Escape

 

“Escapism” – as defined as a form of mental diversion by means of entertainment or recreation to escape from an unpleasant or banal reality – might be in order for many this weekend, especially to those who want to divert attention from the consistently glum headlines of a government shutdown or a potential Donald Trump candidacy.

May I recommend HANNA, from Focus Features, a new action-thriller starring Saoirse Ronan (Atonement) as a young girl trained by her father (Eric Bana) to be a would-be assassin and must seek out the CIA agent on their trail (Cate Blanchett). It’s fun, it’s slick, it’s got lots of bang-up action (with a PG-13 rating, it’s not brutal) and if you can buy the concept of this trim young lady trading body blows with bad guys, it’s damn well worth checking out. It’s the most fun I’ve had in a theater in some time.

Blanchett is a hoot, as is Tom Hollander who plays a whistling, menacing scumbag hired to take out Hanna and her Dad.  Though what sets this film a part is the techno score by The Chemical Brothers that dominates each action sequence (a sample, above)