“Oh, you shouldn’t think of her as being a woman. No, that would be a mistake.”
Another Soderbergh joint, the criminally underrated Haywire is brutal and feels grounded thanks to MMA star Gina Carano’s performance (which isn’t undone by her somewhat stilted acting), she brings a certain physicality to the role that makes it feel deviations more authentic than it has any right too — the fight scenes are GREAT, pared down with no music, and it’s always great to see real Jiu Jitsu in a film — even when Carano’s just clambering about on rooftops; the story is okay but is more than made up for with some interesting camera work and original flourishes.
★★★★✩