The Writings of John Ryan Sullivan

As I mentioned in my John Wick post I have only recently found my way back to happy movie/TV watching. It’s touch-and-go if I’m being honest. I just finished season two of Silo and it has me questioning everything, again. But before the slog that is Silo I watched Ballerina, a film that may or may not be titled ‘From The World of John Wick: Ballerina’ and a poster that shows Ana De Armas with face tattoos (which now I cannot find and I fear I imagined. Is this the Mandala effect? Can it be the Mandala effect if I am the only person who experienced this? Did I mistake a cut on her face for tattoos? I swear I saw a poster with face tattoos, please believe me, I wouldn’t make this up). I’m not angry, I just want to talk to the person responsible, okay?

So to clarify if you have not seen this film – there are no tattoos on Ms. Armas face in the film. Her back and arms, yes. Why anyone would think face tattoos would be a selling point is beyond me (and it would appear no one did). But, as a wise man once said,

The short review of this film is – I love it. I have, admittedly, a very soft spot for Ms. Armas. It has led me to watch several films I otherwise would not have simply because she is in them. I regret nothing.

Her likability is profound. There is something to her innocent, still somehow child-like face that makes even turns in films like Ballerina sweet and endearing rather than scary or upsetting. It’s impressive as this film has little in it that you could classify as sweet or endearing.

As a spinoff of John Wick I think the movie works. Focusing on an up-and-coming assassin being trained by Angelica Houston we get a tragic backstory, the motivation for revenge and so, so much action.

I had thought, watching John Wick 4, that nothing was going to top the stunts they did in that film. The staircase sequence near the end is so long and so punishing that part of me hoped the mission had been accomplished and everyone involved would take things easy. They did not.

There are many intense action sequences and if you watched the trailer you know one of them involves a flamethrower versus a firehose. What is not shown are sequences involving multiple flamethrowers fighting one another. I have never seen anything like in a film before and I am sure my mouth was hanging open while watching. It is a spectacle and really something to watch.

As with the John Wick films there are some wonderful actors in Ballerina (returning actors Ian McShane, Angelica Huston, Lance Reddick) Gabriel Byrne, Norman Reedus, David Castañeda, Sharon Duncan-Brewster and many others. The film has some new, interesting ideas for this world. Instead of a hotel full of assassins

(spoiler here)

we have an entire remote village full of them. The film makes full use of this concept and I think it is quite well done.

(spoiler over)

The elephant in the room, of course, is Keanu Reeves. Shown briefly in the trailer, it is made clear he’s in the movie. How much and what’s his role is are the questions anyone who has not seen Ballerina will be asking. Without spoiling everything I’ll say he’s in it more than I thought he’d be but still not a lot.

Oh and he’s tasked with hunting down and killing our heroine. Enjoy!

I don’t typically like to incorporate things like review aggregates or box office numbers as neither matter to people who didn’t make the movie. My understanding is the film did not preform well in either regard and that is disappointing. If that has been keeping you from watching Ballerina I would urge you to reconsider as I think critics and moviegoers got this one wrong.

Ballerina is the same kind of film as John Wick, just with a different lead character and plot. Same world, same rules, same idea. Why people responded well to those and not this I do not know. My theory is the face tattoos but apparently I imagined them so who knows.

Either way it is a shame as this is an excellent action film and if you like that sort of thing you will be pleased. Ms. Armas is excellent, truly, in No Time To Die and this role is similar in that it plays to her strengths. I had thought they might try and have her be stoic and silent like John Wick but that is not that case.

This character feels pain, emotional and physical, and expresses it. She’s not a relentless killing machine and the qualities Ms. Armas brings to other performances, openness and vulnerability (as well as her likability) are all here.

I highly recommend the film and I pleased I watched it.