Wingwomen (2023) Movie Review: An Excellent Performance by Adèle Exarchopoulos
Cast: Mélanie Laurent, Adèle Exarchopoulos, Isabelle Adjani, Félix Moati, Philippe Katerine, Manon Bresch
Director: Mélanie Laurent
Streaming Platform: Netflix
Filmyhype.com Ratings: 3/5 (three stars) [yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]
Wingwomen (Original title: Voleuses) the new Netflix action/drama film, is available on the streaming platform from November 1st. The director will also see Mélanie Laurent playing the role of Carole, (Adèle Exarchopoulos) in the role of Alex, together with (Manon Bresch) Sam, (Philippe Katerine) Abner, (Felix Moati) Clarence and (Isabelle Adjani) Marraine. Mélanie Laurent was already well known and appreciated by the public for Shosanna in Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds film. Wingwomen is a film adaptation of the Graphic Novel La grande odalisque (2012) written by Florent Ruppert and Jérome Mulot and illustrated by Bastien Vivès. Among the latest additions to the Netflix catalog stands out Wingwomen, the seventh feature film by Mélanie Laurent, a girl-power show inspired by the comic The Grand Odalisque.
In that case, the feature film has captured the attention of the public with the presence of a great trio of actresses for those who follow French cinema more closely: Mélanie Laurent, Adèle Exarchopoulos, and Isabelle Adjani, excellently accompanied by the young but no less talented Manon Bresch. The film essentially purports to be a nastier version of “Charlie’s Angels” – its three leads party, smoke, and have vigorous libidos – and it’s a shame that the flat tone and derivative style of the film mutes these spicier elements. Using genre tropes isn’t necessarily a minus but, as we’ll see in this review of Wingwomen, the film never manages to employ them creatively and on its terms. If the film’s original language were English, this could easily be confused with any other Hollywood blockbuster.
Wingwomen Movie Review: The Story Plot
The plot of the film Wingwomen is not exactly original: Carole (Mélanie Laurent) is ready to retire. She doesn’t like her job as a professional thief (long hours, frustrating co-workers) and her boss (Isabelle Adjani) drives her crazy. Furthermore, you just received some unexpected news. She only has one thing left to do: accept one last important assignment and then go down the path of work. Together with her best friend and confidante, Alex (Adèle Exarchopoulos), Carole embarks on a mission to steal an iconic painting – a heist with a less-than-foolproof plan that requires an excellent escape. At this point, Sam (Manon Bresch), a talented racing driver with a dark past, enters the picture. Together, the bickering trio will take over the world, if they don’t kill each other first.
With this film, Mélanie Laurent and her team of screenwriters try to present female friendship from a romantic point of view, bringing a new perspective to the genre. This approach works in part thanks to the intensity of the friendship between the two protagonists, an aspect rarely explored on screen: the moments of complicity between the two, for example when they plan their future restaurant, are particularly fascinating and touching. However, the dialogues sometimes lack punch and specificity to truly move us. Mélanie Laurent’s main goal is to tell a chatty buddy comedy, while the criminal plot remains an underdeveloped background. The film’s abrupt changes in tone, from shootouts to romantic encounters, moving on to monologues on mourning and motorcycle chases, struggle to fascinate.
Wingwomen Movie Review and Analysis
From the beginning of the film, we continually have déjà-vu of other films, finding developments and situations already seen. We find similarities with films like Mission Impossible, female-centric with skilled thieves instead of secret agents, it intersects with Lupine, we notice inspirations drawn from Charlie’s Angels and finally with Ocean’s 8. Wingwomen seems like a mix of all these other films, thus losing originality, seeing in it the repetition of the same plots already seen, underlining to the nth degree the pink version of the crime. The objective of the mission is The Great Odalisque which Carole, Alex, and Sam must steal and deliver to their Boss. An 1814 painting made by Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres. The canvas portrays a very beautiful woman, an odalisque, who was considered a sort of slave or concubine in the palaces of the ancient Ottoman Empire.
The figure of the woman is represented as very elongated as if she were almost a mythological creature. Her curved back, very long legs, and her arms as if they were boneless. In art, this style has made the painting iconic and has generated much discussion among critics. Painting is a clear example of how artists can represent beauty in different forms, going against expectations and creating images and figures that still fascinate and enchant those who observe them today. The painting and the three protagonists of the film find assonance in being far from stereotypes and clichés. Our thieves are motivated by distinctly different forces in life, and these differences also emerge in their approach to combat and decision-making. Alex presents herself as a ruthless beast, capable of annihilating an entire army when given the time and resources necessary to prepare.
Carole stands out as the brains of the group, analyzing every possible outcome and identifying the most effective plans B and C. Sam, on the other hand, emerges as the savior, courageously facing every threat and elbowing her way out of danger when escape is the only option. Of the three girls, Alex has the most demanding work on all fronts: she carries out most of the killings and is also the film’s predominant source of grit, sensuality, and humor, thanks to Exarchopoulos’ lively and easy-going performance. The character of Alex transitions seamlessly from the mask of a casual and playful girl to that of an expert assassin, always maintaining an irresistible charm. In this sense, Exarchopoulos is – unfortunately – the only actress whose charisma always manages to emerge through the mechanical process of the plot. In particular, the more criminal storyline in the strict sense of the term takes a back seat, lacks depth, and struggles to maintain the viewer’s interest, with action scenes that fail to fully capture attention, leaving us wanting more.
On the other hand, the one chosen by Laurent could prove for some spectators to be an effective, rhythmic approach, with the right amount of malice in the eyes of its heroines, in which the action never dominates the rest, and the words strike as much as the bullets. A film of majestic heroines, plural and inclusive, which suffers here and there from certain lengths and a too-abrupt ending, but nothing detracts from the pleasure of this pure entertainment. Overall, Wingwomen boasts convincing performances, good emotional moments, charismatic characters, and some truly entertaining scenes. What is perhaps missing is a more linear narrative, which allows the film to move in a more direct direction, so to speak, and which therefore allows the average spectator to identify more with the work. However, it is notable how Mélanie Laurent portrays women determined to redefine the expectations imposed on them who, instead of submitting to stereotypes, outline a scenario in which male fallibility becomes an almost childish counterpoint to female sagacity.
Mélanie Laurent returns behind and in front of the camera to direct and star in a very negligible film adaptation of the graphic novel The Great Odalisque. From the 2012 comic, the film inherits the lack of originality, which on the screen is further amplified due to a result that except for a few noteworthy action scenes is not worth the price of the monthly fee of the Stars and Stripes platform. The result is an action-comedy dressed up as a heist movie, which we honestly didn’t feel the need for at all. The one who pays the price is the director herself, who for her part tries to do everything to keep an operation afloat that even manages to make actresses of the caliber of Adèle Exarchopoulos and Isabelle Adjani look bad.
Wingwomen Movie Review: The Last Words
Wingwomen is an overall pleasant film to watch but lacks originality by recreating a mix of films already seen. The prospects and potential were there, thanks also to the presence of well-known actresses with commendable performances and important themes such as friendship and freedom. This French girl power action film attempts to break the codes of the genre, but not always successfully. An excellent performance by Adèle Exarchopoulos is not enough to elevate a dull script that can be confused with many other experiments on the streaming platform.
Wingwomen (2023) Movie Review: An Excellent Performance by Adèle Exarchopoulos - Filmyhype
Director: Mélanie Laurent
Date Created: 2023-11-01 19:21
3
Pros
- Strong female characters
- Stylish action sequences
- Humor
- Refreshing female perspective
- Breakout performances by Adèle Exarchopoulos and Mélanie Laurent
- Visually stunning
- Unique tone that blends action, comedy, and drama
Cons
- The plot is predictable
