#KazuyaTanabe

[doomonfilm]

Review : Kate (2021)

I don’t know what it is about Mary Elizabeth Winstead and roles where she gets to lean into being a badass, but it seems these days that this sole ingredient is enough to pique my interest.  Maybe it started when she portrayed Ramona Flowers in the epic classic Scott Pilgrim vs. the World and I was just to blind to see it.  Perhaps it got locked in during Birds of Prey (and the Fantabulous Emancipation of One Harley Quinn) at one of the many points that Winstead was stealing the show as Huntress.  All I know is that I was hooked when Netflix threw Winstead at me, plus Woody Harrelson, a ton of Japanese aesthetic and even a Tortoro tank top at me via their latest cinematic venture, the action-packed Kate.

Kate is a modernized update on a blend of revenge film and film noir that is centered around feminine energy in an extremely masculine world, and all of it is given the high production cherry on top to make that narrative darkness shine.  In terms of aesthetic, mood and tone, the film is definitely a winner, and easily one of the best looking Netflix productions to date.  Kate falls somewhere on the spectrum of properties like Kite, Leon : The Professional and touches of Hanna in terms of its female representation in the world of action, with women that are allowed to be themselves rather than feminine-skewed tough guys, but are still clearly capable and skilled at the same level of their male counterparts.  There are also touches of honor and having a code in the criminal underworld, examinations of dark cyclical mechanisms that takes lives and a bit of an estranged sisterhood thread going on between our female leads (not to say that they are sisters, but they are certainly kindred spirits forced together by fate and destiny).

Unfortunately, the story does run a bit thin in terms of substance, and with the film falling just a shade under two hours, it essentially feels like a side-scrolling video game turned cinematic experience.  The situation beset upon Kate is a tragic one, with the falling dominoes of broken trust, an attempt to leave a family system that doesn’t let go and the inevitable double cross that is putting a ticking clock on her life all hitting hard, but all of this takes place in act one, and the rest of the film is a revenge fantasy with an unclear target despite its respectable body count.  There is something there to work with in terms of the connection between Kate and Ani, but by the time that their paths cross again, Kate is essentially in Terminator mode, which relegates Ani to the role of talkative, irritating and reluctant sidekick.  This does work for a time, but with so much narrative thrust dedicated to the revenge (and redemption) aspect of the film, it becomes an auxiliary aspect that feels abandoned during the third act resolution.

The film is extremely technically proficient, so much so that it buoys the thin narrative by providing us with a purple neon presence that continuously breaks out of the darkness, deep depth of field close ups that frame our characters among a blurred neo-futurist Osaka and long lens observant shots that amplify Kate’s journey towards her end.  The combat elements of the film are serviceable, but the gunplay and stunt sequences make up for the lack of natural feel in the combat sequences.  The music choices lean deeply into the location of Osaka, helping to make the film feel extremely immersive.  It goes without saying that, based on locations, the atmosphere shots are breathtaking, with the luminescent glow that breaks up the Osaka darkness really making its presence felt.  A special shoutout goes out to the costuming department, who not only captured the gravitas of the Yakuza and other crime lords, but managed to find both the childlike innocence that Ani clings to in her outfit choice and the air of badass confidence Kate carries with her in her outfit (especially the aforementioned Tortoro tank top).

Mary Elizabeth Winstead is not only surprisingly believable as an orphaned assassin with her intense focus and overly confident demeanor, but she also has the empathic awareness to make adjustments in terms of how she interacts with other characters, which in turn creates very interesting connective arcs.  This is best displayed in her interactions with Miku Martineau, who could have easily been the one note lovingly annoying sidekick, but as her character Ani reveals truths about her troubled past and dangerous reality, Winstead’s Kate is able to find pure common ground without having to sacrifice her dying goals or her gruff exterior.  Woody Harrelson does what he does best by injecting charm into roles that are otherwise one-dimensional, only to give us a glimpse at that underlying sinister nature he channels at the point of character turns.  Tadanobu Asano leans into his opportunity to play the young underworld rebel who scoffs in the face of tradition with great aplomb, while Jun Kunimura offsets this by bringing a silent and still grandness to his old world characterization.  Appearances by Michiel Huisman, Miyavi, Kazuya Tanade and a trio of performances by Amelia Crouch, Ava Caryofyllis and Gemma Brooke Allen as young Kate round things out.

Kate is enjoyable for what it is, but I don’t know if it has the substance or sting needed for me to return to it down the road.  Maybe I will if I get on a big Winstead kick in the future, or if newcomer Miku Martineau finds breakout success down the road, but I’d be lying to myself if I said that Kate stood in the top tier amongst its peers.  That being said, there’s a reason it’s currently the number one trending film on Netflix, as it looks like a million bucks, so if you’re in need of a quick stimulus jolt without a deep mental or emotional commitment, then this film may be right up your alley.

[film-book]

KATE (2021) Movie Trailer: Poisoned Assassin Mary Elizabeth Winstead searches for Revenge in her Last 24 Hours https://tinyurl.com/yj76yzsj