It’s a well-known allegory that in communist dominated Russia, the citizens had to toe the line of the powers-that-be, no matter what. Taking a cue from this parable, former CIA operative Jason Mathews’ 2013 novel has been fashioned into an espionage thriller, based on Justin Haythe’s screenplay.
Jennifer Lawrence plays ballerina Dominica Egorava, who breaks her leg during a Bolshoi performance (we soon learn that it was no accident – paving the way for retribution). The state has no more use for her, and she has a sick mother to look after. Enter her perverse uncle Vanya (Matthias Schoenaerts) who enrolls her in a secret state-run school where students are taught to use their bodies for sexual gratification and to overpower opponents. Courtesy the Matron (Charlotte Rampling), “You must inure yourself to what you find repellent”, we are given a couple of samples of the same (understandably censored).
A large part of the two-hour-plus film is devoted to Dominica’s liaison with CIA agent Nat Nash (Joel Edgerton), who has knowledge of a mole in the Russian setup. In a film with overt and explicit sexual innuendos, the chemistry between Lawrence and Edgerton is barely visible, with the former not even putting in a semblance of a Russian accent. Despite its extra-long runtime, Red Sparrow should thrill fans of the spy genre, particularly as in the early scenes of confrontation between the two protagonists, the viewer wonders as to who is manipulating whom.

Jeremy Irons as General Korchnoi seems perfectly cast while Schoenaerts’ resemblance to Putin is remarkable. Filmed largely in Hungary, the cinematography by Jo Willems takes in the sights and sounds of Budapest while the background score (James Howard) is prudently kept to a minimum.