Piégée

This movie stands out from any movie I've ever seen for one reason: it is the only movie I've seen where I believed the people fighting were actually fighting. I can't remember ever seeing a film where I was actually wincing and tensing up from fear that somebody was going to get hurt.

This isn't a film that depends on CGI or fast cuts or clever angles or even stunt people for the most part. The star of the film is clearly a very physical and capable woman of action, and she made me believe she was actually hurting the people she was pretending to hurt.

For that reason alone, it will always stand out in my memory. Most action films these days are terribly boring because it's all so cartoonish and exaggerated and stylized, and therefore unbelievable and fake. But this film kept the action grounded in the physical capabilities of its very capable star, and that made it anything but boring. I guess it didn't do to well at the box office, which is too bad. If this had launched a franchise I'd have been a big fan.

Don't be put off by many of the poor reviews and generally low aggregated rating here. 'Haywire' is a solid action thriller, with good fight and action scenes, and good use of music, and solid direction. The pace moves along swifty and fits plenty in within the lean 93 minutes runtime. I'm not sure why so many people didn't like this enjoyable movie. To each either own, I suppose. But I think it's more than worth a watch.

And the reason I give that advice is that you will have the opportunity to experience Soderberg again but I am not sure I can say the same for Carano.

This is of course a change of pace for Soderberg who is actually becoming known for his ability shape-shift between genres and do a pretty good job at each one he chooses.

This is an average spy thriller lifted to above-average by an A-List cast backed by Gina Carano in the action scenes.

Carano is the actual reason I wanted to review the film. She is a rarity in modern film, a good looking actress who shows not the slightest hesitation at going all JCVD on someone's butt if the script demands it.

And she is good. I mean there are multiple scenes here where she carries the attention of the viewer and it is hard to imagine another actress doing that as well.

The unfortunate part is that it seems no one in Hollywood wanted to accept the challenge of moving her career along even though it deserved to be moved. I watched her in IN THE BLOOD, a later effort framed as a B movie and lacking all the class and polish in this one.

Too bad. I miss her already.

Didn't expect much from this other than Soderbergh's involvement. The film has its flaws, but it is quite entertaining nevertheless. Gina Carano shines as she is truly an authentic protagonist .

Haywire is directed by Steven Soderbergh and features an all star cast that includes Michael Douglas, Ewan McGregor, Antonio Banderas, Channing Tatum and Michael Fassbender.

However the main star is MMA fighter Gina Carano as Mallory Kane who works in black ops and is hired to pose as he wife of a British agent and ends up being a target for elimination herself. Carano has to unravel who is trying to set her up.

The film is shot with little dialogue and a moody setting, many of the known cast has small roles and its a 'unHollywood thriller' although Carano does get to kick ass as well as getting chased mainly in the streets or rooftops of Dublin.

Fassbender and Carano's scenes standout especially their combat sequences. Its an unusual film given the director is an Oscar winner 'A' lister director who has gone back to his roots and decided to make an independent action film. By and large he succeeds and Carano looks like someone, given the right material who could breakout as an action star.