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Friday, September 17, 2021
Kate (2021)
Streaming Service: Netflix Movie Name/Year: Kate (2021) Genre: Action, Adventure, Crime Length: 106 minutes Rating: R Production/Distribution: 87North, Screen Arcade, Netflix Director: Cedric Nicolas-Troyan Writer: Umair Aleem Actors: Amelia Crouch, Ava Caryofyllis,
Elysia Rotaru, Eoin O'Brien, Jun Kunimura, Mari Yamamoto, Mary Elizabeth
Winstead, Michiel Huisman, Miku Patricia Martineau, Miyavi, Patrick Newall,
Tadanobu Asano, Ulf Pilblad, Woody Harrelson Blurb from IMDb: A female assassin has 24 hours to get
vengeance on her murderer before she dies.
Cat’s Point of View: Kate landed at my
#6 pick on September’s Top
20 Movies to Look Out For list. (Selina had Kate listed as her #4.) Based on the trailer and my research for the
article, I had some pretty solid expectations for this production. Did Kate live up
to what I built up in my mind? Absolutely. Let’s break it down into my
primary realms of anticipation.
First, the cast looked outstanding.
Woody Harrelson (The Glass Castle, The Highwaymen, The Freak
Brothers) is generally a solid bet, whether you’re looking for a lunatic or
a calculating strategist. He’s excelled at roles that cover the full spectrum.
When you pair him up with Mary Elizabeth Winstead (10 Cloverfield Lane, Fargo, Birds of Prey), who plays the titular
character in Kate, it absolutely
delivers a winning dynamic. Winstead has already proven to be an action badass, but the
level of fight and stunt choreography that she pulled off, while making it look easy, was unreal. I bought 100% of what she was selling and then some. Her
struggles with her past and the rapid downslide of her health were in every
moment, even while she was kicking ass.
Tadanobu
Asano (47 Ronin, Midway, Mortal Kombat),
Jun Kunimura (Shin Godzilla, Fullmetal
Alchemist, Midway), and Miyavi (Unbroken,
Bleach, Maleficent: Mistress of Evil)really stood out. Miyavi took part in one of the most
brutal fight scenes of the movie, while Asano and Kunimura skillfully embodied
their roles within the Yakuza echelon. I really appreciated Miku Patricia Martineau (Carl's Car Wash, Finny the Shark) in her
supporting role, as well. She embodied the heart of the story to a T and gave
some much-needed comedic moments to this otherwise brutal thrill ride. Kudos to
her, since this was her full-length cinematic debut.
The second factor I had high expectations for revolved
around the production quality, itself. With Cedric Nicolas-Troyan’s (The Ring, Snow White and the Huntsman, The
Huntsman: Winter's War) background in visual effects, I had no doubt that Kate was going to be gorgeous. I loved the way the city with all its neon
glow and cultural nuances worked into the landscape of both the scenes and the
story. I got a kick out of recognizing an anime playing on the facing of a
skyscraper in the background. The car with pink neon shown in the trailer was a
nice touch, too. Little things like that, added up with the larger aspects of
the action and narrative and made an overall well-rounded entertainment
experience. Of course, I honestly shouldn’t have expected anything less
from the get-go considering Kate was
helmed by the 87North production company. Of course, that name might sound
familiar to some, but slightly off. That’s because they were formerly called 87Eleven,
which was the company behind the John
Wick (2014) franchise and other kick-ass titles like Atomic Blonde (2017) and Ninja
Assassin (2009).
Critics have been quick to bash Kate because it’s another female assassin movie following a familiar
trope. There’s a new spin to it this time, and I think all of the elements that
come together to create the big picture (no pun intended) elevate Kate to the top of the genre. If you’re looking for an action-thriller to get your blood
pumping at a breakneck pace, yet also a story of revenge and redemption, I can’t
recommend Kate enough. It had all the
bells and whistles and then some.
Wasn't planning to watch this but I did after your review u made it interesting enough
ReplyDeleteI was hoping for selinas point of view tho at some point