Universal Pictures presents The 355 in UK cinemas from Friday, January 7, 2022.
Review
It was back in 2017, during production on the ill-fated Dark Phoenix that Jessica Chastain is said to have masterminded the idea for The 355. Cut to 2022 and Chastain is finally seeing the fruits of her labour arriving in cinemas across the globe.
Chastain has re-teamed with Phoenix writer and director Simon Kinberg for The 355, a global mystery with potentially apocalyptic consequences for our group of heroes. To save the world the producing pair has roped in a cast of familiar faces including Lupita Nyong’o, Penelope Cruz, Diane Kruger and Bingbing Fan. There’s an Avenger on board as well in the form of Sebastian Stan, but more on him in a moment.
The core group of leads work together incredibly well. After a cold opening which sets up The 355‘s MacGuffin we’re introduced to Mason ‘Mace’ Browne (Chastain). Within moments of her introduction it’s made clear she’s a dedicated agent, perhaps married to her job. She’s quickly assigned to a mission in Paris to retrieve our MacGuffin alongside the charming Nick Fowler (Stan). Any self-respecting movie goer will know this op is bound to go south. It does so courtesy of Diane Kruger’s Marie Schmidt and a spilled cup of coffee. This sets in motion a chain of events which organically brings together our A-list cast.
Kinberg’s screenplay, co-written with Theresa Rebeck who also holds a story credit, is surprisingly light on exposition. The 355 doesn’t overload its audience with backstory or context in its first act. Instead I found myself having to keep track of each character to recall which agency they worked for and which side they were on. Credit to Rebeck’s story for making me work to stay in the game.
Rebeck and Kinberg proceed to knock down the dominos by weaving each of the remaining characters in via the unfolding events. Graciela (Cruz) arrives next, a therapist from her native Columbia who is accidentally caught up in a conspiracy which seemingly runs deeps in to various global super powers. It’s Lin Mi Sheng (Fan) who arrives last, seemingly working both angles of the story.
For me, a white male, the film exudes confidence in its female cast and never sexualises them. For much of its 124 minute runtime The 355 even fails to take note that none of its hero figures is male. Only in its closing moments does Rebeck and Kinberg’s story pat itself on the back for whupping the arses of their male counterparts. These are powerful women who are simply accepted as such.
In regards to the trajectory of its story, The 355 doesn’t necessarily break new narrative ground. For the most part its twists and turns aren’t glaringly obvious, save for one scenario involving a more devilish side to Sebastian Stan which is heavily hinted at in the film’s second trailer. In this respect the mystery makes for an engaging experience in the cinema.
Fight coordinators James Embree and James O’Donnell have crafted some excellent hand-to-hand combat scenes. The film doesn’t hold back in terms of allowing its leads to go up against countless male goons of varying shapes and sizes. Whilst each of the ladies has their area of expertise, by the end of the film they’re all capable of firing a gun and throwing a punch. Chastain, in particular, commits whole heartedly to her fight sequences and it shows in the final product.
At times it appeared that Bingbing Fan was stitched in to scenes at a later date. She often appears in close up, separate from other main cast members. Whether this was a consequence of her well documented legal troubles is inconsequential to its impact on the film. It pulled me out of key moments to see her appear differently lit or out of the eye line of characters with whom she was interacting. A minor foible in an otherwise enjoyable film.
The 355 harkens back to an era where movie-making wasn’t all about multimedia domination. It’s a standalone adventure which requires no homework before or after viewing. Instead it can be enjoyed simply for what it is. But in an era of franchise oppression I wonder if it will struggle to find an audience.
Verdict
Bolstered by its fantastic cast, The 355 is an entertaining slice of espionage cinema.
⭐⭐⭐
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