MOMENTUM (2015)

The plotline for Momentum is fairly straight forward but the action is quite good and some of the acting and dialogue are definitely notable. Olga Kurylenko plays Alexis, our femme fatale main character with a shadowy covert ops past who orchestrates a spectacular bank heist in Capetown South Africa at the beginning of the movie that sets everything in motion. They empty out a lock box belonging to a US Senator played by Morgan Freeman. It contains numerous diamonds but more importantly it contains a thumb drive that has information on it that would convict him of Treason. Once the heist is complete it quickly becomes apparent that some CIA cleaners are moving in to retrieve the items and eliminate everyone involved. Alexis is meeting with her partner Kevin in a hotel room when they show up, kill him and all hell breaks loose and the chase begins. The man in charge of the cleanup process is referred to as Mr. Washington and is played by James Purefoy.

The action is engaging and maneuvers between periods of full out chase scenes with intermittent hide and seek moments, to witty dialogue during tense standoffs, to kickass hand to hand combat and even a couple of nasty torture scenes, one with a fairly inventive flare. The action is not on John Wick levels but it is enjoyable and satisfying. A car chase scene that begins in the multi-tiered parking garage of the hotel and continues out into the city is a great ride. Some outstanding driving skills are on display here that kept it exhilarating.

Later, at one point, Alexis is forced into close quarter combat while trying to save Kevin’s wife and son from Mr. Washington’s hit men. The tactics were well choreographed, straight forward and not flashy. The use of improvised weapons was extremely creative! I will never forget the Tonka Truck scene….ever!

As the plot unfolds we clearly see that, though outnumbered and outgunned, Alexis is planning countermoves and putting in place a strategy that we are not completely privy to until the end. It is a great chess match between her and Mr. Washington that culminates in an extremely gratifying and darkly humorous way.

Olga Kurylenko is a super sexy badass in this movie. Her acting could be a little better or perhaps it’s just that James Purefoy over shadows so many around him but she pulls off the role well and you feel for her and root for her to get out of this alive and make them pay for killing her friend Kevin.

What really made this movie for me though was James Purefoy. I think without him it wouldn’t have held my interest the same. He is such a delightfully wicked villain. If you’ve ever watched him in the TV show The Following I’m sure you know what I mean. He is sharp, witty, droll, cold, dark, deceitful, manipulative, merciless, sarcastic, and always has just the right words and expressions to epitomize whatever emotion he wants to put on display in the creation of this emotionally disconnected “It’s nothing personal just business” government killer. His lines are written perfectly for him and if the movie were just a step up better all-around I’d be making comparisons between him and Hans Grubert on Die Hard. Alas the movie as a whole doesn’t excel that high, though I think Purefoy’s character is definitely grasping the heel of Hans here. The movie is certainly worth the watch, however, if for no other reason than James Purefoy’s immensely entertaining performance alone. 

MIKE DUKE 

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