“Ava” is an interesting film. Jessica Chastain stars in the titular role as Ava, who has an all-too familiar story of a young woman with a promising future ripped away by addiction. Through a series of flashbacks, the film takes viewers on a journey of her life leading up the present. Once at the top of her class, she endures dark times prior to enlisting in the military. There, she engages in numerous missions, extensive training, and meets Duke (John Malkovich). It is unclear exactly how he recruits her, but under his instruction she becomes a high-profile assassin.
Many familiar faces appear on-screen, but make no mistake, this is Chastain’s film. Malkovich, as Duke, is a fatherly figure for Ava, who was betrayed by her own father. She is conflicted by her feelings for Duke, because of how she feels about her father. In one scene, Ava questions him over a series of events which saw her nearly killed. Later, he expresses his understanding that she finds it hard to trust. He does manage to prove he has her best interests at heart, and he understands she needs their connection. Even if she carries some deep scars. Ava reminds me of a wounded animal; she is in a lot of pain, but will punish anyone through her desperation to survive.
Unlike Ava, another Malkovich protégé, Simon (Colin Farrell) has a family and what looks to be some stability in his home life with a new baby. Yet, even though he appears to be more stable, looks can be deceiving. Simon also has an adult daughter, and we learn she is tracking Ava’s movements during her missions. Geena Davis, as Bobbi, is Ava’s mother and is larger-than-life on-screen. Davis is fierce in this role, and a stripped-down scene with just she and Chastain playing cards at the table was powerful. It’s apparent they were both affected never having the chance to get to know each other or have a relationship.
It’s painfully clear that Bobbi wants so badly to know who her daughter is and what she does—yet she will never tell her. Ava is seeking not an apology, but more an understanding of her mother at this point. Ava is a broken woman, who may have lost the ability to ever bond with someone again after what she’s gone through. Michael (portrayed by Common) is Ava’s ex, and in a storyline seemingly ripped from a soap opera, became involved her sister Judy (Jess Weixler) in the long years she was away from home.
Directed by Tate Taylor, and written by Matthew Newton, the script adds a level of humanity to this character you wouldn’t otherwise expect in an assassin. It is both a good quality and not at the same time, because her humanity also drives her pain to the surface. Being in pain can be a liability to someone in this line of work. Chastain is a skilled actor, and it shows; there are many moments where you could witness her pain whenever she found herself in a compromising position. Whenever Ava took action, it was not at all effortless to watch because it was often quite emotional. It brought more of a raw, edgy feel to the fight scenes especially, rather than something more refined in other films featuring actors as assassins.
A few aspects of the story were not as well developed as others. Ava faces a life-or-death struggle as a colleague turns against her, with no real explanation as to why. The viewer must simply accept the arrangements made to end her life. This is a film, that at times, doesn’t know exactly what it wants to be. At times, it seems to be about revenge; as the film progresses, Ava seems to be teetering on the edge of madness. Likely a result of her lengthy history as an assassin and the trauma she endured. Also, she undoubtedly witnessed many horrors during her military service.
At its heart, “Ava” is about forgiveness, as it highlights a lot of mistakes made by many different people. It may also be about seeking the truth; Ava tries to do this for herself, and when she questions what her subjects did to warrant her hiring. This is who she is now, and once the film concluded it left me wondering where Ava might go next. This film is worth a watch for Chastain’s performance alone, and despite some flaws in the storytelling, it is satisfying.
*”Ava” is available to watch on most streaming platforms.
