An exhilarating action thriller, Haywire is an electric experience. A-list casting, arthouse direction and realistic fight scenes make this Euro-set curio well worth catching.
Gina Carano, a mixed martial artist in real life, is Mallory, a black ops agent who’s shafted by her superiors and framed for the killing of a Chinese dissident. Bad move because Mallory is a no-nonsense, resourceful fighter who soon turns the tables on her bosses. Like Bourne on speed, Haywire crosses Europe and America in a series of high-octane action sequences. And Antonio Banderas, Michael Douglas, Michael Fassbender and Ewan McGregor had better get out of her way.
Steven Soderbergh (Oceans 11 and 13; Traffic; Sex, Lies and Videotape) constructs a pared down, sheenily shot thriller. But where the Bourne films botched their action sequences with shaky cam quick-cutting, Haywire’s riveting ruse is to throw top-notch actors into full-on fights. Michael Fassbender is no stranger to risking his body – slimming it down for Hunger, baring it in Shame – but his fist-off with Carano is eye-watering, as it no doubt was for his insurers.
Carano and Fassbender have both testified to the red-mist rhythm of the choreography, as when the Irishman accidentally banged Carano’s head, only to see the martial artist rise up with eyes ablaze. Even Ewan McGregor, as the oily black ops leader, gets down and dirty on a beach with no light sabre to save him.
Unlike Steven Seagal, Jean Claude Van Damme or Tony Jaa, Carano is a martial artist who can act. And that’s Soderbergh’s strongest card. For this is not a martial arts movie like Thailand’s Ong Bak or Chocolate but an action thriller whose chases, gun battles and fights explode from unexpected scenarios.
Coffee in a diner turns into a blistering shot, tightly-choreographed fight scene. A soft-focus hotel moment spins into a white-knuckle fight for survival. Running up walls and across roofs, Carano is a convincing action heroine who’d have Jason Bourne for breakfast and spit out the pips.
Virtually plotless, Haywire offers no surprises in its storytelling. But its cheeky aplomb is almost unique, a testament to Soderbergh’s eye for arthouse touches and an insight into his contacts book. Michael Douglas adds growly gravitas as the secret service head who may or may not be on the level. And Antonio Banderas’ beard deserves an acting credit all of its own.
Having raised the bar – and expectations – with some inventive action, the ending is somewhat underpowered. But Haywire is smart, punchy, likeable and revelatory, not unlike its heroine.
