‘Anna’: Model-turned-killer gives as hard as she gets

Sasha Luss

We’re pretty sure you’ve already seen actioners that hew closely to the derivative premise fueling the espionage thriller, “Anna.”

But Luc Besson’s latest film quickly distinguishes itself for the stellar supporting cast it manages to assemble, in support of lovely Russian supermodel-turned-actress Sasha Luss in the title role.

After all, there aren’t a lot of relative newcomers who can say that they’re being “supported” by A-listers like Helen Mirren, Luke Evans and Cillian Murphy.

We first saw Sasha in 2017’s “Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets,” but it didn’t take long before the underwhelming sci-fi flick vanished into movie-vetting oblivion, along with the flashy turns of Sasha and the shape-shifting Rihanna.

Despite “Anna’s” nonlinear progression, Sasha’s story unfolds like pieces of a complicated puzzle slowly coming together. You’ll have to be patient to fully appreciate its astutely delineated tale about Anna Poliatova (Sasha), an exquisitely beautiful model who becomes one of the world’s most feared assassins.

Luke Evans

The lithe, limber and lovely Anna realizes her potential soon after she is rescued by KGB operative Alex Tchenkov (Luke Evans) from an abusive husband (Alexander Petrov). Impressed by Anna’s decisiveness and tough-as-nails exterior, Alex convinces his boss Olga (Helen Mirren) to make wise use of the diamond-in-the-rough lurking behind the desperate woman.

One thing leads to another and, before you know it, Anna is seen working the runways of Paris—and, on the side, killing whoever her bosses want her to! She wishes for a less stressful life, but Anna soon realizes how much of a “trap” her skill, efficiency and competence have become.

Anna finally sees a way out of her life-or-death missions when she crosses paths with CIA agent Lenny Miller (Cillian Murphy), who offers her safety and freedom—if she double-crosses her incorrigible Russian bosses. What is a beleaguered woman to do?

The film provides compelling answers as it deftly limns its protagonists’ perilous journey to freedom and self-discovery. It is a proficiently entertaining actioner that is occasionally muddled by repetitive twists involving triple- or quadruple-dealing agents.

Cillian Murphy

No damsel in distress

More than its action sequences and Anna’s dramatic upheavals, the production is made even more viewable by Sasha. Like Milla Jovovich (“Resident Evil”) and Kate Beckinsale (“Underworld”) before her, Sasha gives as hard as she gets, never needing a knight in shining armor to save her from imminent danger and sweep her off her feet.

Sasha acquits herself well in both her action and dramatic moments. She proves she’s more than just another beguiling beauty. She’s a welcome addition to the little club that Jovovich, Beckinsale and Charlize Theron (“Mad Max: Fury Road”) belong to.

Her expressive face provides a blank canvas that has the potential to open many emotional doors. She may not look like someone who can punch as hard as the human targets she exterminates, but she’s always ready to roll with the punches.

After all, Anna knows only too well that trouble never sends a warning!

Helen Mirren