick, but returned home and actually dealt with the root of her original problem, her substance addiction?” The opening credits provide most of her backstory so when the viewer finally sees her reunite with her family, no one will need to be caught up on what is happening though it does not save us from the occasional prose dump.
Ava’s interactions with her family made me wonder why she ever came home. Honestly stay in Europe killing strangers. It is psychologically healthier than dealing with these people. They are the kind of people who clearly have a tacit agreement that it is fair game to crap on Ava because of her open, public past screw ups, but they are hella sensitive and will cut you verbally from stem to stern because they are very protective of their individual glass houses. For instance, have you ever read a rule in the Old Testament then thought, “Why would God think that we need to be told that isn’t cool,” while He shakes his head in a corner turning water into wine then gently waiting for us to see why while taking a sip. These family sections are the most original parts of the movie because the idea that an assassin still has to deal with family crap is brilliant and roots the story in a relatable, human reality that none of us can escape.
Because I watch a lot of movies, I considered Ava the unofficial sequel to The Long Kiss Goodnight, which I adore, because Geena Davis plays her mother, and I can see a family resemblance. It would have been so excellent if during one of their sit downs, her mother just says, “Listen. I know what is up because……you suppressed your memories as a child! I was a deadly assassin too! Do you remember what happened when you were a kid? Your birth name was Caitlin!” Also because I will watch Chastain in anything, a lot of the origin story felt lifted straight out of Molly’s Game and Miss Sloane. The repetitive theme of daddy issues leading to questionable career choices and addiction problems is so prevalent in Chastain’s movies that now I am beginning to get concerned about her personally. Therapy. I would have slightly preferred that she is just a serial killer with a conscience that is gradually getting louder and losing the thread of her earlier rationale than this Freudian puzzle.
What prevents Ava from soaring is that the rest of the movie feels hella derivative and underwritten, which worked in John Wick because it felt as if the writers knew more even if they did not reveal it, and it has been proven with numerous sequels. What organization is she a part of? What are the rules? Now that Ava mentions it, how do you decide to kill people? Colin Farrell, who previously starred in Miss Julie with Chastain and plays the head of the assassin organization, is given some moments to play that I may be projecting, but you can see a hint of, “Seriously? My character does what? That is dumb.” His whole character story arc is just horrendous, and while he does his best, he never can make it not seem bafflingly stupid and tropey. It would take Michael Fassbender levels of acting excellence to make the plot work, and even then, it would defy any logic based on human behavior and interaction. A lot of the dialogue is just cringeworthy, and I do not know if the writer thought it was clever instead of laughing at you, not with you. The writer clearly needed an equal partner who could have critiqued him more instead of letting him get away with some shoddy work on the strength of the rest of the story.
I need people to stop letting Common think that he is an actor. He is not. Dialogue, which was not that strong initially, literally dies when it passes his lips. Ava’s plot rests on him being the prized family and criminal underworld beloved yet he is a void where charisma goes to find out what unpopular nerds feel like on an average day. It is absurd, and everyone gives it their all to give this fiction heft, but I cannot suspend disbelief enough to go along with their best efforts. I know that he must not be that wooden in real life, but it does not translate to the big screen. Excruciating!
Even though the film was shot in Boston, until the denouement, Ava does not look like it. It could be anywhere with a green screen to show iconic Boston’s skyline. Tate Taylor directs, and action is clearly not his forte. He is not a master of evoking the majestic or iconic, but his vision is small literally and figuratively. Antoine Fuqua, who directed The Equalizer, could have made the movie unique in the way that he elevated a bus route to a visual feast. The action choreography is strong. The actors are physically superb and are beautiful to watch when Taylor lets us, but he is so aggravating the way that he frames the action in a truncated manner then uses rapid cuts that interrupt the movement and flow of some nice sequences. I would want the ghost of Fred Astaire to haunt Taylor for watching other action movies then copying their weaker elements. If Chastain did not cut such a dashing figure, the sequences would not work, but I find the decision to hire Taylor astonishing. The man directed The Help and Get on Up, two films that feature amazing black actors in actual weak films. I should expect this level of quality. He also directed Ma so I am also patting myself on the back for skipping it even though horror is a favored genre, and Octavia Spencer is a gift. Taylor is not known for action, and the stories that he gets associated with are not high in quality. Why does he get work? Is he considered good? He is dull and flat. Overall he does a disservice to the cast and the material, and considering his experience, he should be doing better work.
Still I would not entirely write off Ava. John Malkovich does his best to share the weight of the flaws with Chastain and Davis. As her father figure supervisor, Malkovich was equal parts warm and sinister. When we finally see him get down, even though the inevitable outcome was obvious, it did not feel realistic because he was that convincing as a threat unarmed. Also I am going to give a special shout out to Booksmart’s Diana Silvers for making a steak out of ground beef. She clearly was in her own movie and aiming harder than Chastain for a sequel in a similar way that fans are praying that there will be a Kill Bill: Vol 3. She brought out the best in Taylor’s directing with her ability to project her character’s unspoken thoughts on her face. While Ava was not overtly about girl power, Silvers brought a subtext of grievance about sexism in the industry. If there is a sequel, she has to be in it.
I recommend Ava, but do not expect undiluted excellence. It could have been so much better, but there is so much worse. If you love Chastain, Davis, Malkovich or Silvers and do not mind some dreadful dialogue, can tolerate Common’s “acting” and an extremely flawed assassin plot, you will at least find it entertaining.
