Haywire

Director Steven Soderbergh expands his range yet again with the terse, action-heavy thriller Haywire. Soderbergh began with the film's star, Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter Gina Carano, and he and screenwriter Lem Dobbs (The Limey) built the story around the athlete and her strengths. Carano plays Mallory Kane, a special ops agent-for-hire whose employer, Kenneth (Ewan McGregor), realizing he has lost her both as a lover and an employee, sets her up for a fall. As the movie opens, Mallory fights off Aaron (Channing Tatum) and kidnaps a hapless bystander, Scott (Michael Angarano), to make her escape. She tells Scott her story as we flash back to the aftermath of a job gone bad. The plot, which also includes Michael Fassbender as a fellow operative, is relatively inconsequential, but Carano has a strong screen presence, making us care about the pointedly stoic, ruthless, but essentially feminine Mallory, regardless of whose ass she's kicking. This is canny action filmmaking of the highest order. The fight choreography is, obviously, a strong point. Soderbergh sets his camera back and cuts judiciously, letting us see the action clearly. These battles are vivid and visceral, and every punch and kick feels real. Carano isn't given a lot to do on an emotional level, but she's fascinating to watch as she goes about her business. We can see her, not just outpunching, but outthinking her foes.